SB 1694

ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1477, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, prohibit the department of commerce and insurance from treat ing information relating to substantiated violations of insurance claims-handling laws as confidential when the violations meet any of the following criteria :  Involve failure to timely investigate, adjust, or pay claims .  Involve misrepresentation of policy provisions relating to coverage .  Demonstrate a pattern or practice of unfair claims settlement practices .  Affect policyholders who are 65 or older, residents of long-term care facilities, or otherwise classified as vulnerable adults under present law. This amendment subjects information to disclosure, including:  Final market conduct examination findings related to claims handling .  Final administrative orders, consent orders, or settlements .  Aggregated data reflecting the number and type of substantiated consumer complaints .  Corrective action plans required of insurers following substantiated violations .  Administrative penalties or sanctions imposed for claims-handling misconduct. However, this amendment does not require disclosure of any of the following :  Personally identifying information of any claimant or insured .  Medical records or protected health information .  Trade secrets, actuarial formulas, or proprietary pricing methodologies .  Information relating to an ongoing investigation prior to a final determination. This amendment requires the department, on and after October 1, 2026, to publish the information described above in a publicly accessible location and searchable format on its website. The department must update the information not less than once every three months. In addition, by January 15, 2027 and no later than January 15 of each year thereafter, the department must prepare and publish in a publicly accessible location on the department's website an annual report summarizing all of the following :  The number of claims involving policyholders 65 or older .  The number of substantiated complaints alleging failure to adjust or pay such claims .  The insurers against whom such complaints were substantiated .  Enforcement actions taken as a result. This amendment requires the report t o n ot disclose personally identifying information and i dentify insurers by name. However, t his amendment does not do any of the following :  Waive attorney-client privilege .  Require disclosure of trade secrets protected under state or federal law .  Permit disclosure of confidential information unrelated to a substantiated claims-handling violation.