Advocacy

​On December 12, the NYS Assembly passed Big I NY-supported legislation to eliminate an unnecessary ​burden on customers by repealing the anti-arson application statewide. Section 3403 of the Insurance Law requires the completion of an “anti-arson application" for people seeking property insurance for fire or explosion to complete. If a policyholder fails to complete this application, which is required upon initial application for insurance and on each subsequent renewal of the policy, the insurer must cancel the policy. Technology has advance dramatically since the application was first required, and the law has outlived its usefulness. Insurance companies today are required by law to have fraud prevention plans, which are filed with…

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…