Committee hears bill moving fire-loss reporting from State Patrol to Insurance Commissioner

Members of the Consumer Protection & Business Committee heard a staff briefing and public testimony Wednesday on Substitute Senate Bill 54-19, which would change who receives insurer reports of fire losses and add confidentiality and immunity provisions.

Megan Mulvihill, staff to the committee, summarized the bill, saying current law requires insurers to report fire losses to the Washington State Patrol chief and transmit copies to the insurance commissioner. Under the substitute Senate bill, "within 90 days of closing a claim or investigation related to fire loss or damage, an insurer must report the fire loss to the office of the insurance commissioner rather than the chief of the Washington State Patrol," Mulvihill said.

The bill would also require that when an insurer "knows or suspects that a fire loss or damage may be due…