The New York state Senate has passed S.4157—a bill that would repeal the longstanding anti-arson application requirement for property insurance in New York City. This marks the first time the legislation has cleared the Senate, representing a pivotal moment in PIANY’s multi-year campaign to modernize outdated insurance laws.
The Senate’s passage of S.4157, sponsored by Sen. James Sanders Jr., D-10, follows the state Assembly’s earlier approval of A.112, sponsored by Assemblyman Samuel Berger, D-27. With both chambers now aligned, the bill moves to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk for final consideration.
This legislation would eliminate Section 3403 of the Insurance Law, which mandates that property owners in New York City submit an annual anti-arson form to maintain fire or explosion insurance. Enacted in the late 1970s to combat arson-for-profit schemes, the requirement has become obsolete in light of modern fraud detection tools and procedures introduced in the mid-1990s.
The Senate’s action brings producers and clients one step closer to being rid of a regulation that no longer serves its original purpose, and instead places policyholders and insurers at unnecessary risk.
Currently, property owners in New York City are the only ones in the state still subject to the anti-arson requirement. Buffalo and Rochester repealed similar mandates in recent years, citing their redundancy and the risks posed by inadvertent noncompliance—including policy cancellations and coverage gaps.
For insurers, the requirement has become an administrative burden, introducing unnecessary complexity into the policy issuance process. For policyholders—especially small property owners—a missed form submission can trigger cancellation and leave properties exposed to uninsured losses.
If signed by the governor, the legislation will bring New York City in line with the rest of the state and remove a regulatory barrier that undermines both consumer protection and public safety.
PIANY has long advocated for the repeal of this law, emphasizing the importance of aligning regulatory requirements with contemporary fraud prevention strategies.
The association applauds lawmakers for recognizing the harm of maintaining outdated statutes and taking decisive action.
The bill’s advancement underscores the power of agent-driven advocacy and PIANY’s role in shaping smarter insurance policy in New York.
PIANY encourages members to remain engaged as the bill proceeds to the governor’s office. More updates and grassroots action opportunities will be shared through PIA Northeast publications and social media.
Bradford J. Lachut, Esq.
Bradford J. Lachut, Esq., joined PIA as government affairs counsel for the Government & Industry Affairs Department in 2012 and then, after a four-month leave, he returned to the association in 2018 as director of government & industry affairs responsible for all legal, government relations and insurance industry liaison programs for the five state associations. Prior to PIA, Brad worked as an attorney for Steven J. Baum PC, in Amherst, and as an associate attorney for the law office of James Morris in Buffalo. He also spent time serving as senior manager of government affairs as the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, a chamber of commerce serving the Buffalo, N.Y., region, his hometown. He received his juris doctorate from Buffalo Law School and his Bachelor of Science degree in Government and Politics from Utica College, Utica, N.Y. Brad is an active Mason and Shriner.
