What's happening
This bill prohibits insurers from denying, canceling, or raising rates on homeowner’s insurance solely due to the breed of dog owned, except for dogs legally designated as dangerous.
Why it matters
Prevents blanket discrimination against homeowners based on dog breed. , ensuring that responsible owners of certain breeds (like pit bulls or Rottweilers) aren’t unfairly penalized by insurance companies—this can help reduce housing insecurity for dog-owning families.
Requires insurers to justify higher premiums or policy decisions using real risk data. , not stereotypes, fostering fairer market practices and encouraging evidence-based underwriting instead of assumptions about specific breeds.
Maintains safeguards for genuinely dangerous dogs. as defined by law, balancing consumer protection with public safety by still allowing insurers to act if a dog is legally designated as dangerous.
Applies immediately to new and existing insurance policies. , meaning affected homeowners could see relief or changes to their rates and coverage as soon as the law takes effect, potentially improving affordability and access to insurance for many.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Stop Dog Breed Insurance Bans
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to insurance
- Referred to insurance
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
84
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to prohibiting insurers from cancelling, refusing to issue or renew homeowner's insurance based on the breed of dog owned
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The insurance law is amended by adding a new section 3421 to read as follows:
§ 3421. Homeowner's liability insurance; dogs. No insurer issuing a policy or contract insuring against liability for injury to any person, or injury to or destruction of property arising out of ownership or lease of residential one, two, three or four dwelling real property shall refuse to issue, renew or cancel for such a policy or contract based, in whole or in part, upon the harboring of any specific breed or breeds of dog or dogs upon such real property. The rates for that portion of any such policy or contract which insures against liability for injury to any person, or injury to or destruction of property shall be based on sound underwriting and actuarial principles. However, if any such dog has been designated as a dangerous dog pursuant to section one hundred twenty-three of the agriculture and markets law, the provisions of this section shall in no manner prohibit an insurer from refusing to issue or renew or from cancelling any such contract or policy, nor from imposing an increased premium or rate for such a policy or contract based on sound underwriting and actuarial principles reasonably related to actual or anticipated loss experience subject to the applicable provisions of section three thousand four hundred twenty-five of this article.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all policies issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05428-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to prohibiting insurers from cancelling, refusing to issue or renew homeowner's insurance based on the breed of dog owned
Purpose
To prohibit insurers from cancelling a homeowner's liability insurance policy based on the ownership of a specific breed of dog.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. The insurance law is amended by adding a new section 3421 to read as follows: Homeowner's liability insurance; dogs. No insurer issuing a policy or contract insuring against liability for injury to any Person, or injury to or destruction of property arising out of ownership or lease of residential one, two, three or four dwelling real property shall refuse to issue, renew or cancel for such policy or contract based, in whole or in part, upon the harboring of any specific breed or breeds of dog or dogs upon such real property. The rates for that portion of any such policy or contract which insures against liability for injury to any person, or injury to or destruction of property shall be based on sound underwriting and actuarial principles. However, if any such dog has been designated as a dangerous dog pursuant to section one hundred twenty-three of the agriculture and markets law, the provisions of this section shall in no manner prohibit an insurer from refusing to issue or renew or from cancelling any such contract or policy, nor from imposing an increased premium or rate for such a policy or contract based on sound underwriting and actuarial principles reasonably related to actual or anticipated loss experience subject to the applicable provisions of section three thousand four hundred twenty-five of this article.
Justification
A dog's temperament cannot be fairly predicted based upon its breed. Breed specific insurance qualifications regulate all owners of dogs of all targeted breeds despite substantial evidence that viciousness is not a specific breed characteristic. Viciousness can and does occur in any breed of dog. Thus, cancelling a homeowner's liability insurance policy based on the dog owned is an impractical approach to regulation of dogs. Breed specific regulations may alleviate the anxieties of those who are particularly concerned about the reputation of particular dog breeds; however, breed specific regulation is usually intended to avoid specific types of behavior believed to predominate in the breed. Whether aggression or other behaviors are predictable in certain breeds as to justify separate treatment of the breed is impractical. Such regulation fails to adequately address the real problem; aggressive dogs. This legislation will prohibit insurers from cancelling a homeowner's liability insurance policy based on his or her ownership of a targeted breed of dog.
Legislative history
S.3620 of 2015-2016 (Hoylman): Died in Insurance A.561 of 2015-2016 (Rosenthal): Died in Insurance S.2568 of 2013-2014 (Ball): Died in Insurance (2013)/Enacting Clause Stricken (2014) A.6957 of 2013-2014 (Rosenthal): Died in Insurance
Fiscal implications
None. EFFECTIVE DATE : This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all policies issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.