Property and Casualty News
May 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!
ADJUSTERS
Utah implements a new requirement for property and casualty insurers to verify that any public adjuster retained by a claimant holds a valid Utah license, consistent with the NAIC Public Adjuster Licensing Model Act. Utah requires insurers to use the Department’s Licensee Search tool and document the license verification in the claim file. Bulletin 2026-3
AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE
Arizona expands the definition of “consumer” under the motor vehicle warranty law to include vehicle lessees, allowing them to enforce warranty protections previously available to purchasers. This change extends statutory warranty rights and remedies to individuals who lease motor vehicles. HB 2323
CAPTIVES
Alabama requires captive insurers to meet expanded operational, governance, and reporting standards. The law also increases minimum capital and surplus requirements by captive insurer type and authorizes the commissioner to impose higher amounts based on the nature and volume of business. HB 415
Florida amends Title 628 to revise definitions and update regulatory requirements for protected cell captive insurance companies, including insurability limits and minimum financial standards for capital, unrestricted net assets, and unimpaired surplus. The bill also clarifies how provisions of the Florida Insurance Code apply to these captive insurance entities. HB 883
CONFIDENTIALITY / PRIVACY
Alabama passed the Alabama Personal Data Protection Act, governing consumer personal data rights and imposing obligations on controllers and processors. The Act exempts certain regulated entities and data. HB 351
Kentucky updated the Consumer Data Protection Act by defining additional terms and prohibiting controllers from collecting automatic content recognition data without the consumer’s consent. The amendment expands privacy protections by regulating the collection of data generated through certain connected devices and monitoring technologies. HB 692
CYBERSECURITY
Delaware warns licensed insurance professionals about a phishing campaign involving fraudulent emails that impersonate the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and appear to originate from seemingly legitimate domains to solicit unauthorized payments or malicious link clicks. The Department of Insurance advises recipients to remain vigilant and take protective measures to reduce the risk of fraud and cybersecurity compromise. Producers and Adjusters Bulletin 41
DISASTER / CATASTROPHIC EVENT
Georgia directs licensed insurance companies to promptly acknowledge, investigate, and respond to wildfire-related claims arising from the ongoing emergency in South Georgia counties to ensure policyholders receive timely access to entitled benefits. The Department of Insurance emphasizes that insurers must maintain efficient claims handling practices despite increased claim volumes resulting from the wildfire event. Directive 26-EX-2
Georgia modified its prior emergency noncancellation protections on May 8 by allowing insurers to resume standard cancellation practices for nonpayment of premium in most counties, while continuing the prohibition in specified Georgia counties affected by the wildfire emergency. Directive 26- EX-3
FILINGS: PROPERTY / CASUALTY
Pennsylvania updated comprehensive filing and review requirements for commercial lines property and casualty insurance, excluding motor vehicle and medical malpractice coverages. The state provides guidance for policies, endorsements, rates, rules, and supplementary rating information not subject to deregulation under Notice No. 2026-07. Commercial Lines Review Checklist updated 4/11/26
Pennsylvania updated property and casualty filing requirements by identifying the lines of insurance that remain subject to rate, rule, and policy form filing requirements while confirming that other property and casualty lines are deregulated under the Property and Casualty Filing Reform Act. Notice 2026-7
FLOOD INSURANCE / NFIP
Hawaii provided notice of FEMA’s updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps for O‘ahu, effective June 10, 2026, which will change flood risk designations for more than 3,500 parcels and may trigger new building compliance standards and mandatory flood insurance requirements for affected property owners. Producers and surplus lines brokers are urged to help clients understand coverage implications. Memorandum 2026-3A
FRAUD / ANTI-FRAUD
California announced completion of the transition to the new Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Annual Report portal and directs primary reporting insurers responsible for SIU Annual Reports to register in the new system as soon as possible. SIU E-Blast 2026-10
GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE
Nebraska adopts the Agricultural Data Privacy Act and the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Safety Act, including definitions for key terms. LB 525
GUARANTY ASSOCIATION
Michigan announces the annual adjustment to the maximum unearned premium refund amount considered a covered claim under the Michigan Property and Casualty Guaranty Association Act, as required to reflect changes in the cost of living based on the national Consumer Price Index. The adjustment ensures that covered unearned premium refund limits remain aligned with inflation. Bulletin 2026-13-INS
