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Committee advances bill requiring insurers to provide homeowners a full copy of their policy within 30 days
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced House Bill 13‑22 to the Committee of the Whole; the bill requires insurers to provide homeowners a certified copy of their policy upon request and imposes a $50 per‑day penalty for noncompliance.
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced House Bill 13‑22, which clarifies how Colorado homeowners may obtain a certified copy of their insurance policy and creates a $50 per‑day penalty for insurers that fail to comply.
Sponsor Senator Roberts said the bill enforces existing law in Colorado Revised Statutes §10‑4‑118.4 by identifying the insurer’s registered agent as the recipient for policy copy requests and adding an enforcement mechanism. "This is a short and simple bill that, at its core is just about enforcing current law," Roberts said.
Witnesses for the bill included Nicole Quintana (testifying in person on behalf of a plaintiff‑side attorneys group), Jennifer Milne of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, and Thomas Novick, a University of Colorado Boulder student. Jennifer Milne, an insurance litigator, described cases where insurers provided only declaration pages or incomplete excerpts and withheld the full policy, leaving homeowners unable to evaluate coverage or avoid contractor liens. "This bill would hold insurers accountable for open, honest, and prompt communication with their policyholders," Milne said. Student witness Thomas Novick urged an amendment requiring insurers to notify consumers of the right to request a policy copy at issuance and renewal.
Senator Roberts moved the bill to the Committee of the Whole; the committee recorded the motion and proceeded with further housekeeping and votes later in the session.
