Consumer Protection & Business Committee advances several insurance, repair and kiosk measures; one restitution bill fails

The Consumer Protection & Business Committee on April 2 advanced four measures affecting insurance, consumer finance and repair of mobility devices and rejected one bill that would have limited insurer fines.

Lawmakers voted to report several measures out of committee with ‘due pass’ recommendations and debated amendments that touched on public-records exemptions, repair safety for complex mobility equipment, transaction caps and fees for virtual-currency kiosks, and the authority of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to order restitution and assess fines.

The most prominent vote sent to the floor was engrossed Senate Bill 5721, which would require auto policies effective on or after Jan. 1, 2026, to include a right to appraisal to resolve disputes over a vehicle’s value and loss amount. Representative Reeves, who moved the committee action, said the negotiated amendment reflects a multistakeholder compromise. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill out with a due-pass recommendation (11 ayes, 4 nays).

A separate bill to add restitution and higher fines in the insurance code (substitute Senate Bill 5331) drew extended questions about what “per violation” means and whether the agency would have excessive discretion. Representative Santos offered an amendment to cap aggregate fines in a single enforcement action — $35,000 for general violations and $100,000 for willful violations — and that amendment was adopted. After…