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House adopts amendment and passes substitute H.B.14 to change insurance signoff and minimums
Summary
The House debated and amended substitute House Bill 14, which revises insurance requirements and signoff procedures; the chamber adopted an amendment increasing the property damage minimum from $10,000 to $15,000 and passed the substitute bill, forwarding it for Senate consideration.
The Utah House debated substitute House Bill 14, a rewrite of an insurance measure that reworked mandates on uninsured and underinsured coverage and set mandatory signoff procedures. Representative Atkinson, the bill sponsor on the floor, said the substitute reduced burdens on insurers by phasing in new notice and checkoff procedures for new and existing policies.
Representative Yardley proposed an amendment changing a property damage minimum in the bill from $10,000 to $15,000. Yardley said agents recommended raising the property-damage minimum as vehicles and repair costs have increased. Representative Yardley noted the $10,000 figure represented a previous statewide average among surrounding states and argued the higher minimum would better protect consumers.
Opponents said the increase would raise premiums for fixed-income households. Representative Norm Nielsen urged the body to consider seniors and people on fixed incomes, arguing that optional stacking and underinsured provisions address some exposure and that mandated higher limits could increase costs for vulnerable residents.
Supporters countered that $10,000 for property damage is insufficient in many crashes. One representative recounted a crash in Salt Lake City where a driver with a $10,000 property limit faced roughly $14,000 in repair costs and was forced to cover the difference. After debate, the House adopted the amendment to increase the property-damage minimum from $10,000 to $15,000.
Representative Atkinson summarized the changes between the original and substitute bill as providing a longer phase-in period and removing a direct mandate that insurers carry uninsurance or underinsurance—a compromise reached after industry negotiations.
The House voted on substitute H.B.14 as amended; the clerk recorded 62 affirmative votes and 4 negative votes; the measure passed and will be transmitted to the Senate for further action.
Next steps: the bill will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration under the regular legislative process.
