PIANY’s priority anti-arson bill advances in state Assembly

Recently, PIANY achieved a significant legislative victory with the passage of A.112 in the New York state Assembly on March 3, 2025.

This marks a major step toward repealing the outdated anti-arson application requirement in New York City. This long-standing regulation—first introduced in the late 1970s—has become an unnecessary administrative burden for property owners and insurers. With Assembly approval now secured, PIANY is one step closer to modernizing New York state’s insurance laws.

A law that no longer serves its purpose

The anti-arson application requirement, codified in Section 3403 of the Insurance Law, was originally enacted during a period of rampant arson-for-profit schemes. At the time, insurers and lawmakers sought to curb fraudulent fire and explosion claims by requiring certain property owners to submit an annual form verifying their legitimate insurance needs.

However, fraud prevention has evolved significantly since the 1970s. New York state enacted enhanced fraud-detection laws in 1996, which equipped insurers with sophisticated tools to combat arson and fraudulent claims.

These advancements have made the anti-arson application redundant, yet property owners in New York City still are burdened by the outdated requirement—unlike their counterparts in Buffalo and Rochester, which repealed their versions of the law over the past decade.

The risks of an outdated requirement

Rather than serving its original purpose, the anti-arson application now creates unnecessary risks for property owners and insurers. The annual submission requirement is an administrative hassle, and failing to meet the deadline can result in policy cancellation—leaving property owners exposed to financial loss and potentially harming innocent third parties who rely on insured properties.

PIANY has argued consistently that modern fraud-prevention mechanisms render this extra paperwork obsolete. The association has been at the forefront of efforts to eliminate outdated insurance requirements that no longer provide tangible consumer protection.

What the bill does

If enacted, A.112, sponsored by Assemblyman Samuel Berger, D-27, would repeal the anti-arson application requirement for New York City. This will eliminate an unnecessary administrative burden on property owners and insurers, reduce the risk of unintended policy cancellations due to missed application deadlines, and bring New York City in line with the rest of the state, which no longer requires the anti-arson form.

Next steps: Pushing for full repeal

With A.112 passing in the Assembly, the focus now moves to the state Senate. Historically, similar legislation has stalled in the upper chamber. However, PIANY remains committed to pushing this repeal across the finish line, aligning New York City’s insurance laws with modern fraud-prevention strategies.

Get involved

If you want to get involved with PIANY’s legislative and advocacy work, there are many ways to engage with the association:

• Participate in PIANY’s District Office Visit Program;
• Become a member of Agents Advocacy Coalition; and
• Watch your PIA Northeast publications and PIA Northeast’s social-media channels for important New York updates and share them with your followers.