House passes tax and insurer‑clarification bill after hours of amendment votes; retroactivity and fiscal impacts fuel objections

Engrossed House Bill 24‑87, a broad tax measure addressing insurance premium exemptions, advanced computing surcharges and related definitions, passed the House after lengthy debate over numerous amendments.

Representative Macri described the bill as necessary to clarify a 2024 court ruling and to prevent double taxation, saying the legislation "clarifies what the exemption is for." Opponents argued the bill contained retroactive language that would expose insurers and potentially raise premiums and could cost the state billions over the budget outlook; Representative Orcutt urged a no vote, saying retroactive treatment is unfair to taxpayers and that the Department of Revenue had already lost at the highest level in some parts.

Several amendment attempts sought to remove retroactivity, add refund provisions for taxes invalidated by court decisions, create a phased repayment schedule, and refine definitions of who qualifies as an insurer; many of those amendments were not adopted. Representative Couture and others urged adoption of amendments to avoid retroactive taxation, warning of premium increases and market disruption.

The House adopted a striker amendment to the bill and later the full bill was declared passed. The clerk reported the final tally as 51 yays, 44 nays, 3 excused, and the presiding officer declared Engrossed House Bill 24‑87 passed. (Note: floor transcript contains a clerical report entry with duplicated wording for the tally; this article reports the final tallies as recorded by the clerk and as required to determine passage.)

Members on both sides urged continued work on fairness and implementation details as the bill moves forward.