Harvey Rosenfield, Consumer Watchdogs, talks about the California FAIR Plan’s $1 billion bailout and the plan to impose a special charge on homeowners and insurance companies to cover L.A. wildfire costs.

The state’s insurance of last resort is charging a $1 billion special assessment to private insurance providers, a move approved Tuesday by the state’s insurance commissioner after a record number of FAIR Plan claims were filed after January wildfires in Los Angeles County.

The California FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort, received approval to assess member carriers $1 billion to help pay its L.A. fire losses -- with consumers possibly on the hook for nearly half.