Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia Senate Bill SB585

Introduced
2/25/26  

Caption

Rates, Underwriting, and Related Organizations; certain disclosures in property and casualty insurance rate filings concerning climate related risk, catastrophe modeling, and reinsurance costs; require

Summary

Senate Bill 585 aims to amend the regulation of property and casualty insurance in Georgia by introducing new disclosures that require insurance companies to provide information on climate-related risks and how these affect insurance rates. The bill mandates that property and casualty insurers submit data regarding nonrenewal rates, claim frequency rates, market share, and other essential metrics to ensure transparency in the insurance market. Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of using catastrophe models in underwriting processes, thereby strengthening the association between risk assessment and premium pricing. A significant aspect of SB585 is its directive for insurers to offer mitigation discounts to policyholders who can demonstrate that they have taken specific actions to reduce their properties' risks from natural disasters. This provision is intended to incentivize property-specific mitigation measures and community-level initiatives that improve resilience against catastrophic events. By allowing policyholders to appeal natural disaster risk models or scores, the bill offers a mechanism for accountability in how insurers evaluate risk, promoting fairness and clarity in premium assessments. Furthermore, the bill establishes a framework for public reporting and data collection on the impact of climate risks on insurance rates. It requires the Department of Insurance to maintain a publicly accessible database where policyholders can view market data submitted by insurers, thus enhancing consumer awareness and empowering individuals to make informed choices about their coverage. This overarching goal of transparency and accessibility indicates a notable shift towards greater accountability in the insurance industry. While there is broad support for the bill’s goals of increasing transparency and encouraging property resilience, there are concerns among some stakeholders about the operational challenges insurers may face in implementing these new requirements. Critics express apprehension about the potential administrative burdens on both insurers and the Department of Insurance, which may necessitate additional resources and oversight to ensure compliance without causing delays in processing applications and claims. Additionally, balancing the need for disclosure with proprietary information remains a point of contention, as sensitive data related to risk modeling could be at risk of disclosure despite protections outlined in the bill.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

GA HB3696

Insurance; property and casualty; rates; filing; Insurance Commissioner; effective date.

GA HB3646

Insurance; property and casualty; rates; filing; Insurance Commissioner; repealer; effective date.

GA SB507

Underwriting and Rate Risking; use of credit information and credit scores in underwriting, rating risks, adverse actions, or certain other actions by insurance companies; prohibit

GA S2646

Regulates property insurers to limit underwriting and investment in fossil fuel projects, requires climate risk reporting and emissions disclosures, and aligns insurance practices with science-based climate targets.

GA H8219

Regulates property insurers to limit underwriting and investment in fossil fuel projects, requires climate risk reporting and emissions disclosures, and aligns insurance practices with science-based climate targets.

GA HB2174

Insurance; modeling and data organizations

GA S08583

Requires property/casualty insurance companies to submit certain zip code-level data to the department of financial services on nonrenewal rates, nonpayment cancellation rates, other cancellation rates, claim frequency rates, average claim amounts, paid loss ratios, and average premiums; requires property/casualty insurance companies that use a natural disaster risk model or scoring method to assign risk, information about such model or scoring method; authorizes a premium discount to policyholders of homeowners insurance or property/casualty insurance applicable to residential real property who demonstrate certain mitigation actions; requires insurers to post about such discounts on their public websites; relates to the timing of cancellation and nonrenewal notices for certain insurance policies; relates to increasing membership of the board governing the New York property insurance underwriting association; requires a quadrennial report on the activities of such association; increases such board membership to 23 including 6 directors appointed by the legislature and 4 directors appointed by the governor.

GA A09016

Requires property/casualty insurance companies to submit certain information to the department of financial services, including zip code-level data on nonrenewal rates, nonpayment cancellation rates, other cancellation rates, claim frequency rates, average claim amounts, paid loss ratios, and average premiums; market share data; for property/casualty insurance companies that use a natural disaster risk model or scoring method to assign risk, information about such model or scoring method; authorizes a premium discount to policyholders of homeowners insurance or property/casualty insurance applicable to residential real property who demonstrate certain mitigation actions; requires insurers to post about such discounts on their public websites; relates to the timing of cancellation and nonrenewal notices for certain insurance policies; relates to increasing membership of the board governing the New York property insurance underwriting association; requires a quadrennial report on the activities of such association; increases such board membership to 23 including 6 directors appointed by the legislature and 4 directors appointed by the governor.

GA SB1592

Insurance; allowing certain rates to be determined to be excessive in the Property and Casualty Competitive Loss Cost Rating Act. Effective date.

GA HB1225

Provides with respect to residential property and catastrophic event modeling

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.