ALBANY, N.Y.—For the third consecutive legislative session, PIA New York saw its top legislative priority go from a proposal to a reality, as Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed historical A.112/S.4157, a bill that repeals outdated anti-arson application requirements across the state. This is a significant victory for property owners, insurance agents and consumer advocates.

“The anti-arson application was first enacted nearly 50 years ago, before there were reasonable fraud-prevention tools available,” said PIA New York President Jason Bartow, AAI, CPIA, TRA. “We are thankful that the New York state Legislature and Gov. Hochul recognized that this obsolete process, which could hurt consumers, is no longer needed in New York state.”

Today, insurers are required to file fraud-prevention plans with the New York State Department of Financial Services, and they must employ sophisticated tools to detect and prevent fraud.

The new law is designed to decrease the number of unnecessary policy cancellations, which would occur if a property owner forgot or failed to submit the anti-arson form on time—even when there was no evidence of fraud. It also should help to eliminate costly replacements for canceled insurance policies; and decrease unnecessary coverage gaps caused by cancellations.

The anti-arson requirement has been shown to disproportionately harm vulnerable groups, including small landlords and low-income property owners, who may lack the resources to navigate complex administrative requirements. Repealing the mandate will reduce barriers to maintaining essential property insurance and ensure fair, equitable access for all New Yorkers.

“PIA New York extends its gratitude to Assembly Member Samuel Berger, D-27, and Sen. James Sanders, D-10, for their dedicated sponsorship of this legislation,” said Bartow. “The association is thankful for the efforts of insurance agents statewide who contacted their legislators to emphasize the importance of eliminating this outdated requirement.”

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PIA New York is the premier professional association for independent insurance agents, working to advance the needs of its members and to be a leading voice in the insurance industry. PIANY provides members with the very best education, information, advocacy, and business tools possible.