Property and Casualty News
April 2026
Welcome to our latest newsletter! As a thought leader in the Insurance Industry for over 50 years, we are always excited to share the latest sampling of insurance compliance related bulletins, regulations, and legislative activity. Please feel free to share this newsletter with others that may be interested. Contact Us with any questions on the items in this newsletter or with any other compliance related matter we can assist you with. Enjoy!
AGENT / PRODUCER LICENSING AND APPOINTMENT
Arizona enacted legislation to allow certain salaried employee adjusters of insurers or managing general agents to obtain licensure without taking the state exam if they meet residency, prior licensure, good standing, and application requirements by June 30, 2027. Arizona restricts these licenses to adjusting claims only as salaried employees and requires individuals to obtain a standard adjuster license if they leave that role to continue practicing. SB 1415
Arkansas announces the 2026 producer appointment renewal process, requiring insurers to review, renew, or terminate all producer and agency appointments through NIPR within the May 29 to July 1, 2026 window, with electronic payments and strict deadlines. Bulletin 5-2026
Mississippi revises its insurance producer licensing examination requirements by mandating that third-party testing services comply with NAIC standards and best practices. The bill requires contracted vendors to develop, administer, and score exams in accordance with these national guidelines. HB 1332
Nebraska discontinued insurance producer remote licensing exams and requires all new exams to be taken at physical testing sites. Any remote exams already scheduled will be honored. There are 13 in-state testing locations and the Department allows applicants to take exams at PSI centers nationwide. IGD - D8 dated March 16, 2026
AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE
Missouri issued a bulletin directing auto insurers to use third-party valuation software as a tool—not a substitute—for a reasonable investigation and to ensure total-loss settlements are prompt, fair, and fully supported under state law. Missouri requires insurers to document and justify all valuation inputs, adjustments, and deductions, consider all vehicle-specific factors, and avoid practices that could result in undervaluation or unfair claims handling. Bulletin 26-04
CANCELLATION / NON-RENEWAL / PREMIUM OR COVERAGE
Idaho amends its laws on commercial and fire insurance policies to extend notice requirements, requiring insurers to provide at least 60 days’ advance notice for most cancellations and nonrenewals, up from prior shorter timeframes, while maintaining a 10-day notice for nonpayment of premium with mailing provisions. HB 562
Maryland requires property and casualty insurers to update cancellation and nonrenewal notices to include the Maryland Joint Insurance Association’s new address and telephone number, effective April 10, 2026. Maryland directs insurers to revise notice forms by the effective date or as soon as possible. Bulletin 26-8
CAPTIVES
New Jersey re-adopts the captive insurance law with technical changes for 7 years. This law governs captive insurance company formation, admission, and financial reporting requirements. NJAC 11:28-1.3
Vermont amends its captive law to prohibit specified loans and investments by risk retention groups, restructures their reporting and statement requirements, and requires a certifying statement from each protected cell within a sponsored captive insurance company. The amendments take effect July 1, 2026. HB 649
CLAIMS / CLAIMS ISSUES
Alabama amended its law to bar individuals who commit elder abuse, exploitation, or felonious and intentional killing from inheriting or receiving benefits from the victim’s estate, wills, joint assets, or contractual arrangements. The law severs such individuals from joint ownership interests and treats them as having predeceased the decedent, while protecting good-faith purchasers and limiting liability for institutions absent prior written notice of a claim. SB 41
CYBERSECURITY
Missouri issues a bulletin addressing the Conduent cybersecurity breach, requiring insurers to assess member impact, provide notifications and support resources, and ensure compliance with breach reporting obligations. Insurers are also reminded to follow data security laws. Conduent Business Services is a provider of third-party services such as printing, mailroom operations, document processing and payment services. Bulletin 26-05
Utah enacts new laws regulating artificial intelligence technologies, addressing counterfeit intimate images and establishing digital content standards. The law protects privacy, ensures authenticity and enhances consumer protection. It authorizes enforcement by the Division of Consumer Protection, creates civil liability for violations, and provides safe harbor protections for entities that implement reasonable safeguards. HB 276
Washington enacted legislation that will require covered providers of generative AI systems to embed tamper-resistant provenance data in AI-generated or materially altered audio, image, and video content, enabling users to verify its origin while prohibiting the inclusion of personal information. The law also defines key AI-related terms and clarifies that trade secrets and most business-to-business uses of AI systems are excluded from its requirements. HB 1170
ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS
Maine clarifies that entities may not charge fees for customers who opt out of electronic billing statements. It allows reasonable fees for specific, nonroutine statement requests. The state defines billing statements and permits disclosed, customer-authorized fees for replacements, custom date ranges, and other labor-intensive requests under its Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. SP 847
FILINGS: PROPERTY / CASUALTY
California warns property and casualty insurers that undisclosed modifications to rate template formulas violate the California Insurance Code, undermine required affidavits, and may result in severe penalties, civil liability, or criminal prosecution. California requires insurers to request variances or fully disclose and justify any formula changes and directs them to use official DOI templates and resources while submitting inquiries to the Department. Bulletin 2026-2