New Jersey announces the 2026 Unsatisfied Claim and Judgment Fund private passenger automobile assessment for member insurers, setting the assessment at 1.10% of each carrier’s 2025 private passenger automobile liability net direct written premium. New Jersey requires assessment notices to be issued by June 1, 2026, with payments due by July 15, 2026, to fund uninsured motorist and qualifying personal injury protection claim obligations. Property-Liability Insurance Guaranty Association Bulletin 2026-1
HOLDING COMPANIES
District of Columbia amends the Holding Company System Act of 1993 to update group capital calculation requirements for insurance holding company system solvency supervision and to add a liquidity stress test for macroprudential oversight. B 426
Rhode Island updates its insurance regulations to adopt recent changes to the NAIC Insurance Holding Company System Model Regulation (Model #450), establishing uniform standards for reserve financing arrangements within insurance holding company systems. 230 RICR-20-45-1.4
MISCELLANEOUS
Colorado adopts new disclosure and notification requirements for admitted homeowners and property insurers, as well as the Colorado FAIR Plan, concerning the consideration of wildfire mitigation actions in underwriting and pricing decisions. 3 CCR 702, Reg 5-1-28
Michigan published an updated list of municipalities participating in the Fire Insurance Withholding Program, effective June 1, 2026. This updated list replaces prior versions and provides current guidance for insurers administering fire insurance claim payments subject to withholding requirements. Notice dated 5/1/26
PERSONAL LINES INSURANCE
Connecticut updated guidance for administering the $12 Healthy Homes Fund surcharge applicable to certain personal residential insurance policies issued or renewed through December 31, 2029. The notice clarifies annual collection, reporting, and remittance obligations for insurers and surplus lines brokers. Notice dated 4/21/26
Louisiana notifies authorized property and casualty insurers of the implementation of Regulation 136, which requires premium discounts for residential properties that achieve a FORTIFIED designation under Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety standards. Insurers must calculate the required discounts using the Louisiana-specific benchmark table developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Bulletin 2026-4
North Carolina announced a Commissioner-approved two-year settlement revising statewide Dwelling Fire and Extended Coverage insurance rates for all dwelling forms under the North Carolina Rate Bureau’s jurisdiction. North Carolina requires insurers writing these lines to implement the revised rates in accordance with the phased schedule established under the settlement. Circular Letter P-26-5
REPORTS - DATA CALLS & OTHER REPORTS
Rhode Island identifies insurers with at least a 1% state market share that must participate in the 2026 Auto Body Labor Rate Survey, requiring separate surveys of Class A and Class B auto body shops and consideration of the results when establishing prevailing labor rates. Rhode Island requires questionnaires to be distributed by June 1, 2026, and completed survey reports to be submitted electronically to the Department by September 1, 2026. Bulletin 2026-2
SURPLUS LINES
Delaware adopts the Surplus Lines Export List, identifying specific insurance coverages that may be placed with eligible surplus lines insurers without requiring a diligent search of admitted carriers. This action streamlines surplus lines placements for designated coverages in accordance with Delaware insurance law. Surplus Lines Insurers Bulletin 24
New Mexico adopts amendments to 13.19.2 NMAC governing surplus line business, including payment of broker premium tax to the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. Regulation 13.19.2
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Arizona announced updates to the Employer’s Report of Injury (Form 101). Notice dated 4/20/26
California posts adjustments to the Official Medical Fee Schedule for Hospital Outpatient Departments and Ambulatory Surgical Centers to align workers’ compensation reimbursement rates with April 2026 changes to the Medicare payment system, as required by Labor Code section 5307.1. DWC Release 2026-32
Colorado adopts amendments to Rule 5 governing claims adjusting requirements for workers’ compensation insurers, self-insured employers, and third-party administrators. 7 CCR 1101-3, Rule 5
Colorado announces that the Division of Workers’ Compensation has posted the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Claims Release 3.1, Version 1.2 requirements, effective July 9, 2026, on its EDI website. Notice dated 5/11/26
Georgia amends the workers’ compensation Self-insurers Guaranty Trust Fund provisions. HB 1015
Indiana announced approval of revisions to NCCI’s Experience Rating Plan Manual for workers’ compensation and employers liability insurance, clarifying which NCCI manuals apply to policies involving employee leasing arrangements. Circular 2026-03
Minnesota announced approved revisions to four workers’ compensation manuals: the Minnesota Basic Manual, the Minnesota Forms Manual, the Minnesota Experience Rating Plan Manual, and the NCCI Retrospective Rating Plan Manual. WC Circular Letter 26-1874
New York announced updated workers’ compensation weekly benefit rates. Bulletin WC 046-1805
Oregon issued a bulletin concerning computation of temporary disability, permanent disability, and death benefits based on Oregon’s state average weekly wage. Bulletin 111 (Revised)