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Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to insurance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Prohibits motor vehicle insurers from discriminating based on education or occupation
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Marcos Crespo
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to prohibiting motor vehicle insurers from discriminating based on education or occupation
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to protect consumers from discrimination based on education or occupation by prohibiting motor vehicle insurance companies from making any distinction or discrimination as to premiums, rates, or in any other manner based solely on the education or occupation of the policy holder.
Summary of specific provisions
This bill would prohibit all motor vehicle insurers doing business in the State from making any distinction or discrimination between policy holders based solely on education or occupation. This prohibition extends to premiums, rates, and the issuance or renewal of a policy.
Effects of present law which this bill would alter
Adds a new § 2616 to the Insurance Law.
Justification
In a recent report published by New York Public Interest Research Group indicated that three of the top five motor vehicle insurers in the State considered education when setting premiums and two considered occupation. The difference in premiums and rates was staggering. One of the state's largest insurers charged a retail clerk with a high school education 41% more annually than a bank executive with a college degree. This report found that even when drivers with less professional jobs and less education had better driving records, they still paid as much as 24% more annually than drivers with poorer records but who had more education or a professional or managerial job.
Research has shown that education and occupation are highly correlated with race, ethnicity, and gender, all of which are protected classes under law. The Insurance Law further protects many of these classes by prohibiting insurance companies from charging a higher rate or refusing to issue solely due to being a member of these protected class. This bill furthers the intent of the law by ensuring that insurance companies do not use arbitrary factors that ultimately lead to discrimination that would otherwise be prohibited.
Prior legislative history
New bill. In Senate A9935 of 2013 died in Assembly Rules
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.