Minnesota issued a bulletin requiring homeowner insurers to file actuarially justified premium discounts or rate reductions for properties with IBHS Fortified designations and outlines the Department’s standards for evaluating those filings. Insurers must submit rates through SERFF and wait 60 days before use unless approved sooner. Bulletin 2026-1
MISCELLANEOUS PROPERTY / CASUALTY
California updated the California FAIR Plan Association Plan of Operation to strengthen market stability and ensure continued access to basic property insurance for properties unable to obtain coverage in the standard market. Order dated March 27, 2026
Michigan publishes an updated list of municipalities participating in the Fire Insurance Withholding Program, effective May 1, 2026, which replaces prior editions. Notice dated April 1, 2026
Rhode Island's Insurance Department clarifies that the Pet Insurance Act prohibits producers from marketing pet wellness programs during the sale, solicitation, or negotiation of pet insurance, but allows general informational materials and post-sale discussions. Offering wellness plans alongside pet insurance in the same quote or transaction violates the Act. Bulletin 2026-1
PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGERS
Massachusetts requires pharmacy benefit managers to obtain a DOI license beginning January 1, 2027. Massachusetts also mandates insurance requirements, detailed licensing, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements, including audited financials, operational transparency on pricing and rebates, and ongoing compliance oversight with penalties for violations. Reg. 211 CMR 157
PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE
Maine will allow, effective 07/14/2026, health care providers to disclose HIV test results to other providers involved in a patient’s care without written authorization from the patient. It also permits disclosure of related information for insurance reimbursement. HP 1314
Michigan updates the Public Health Code to modernize death reporting and certification by requiring use of a web-based system and revising it when deaths must be certified or referred to a county medical examiner. HB 4077
PROPERTY INSURANCE
Colorado allows property and casualty insurers to use aerial imagery as a supporting tool for underwriting, rating, and claims decisions, but it prohibits insurers from relying on imagery alone to take adverse actions such as cancellations, nonrenewals, coverage restrictions, tier changes, or claim denials. New Bulletin B-5.57
Tennessee's Department of Commerce and Insurance directed insurers to use aerial imagery responsibly in underwriting, claims, and policy decisions, emphasizing it should not be the sole basis for determining property conditions. The bulletin requires insurers to rely on accurate, current information, retain imagery, allow policyholder review and disputes, and obtain additional evidence—such as inspections—when imagery is inconclusive. Bulletin 25-03
REGULATORY REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
California requires insurers, producers, adjusters, and other licensees and applicants to report any changes in background information in writing within 30 days of learning of the change, including submitting supporting documentation through the Department’s disclosure process. Failure to report within 30 days may result in fines, license suspension or revocation, or application denial. Notice dated March 20, 2026
Louisiana requires admitted insurers writing homeowners or private passenger automobile insurance to file an annual Rate Transparency Report beginning January 1, 2027. Bulletin 2026-05
REPORTS - DATA CALLS & OTHER REPORTS
North Carolina Reinsurance Facility requires member companies to participate in a ceded commercial automobile data call for its annual rate review, covering applicable liability or loss transactions from 2021 through 2025. It is mandated that companies submit accurate data via the IDC website between May 4, 2026, and June 2, 2026, to support the Facility’s rate-making process. Circular Letter RF-26-4
SURPLUS LINES
Connecticut publishes an updated list of licensed insurers, approved and accredited reinsurers, and surplus lines insurers as of March 31, 2026. Notice dated March 31, 2026
New Jersey's Department of Insurance issued a bulletin updating the lists of eligible surplus lines insurers authorized to operate in the state. The bulletin identifies eligible foreign, domestic, and alien insurers and reflects recent additions, deletions, and name changes. Notice dated March 26, 2026
Pennsylvania’s department of Insurance publishes its latest Eligible Surplus Lines Insurer List dated March 14, 2026, replacing the prior list issued on February 8, 2025. Notice dated March 14, 2026
TRAVEL INSURANCE
New Jersey's Department of Banking and Insurance provides guidance on the Travel Insurance Act, effective April 18, 2026, which establishes a comprehensive framework for the sale of travel insurance in the state. Travel insurance must be classified and filed under either a personal inland marine line or an accident and health line of insurance. Bulletin 26-02
Washington created the Travel Insurance Act effective January 1, 2027. It establishes a comprehensive framework for the sale, licensing, marketing, and administration of travel insurance. A limited lines travel insurance license is required to sell travel insurance. SB 6248
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
Alabama updates its unclaimed property law effective June 1, 2026, by adding definitions and rules for digital assets and setting a three-year abandonment period based on owner activity. HB 104
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Maine's Department of Labor increases the assessment cap on insurance carriers and group and individual self-insured employers from 1% to 2% of total workers' compensation benefits paid, excluding medical payments. SP 806
Minnesota announces revisions to the Basic Manual that clarify the definition of “executive officer” for workers’ compensation, reflecting a legislative rule enacted May 23, 2025. Minnesota applies these changes to policies effective on or after March 15, 2026, specifying eligibility, automatic or excluded coverage for closely held corporations, and how excluded officers may elect coverage. WC Circular Letter 26-1873