What's happening
This bill creates an Office of Insurance Consumer Advocate to represent and protect consumer interests in insurance matters in New York.
Why it matters
Creates a formal, independent body within the Department of Financial Services dedicated solely to advocating for consumer interests in insurance matters. , increasing consumers’ influence in regulatory processes that often favor industry perspectives.
Empowers the Office to actively participate in rate-setting hearings and regulatory actions. , giving consumers a direct voice and legal standing to challenge or support insurance company proposals—especially concerning health insurance rate changes.
Provides the Office with access to relevant, non-privileged records and full party rights in proceedings. , ensuring consumer advocates have the information and procedural tools needed to effectively represent public interests.
Funds the Office through assessments on insurance companies operating in New York. , meaning the costs are borne by the industry rather than taxpayers, potentially encouraging insurers to be more responsive to consumer concerns.
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Who cares
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Create Insurance Consumer Office
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to insurance
- 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.
Create Insurance Consumer Advocate
In Senate Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Kevin S. Parker
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
160
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to establishing the office of insurance consumer advocate within the department of financial services and describing its powers and duties
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 210-a to read as follows:
§ 210-a. Office of insurance consumer advocate. (a) There is hereby created within the department the office of insurance consumer advocate, hereafter referred to in this section as the office. Such office shall consist of five members, three of whom shall be appointed by the secretary of state and two of whom shall be appointed by the superintendent. Members of the office shall receive no compensation for their service as members, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
(b) The office, together with the department of state, shall:
(1) Assess the impact of insurance regulatory actions on New York consumers. Such assessment shall include the review of applications for subscriber rate changes filed by health insurance providers licensed pursuant to article forty-three of this chapter and article forty-four of the public health law.
(2) Appear at public hearings as a representative of consumers, treated as a class, with respect to rate-setting matters that are before the superintendent that affect the consuming public.
(3) Possess all rights and powers of any party at interest appearing before the department with regard to examination and cross-examination of witnesses and presentation of evidence.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01892-01-9
A. 160 2
(4) Have access as any party, other than staff, to all records gathered by the department including nonprivileged material which is relevant to the subject matter involved in such proceedings before the department.
(5) Recommend insurance-related legislation to the legislature in consultation with the department of state that in its judgment would positively affect the interests of consumers.
The office shall not preempt the appearance of other consumer advocates at any official proceedings.
(c) The office shall be funded by an assessment upon all domestic insurers and all licensed United States branches of alien insurers domiciled in this state in the same manner as such insurers are assessed pursuant to section three hundred thirty-three of this chapter. Such assessment shall be for the purpose of defraying the costs of creating, administering and operating the office.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.