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Bill aimed at unlocking insurer discounts for home hardening gets hearing
Summary
Representative Steve Fitzpatrick told the Senate Business and Labor Committee that House Bill 136 would clarify insurers may offer premium reductions for home hardening and other risk‑reduction measures without running afoul of Montana's anti‑rebating law; regulators and industry generally supported the idea but trade groups urged clearer technical language tied to the state's adopted wildland‑urban interface code.
Representative Steve Fitzpatrick introduced House Bill 136 to the Senate Business and Labor Committee as a measure ‘‘that revises laws related to insurance benefits related to risk reduction,’’ saying the change is intended to encourage insurers to offer premium adjustments for homeowners who take steps to reduce wildfire, wind and hail risk.
The bill would explicitly allow insurers to recognize a range of mitigation measures — including use of fire‑resistive or noncombustible building materials, establishing defensible space, and wind‑ and hail‑resistant measures — so carriers can document such measures in policies and avoid concerns about Montana’s rebating statute.
Frank Cote, deputy insurance commissioner for the state auditor and commissioner of securities and insurance, told the committee the bill…
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