As New York state’s budget season gets underway, the familiar alphabet soup of Albany returns—none more important to insurance professionals than the Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation budget, better known...
N.Y.: Proposed e-scooter insurance bill has vital implications for independent agents
Legislation (A.9568) introduced by Assemblymember Sam Berger, D-27, would amend New York state’s Vehicle and Traffic Law to require electric scooter service platforms to maintain liability insurance coverage for scooters offered to the public through app-based digital...
N.J.: New e-bike law closes insurance gaps: A win for public safety and common sense
New Jersey has taken a major step forward to regulate the growing use of electric bicycles with the passage and signing of S-4834—a measure strongly supported by PIANJ. As e-bikes have rapidly evolved from recreational novelties into legitimate transportation...
N.Y. bill targets auto insurance affordability, limits noneconomic damages
On the heels of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address, where auto insurance reform took center stage, the state Legislature took steps to address the issue this week with the introduction of S.8905. This legislation, sponsored by Sen. Monica Martinez, D-4,...
N.Y.: State of the State address: Insurance takes center stage
Property/casualty insurance rarely gets the spotlight in a governor’s State of the State address. Most years, it’s a footnote—if mentioned at all. However, this year is different. Gov. Kathy Hochul put home and auto insurance front and...
PIANJ’s top legislative priority—step-down provisions—introduced in Legislature
PIANJ has long advocated for banning the use of step-down clauses in personal auto policies—an unfair, hidden trap that blindsides consumers when they need coverage most. After years of steady advocacy, that work is paying off. Twin...
Help clients weather the winter: A road safety guide for insurance agents
As winter approaches the Northeast, drivers across the region face some of the most challenging road conditions of the year. Each season, more than 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 people are injured in vehicle crashes on snowy, slushy or icy pavement,...
N.J.: E-bike overhaul: What a new bill means for riders, regulators—and insurance producers
As the New Jersey Legislature zeroes in on e-bike insurance during the current lame duck session, S-4834 emerges as a key piece of proposed legislation. Introduced by Sen. Nicholas P. Scutari, D–22, S-4834 is the second e-bike insurance bill put forward in recent...
Holiday havoc: Thanksgiving insurance risks
Let’s face it: Thanksgiving can be stressful. You must contend with traffic and crowded airports; it can be a challenge to get the whole family together, you’ll have a ton of guests if you’re hosting and there’s all the prep work that goes into cooking a big...
N.Y.: Governor signs online insurance verification law: A win for agents, clients
In a major victory for insurance modernization and consumer protection, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul officially signed S.5331-A/A.4404-A into law—bring the Empire State into a new era of real-time insurance verification for motor vehicles....