House Insurance Committee advances five bills, including changes to agent audits and insurance inquiries

The House Committee on Insurance on an earlier meeting day advanced five bills it had heard previously — House Bills 2042, 2043, 2048, 2049 and 2050 — taking final committee action to pass each measure out of committee.

The bills address a range of insurance regulatory topics: access to title-agent audit reports and surety bond levels (HB 2042); required response times to inquiries and complaints (HB 2043); a statutory cleanup and narrowing of reporting requirements (HB 2048); alignment of licensing and enforcement language for public adjusters and agents (HB 2049); and authority for the insurance commissioner to set fee amounts up to statutory ceilings and related appointment fee changes (HB 2050).

Committee members amended several measures before approving them. HB 2042 was amended to set an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026. HB 2043 and HB 2049 were amended to standardize certain response time language to 14 calendar days for commissioner complaint inquiries. HB 2050 received a technical amendment clarifying when a $2 appointment fee applies. HB 2048 was placed on the committee consent calendar as a cleanup item.

Motions and final committee action were taken by voice vote; the transcript records the motions and seconds but does not provide roll-call tallies. The committee recorded mover/second pairs in committee discussion for each action as summarized below.

Votes at a glance

- HB 2042 — Title agent reports and surety bond standards. Motion to pass as amended moved by Representative Neighbor; second by Vice Chair Bergkamp. Outcome: passed out of committee as amended (effective date Jan. 1, 2026). The committee adopted a date-change amendment ("Neighbor amendment").

- HB 2043 — Response time to commissioner inquiries and pilot rebate program language. Motion to pass (and earlier placement on consent) was renewed as amended to require 14 calendar days for commissioner complaint inquiries. Final motion to pass as amended moved by Representative Neighbor; second by Representative Penn. Outcome: passed out of committee as amended.

- HB 2048 — Cleanup to reporting and enforcement definitions. Motion to pass and place on the consent calendar moved by Representative Neighbor; second by Representative Bergkamp. Outcome: passed out of committee on the consent calendar.

- HB 2049 — Licensing alignment for public adjusters and agents; response-time amendment added. Final motion to pass as amended moved by Representative Neighbor; second by Representative Haskins. Outcome: passed out of committee as amended (amendment changed 15 business days language to 14 calendar days for commissioner complaint inquiries).

- HB 2050 — Authorizes the commissioner to set fee amounts up to statutory ceilings and clarifies newly appointed agent appointment fee language. Motion to pass as amended moved by Representative Neighbor; second by Representative Bergkamp. Outcome: passed out of committee as amended (includes Williams amendment clarifying appointment fee language).

Why it matters: The measures together tighten some licensing and reporting requirements, change response-time expectations for regulated entities responding to the commissioner, give the commissioner limited fee-setting authority inside statutory ceilings, and adjust procedural definitions that affect enforcement. Committee members and Department of Insurance staff said the changes aim to modernize regulatory processes and improve consumer protections.

What’s next: Each bill now moves to the next step in the legislative process (calendar scheduling, possible floor amendment, or further committee consideration). The transcript does not record any final floor action or roll-call tallies.