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Senate committee advances bill extending homeownersnonrenewal notice from 30 to 60 days
Summary
The Senate Insurance and Labor Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 35, sponsored by the committee chair, to require insurers to provide 60 days' written notice of homeowners policy nonrenewal for primary residences, with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026 to allow carriers time to adjust systems.
Chairman Walker, the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 35, told the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee that the bill would extend the required written notice of homeowners insurance nonrenewal from 30 days to 60 days for primary residences.
"We are seeing customers that aren't being notifiedreally aren't receiving the notice maybe only a week before their expiration of their policy," Chairman Walker said, describing delays in mail and the strain on agents who must help insureds secure new coverage.
The bill's sponsor said the change is aimed at consumer protection in a tightening insurance market. The bill would apply only to property that is someone's residence and would change the statutory notice requirement from 30 days to 60 days. A committee substitute (LC461059S) sets the bill's effective date at Jan. 1, 2026 to give carriers time to update systems.
Committee members questioned whether alternative delivery methods, such as e-mail, should be recognized. The sponsor said electronic notices are sometimes used but are not universally reliable because some insureds lack e-mail or messages may go to spam; agents often receive electronic notices as well. Senator Harbin said extending the notice period is reasonable given postal delays and the difficulty agents face in re-marketing coverage in a hard market.
Committee members also asked whether the Insurance Commissioner could enforce the notice requirement; the sponsor said the Insurance Commissioner already has market-conduct enforcement authority and routinely handles consumer complaints.
The committee moved the bill by voice/hand vote after a short series of questions and passed it; the record shows the motion carried but does not include a roll-call tally in the transcript.
The bill includes two legislative-change elements: (1) changing the notice period from 30 to 60 days for nonrenewal of homeowners policies covering primary residences and (2) adopting an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026 in the committee substitute to accommodate insurer systems updates. The discussion focused on mail reliability, agents' ability to place coverage in a hard market, and enforcement via the Insurance Commissioner's existing market-conduct authority.
The committee did not adopt additional delivery methods or civil-penalty language in committee; committee members noted that enforcement is available through the Insurance Commissioner's office and that rate changes remain subject to regulatory approval.
