Plain version: after a disaster, families have bigger problems than paying the insurance bill on time. California gives them breathing room so a missed payment does not leave a damaged home uninsured.

California Insurance Code §2062: when a state of emergency is declared, an insurer must offer a 60-day grace period for payment of premiums on residential property policies covering property in the affected area, for a period of 60 days after the emergency.

The alternative: the insurer need not change its billing practices if it instead reinstates, without a lapse in coverage or late fees, a policy canceled for nonpayment, when the insured asks and pays all premiums due reasonably promptly.