LEGISLATIVEUPDATE

Provides minimum standards for who can serve as an appraiser or umpire in the appraisal process, and provides a process through which policyholders can participate in appraisal without needing to hire an attorney or appear in court

Virtually every homeowners policy contains an appraisal provision for policyholders who want to dispute the amount of damage that the insurer states in their adjustment, however policyholders often don’t know who to hire to perform their appraisal.This bill would mandate the department keep a list of qualified appraisers from which a policyholder can select an expert local to their area for representation

IIABL supports the bill

Senate Bills

SB 96 (Talbot) – Provides the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association and the Louisiana Citizens Property Corporation shall not be liable for certain property damage insurance claims.

Passed the Senate and House Insurance Committee

Will be heard on the House floor early next week

Exempts both LIGA and Citizens from class action lawsuits

This is important beca organizations, they do slow-pay or underpay ultimately passed dow

IIABL supports SB 96.

SB 106 (Smith) – Requires written request of the insu records in connection with insurance claim floor debate in the Ho

Requires an insurer to the claim file on their o requested. This right was already states that an insurer f to penalties under the The original version of problematic provision that claim files be kept subjecting an insurer t faith penalties instead act penalties, which w increase in litigation.

IIABL worked with the proposed law to its cu SB 106.

The bill has passed the Insurance committee.

Continued from page 8

143 (Henry) – provides for former officers of insolvent insurers

SB

Precludes people that had a controlling interest in an insurance company that went insolvent from operating a new insurance company in Louisiana unless given a specific exception by the commissioner of insurance.

IIABL supports the bill.

SB 143 has passed the Senate and the House Committee. It should be heard on the House floor soon.

SB 156 (Duplessis) – Provides that no property insurance policy shall prohibit an insured from hiring a public adjuster

The department brought this bill in response to a situation that has arisen recently. At least one property insurer in the state has started adding an endorsement to their policy which states that the policyholder cannot hire a public adjuster on a claim related to the policy.