Advocacy

What Happened:On December 31st, Governor Hochul signed the “Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act"​ (CIDA) on the condition that the legislature would swiftly pass several changes to the bill, referred to as “chapter amendments." The bill as signed​ requires, among other things, defendants in a lawsuit to automatically disclose all insurance information, including the policy application, within 60 days of answering for new actions and by March 31, 2022 for all pending actions. The chapter amendments agreed upon by Governor Hochul and the legislative leaders would exempt the policy application from automatic disclosure. These amendments are expected to be passed soon, but at the time of writing…

​On Wednesday, Governor Hochul kicked off the official start of the 2022 legislative session with her first State of the State address. Speaking from the Assembly Chamber, Hochul outlined her agenda for the coming year. The wide ranging address outlined initiatives for economic recovery, strengthening the healthcare economy, investing in infrastructure and renewable energy, and restoring trust in government. Notably, she proposed constitutional amendment to impose a two-term limit for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller.Key Takeaways from State of the State:Non-Compete/No-Poach Ban Proposed: Governor Hochul indicated she would propose legislation to eliminate non-compete agreements for workers making below the median wage in New…

On Wednesday, December 1st, Big I Western NY hosted their annual Virtual Legislative Breakfast. Member agents from across the region and a bipartisan group of nearly a dozen state lawmakers and staff members participated in the event, whichn was focused on Big I NY's key legislative issues.Scott Hobson, Big I NY's AVP of Government Relations provided an update on developments during the past year, including progress on our bill to make auto photo inspections voluntary, streamlining the process for placing coverage in the excess market, and the unanimous appellate court ruling in our favor declaring Insurance Regulation 187 unconstitutional. The event also featured a look forward…