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Committee reports bill requiring insurers to notify department when they begin, cease or resume writing coverage in areas; information exempt from public record
Summary
The Senate Insurance Committee reported Senate Bill 137 with amendments after hearing department testimony that the measure would require insurers to notify the Department of Insurance if they begin, cease or resume writing coverage in a ZIP code, parish or region.
The Senate Insurance Committee reported Senate Bill 137 with amendments after committee consideration and department testimony explaining the measure's intent to inform the commissioner and the Department of Insurance when an insurer begins, ceases or resumes writing coverage in a particular ZIP code, parish or region.
Barrow Peacock, identified in the transcript as chief deputy of the Louisiana Department of Insurance, told the committee the bill "allows the commissioner and the department to be informed when a company sends out a message, an email to their agent saying, we're going to cease writing in a certain ZIP code or a parish" and that the measure would let the department know while maintaining confidentiality. Peacock said keeping the submissions exempt from public records is intended to prevent competitors from using the information to take advantage of market signals.
Senator DuPlessis asked for clarification about the confidentiality exemption and the distinction between proprietary information and data the committee might want to make more available; Peacock replied that producers and agents often learn of company business-practice changes before the department does, and the bill is intended to provide the department visibility while preserving limited confidentiality to avoid creating a competitive advantage.
Committee staff presented a technical amendment (page 2, line 16) described in the transcript as correcting punctuation; the committee adopted the amendment on voice vote. A motion by Senator Edmonds to report Senate Bill 137 with amendments was adopted with no recorded opposition.
The transcript shows stakeholder support cards from Professional Insurance Agents of Louisiana and other industry representatives who were present but did not speak. The record does not include subsequent referral, fiscal analysis, or regulatory implementation details beyond the department's explanation of its informational and confidentiality goals.
