Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple unveils comprehensive reform package to tackle Louisiana’s insurance crisis

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple unveiled a package of auto insurance reform legislation and general insurance bills that he will be supporting during the 2025 Legislative Session at a press conference earlier today.

“We’re in an insurance crisis in Louisiana. That is a fact,” said Commissioner Tim Temple. “I don’t need a poll to tell me that insurance is THE issue for every man, woman, and business in the state of Louisiana. We are going to continue to push hard for reform.”

Louisiana currently has some of the highest auto insurance rates in the entire country.

“There is no doubt or citizens are suffering from this insurance crisis. Louisiana consistently ranks as the most unaffordable state for auto insurance in the country, and Louisiana drivers pay almost double as drivers in our neighboring states,” continued Commissioner Temple.

In order to address the insurance crisis Louisiana is facing, Commissioner Temple has unveiled a series of insurance reform bills that he will be supporting in the upcoming legislative session.

“I want to send the message to insurance companies that Louisiana is open for business, but I can’t do that unless we pass and sign meaningful reform this session,” “The package of bills I’m supporting will bring transparency, certainty, an d predictability to our market. This reform is designed to bring relief to Louisiana residents by genuinely addressing insurance costs.”

INSURANCE REFORM BILLS

• HB 437 by Rep. Firment – Provides for claims settlement practices, including sworn proof of loss statements, penalties for insurers not providing rental car coverage within a reasonable timeframe, and allowing insurers to require proof of payment of a deductible in property claims
• HB 431 by Rep. Chenevert – Modified comparative fault
• SB 230 by Sen. Kleinpeter – Medical transparency (past medical bills)
• HB 440 by Rep. Henry – Duty to mitigate medical costs in auto liability claims
• HB 435 by Rep. Egan – General damages cap
• HB 427 by Rep. Bamburg – Reversionary trust
• HB 450 by Rep. Melerine – Housely presumption
• SB 148 by Sen. Miguez – Loser pays
• HB 439 by Rep. Hebert – Limits attorney contingency fees on the first $15,000 of recovery to 10%
• HB 449 by Rep. Carlson – Attorney interest disclosure
• HB 438 by Rep. Firment – Insurer advertising exclusion
• HB 280 by Rep. Melerine – Workers Comp payroll audit clarification
• HB 561 by Rep. Firment – Clarifies surplus lines policy requirements, including notice that certain provisions of the Insurance Code do not apply to the policy and that surplus lines insurers may include arbitration clauses in their policies
• SB 136 by Sen. Talbot – Requires homeowners and private passenger auto insurers to provide the consumer with a rate transparency report when they offer a policy
• HB 379 by Rep. Wright – Authorizes arbitration endorsements for admitted insurers
• HB 443 by Rep. Henry – Pre suit notice
• HB 432 by Rep. Chenevert – Revisions relative to disclosure of third-party litigation financing agreements
• HB 635 by Rep. Bamburg – Modernizes Louisiana’s captive insurer law
• HB 34 by Rep. Glorioso – Medical transparency (admissibility)
• HB 519 by Rep. Glorioso- Distracted driving law

GENERAL INSURANCE BILLS

• HB 85 by Rep. Gadberry – Provides relative to permits for construction
• HB 121 by Rep. Adams – Provides prohibitions relative to public adjusters and home improvement contractors
• HB 122 by Rep. Berault – Creates a voluntary roof registry housed in the LDI
• HB 127 by Rep. Tarver – Establishes and provides for deductible savings accounts
• HB 145 by Rep. Wilder – Increases the tax deduction for self-funding a Fortified Roof retrofit on a home from $5,000 to $10,000
• HB 148 by Rep. Wiley – Requires insurers to provide prior premium amounts
  with renewals of certain insurance policies
• HB 224 by Rep. Galle – Lowers the premium tax for auto policies from 3% to 2% to align our premium tax rate with the national average
• HB 328 by Rep. Firment – Establishes a tax credit for the installation of dashboard
  cameras and telematics systems in certain commercial vehicles
• HB 329 by Rep. Hebert – Dedicates certain fees paid by insurers and persons licensed by the LDI and a percentage of certain taxes collected by the LDI to the LA Fortify Homes Program
• HB 345 by Rep. Wyble – Increases notice of cancellation or nonrenewal requirement from 30 days to 45 days and requires insurer to inform the policyholder of the cause of the cancellation or nonrenewal in the notice
• HB 401 by Rep. Dickerson – Eliminates the reduction of the anti-fraud assessment on insurers when funds are not expended for the previous year
• HB 441 by Rep. Henry – Raises certain fees paid by insurers and persons licensed by the LDI to be dedicated to the LA Fortify Homes Program
• HB 453 by Rep. Freeman – Provides relative to standards when constructing a residential roof in coastal zone parishes
• HB 549 by Rep. Shamerhorn – Provides a premium discount for commercial motor vehicles with dashboard cameras and telematics systems
• HB TBD by Rep. Firment – Dedicates a percentage of sales tax revenue in the coastal zone following a natural disaster to the LA Fortify Homes Program to be used exclusively for providing Fortified Roof grants in the coastal zone
• SB 28 by Sen. Talbot – Establishes an income tax credit for taxpayers who pay to have a fortified roof installed on their property
• SB 40 by Sen. Wheat – Mandates an annual legislative update continuing education for property and casualty agents
• SB 52 by Sen. McMath – Provide an individual income tax exemption for grants from the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program
• SB 137 by Sen. Talbot – Requires insurers to provide the LDI with notice if it intends to pause, stop, or resume writing property or auto policies in a particular region or zip code
• SB 199 by Sen. Myers – Clarifies the LDI’s authority to investigate and take action in certain fraud cases

To watch the full press conference, please click here.