What's happening
This bill requires state approval and funding requests for homeowner natural disaster preparedness, home safety, and loss prevention courses.
Why it matters
Adds a formal approval process. Courses on disaster preparedness, home safety, and loss prevention must now be officially approved by the state insurance superintendent, rather than just reviewed, increasing oversight and potentially raising the quality and consistency of such programs.
Creates state funding mechanisms. The Department of Insurance is required to issue requests for proposals and seek state funding for these courses, signaling a shift toward public investment in homeowner disaster and safety education.
Mandates uniform standards. The law requires the creation of specific evaluation criteria and cost standards for these courses, which may help ensure fair access, transparency, and comparable quality across different providers and regions.
Could impact insurance and home safety. By formalizing and funding educational courses, the law aims to better equip homeowners to prevent losses and respond to disasters, which may lower insurance claims and premiums, reduce property damage, and enhance community resilience.
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Who cares
Homeowners and Renters
Individuals seeking to reduce risks to their property and lives from natural disasters, fires, theft, and other insurable events will care about new, standardized, and state-approved preparedness and safety courses.
Insurance Companies
Insurers who may be required or incentivized to offer or promote approved safety and loss prevention courses to policyholders will have a direct interest in the approval process and course content.
Course Providers and Training Organizations
Businesses, nonprofits, or agencies that design and deliver home safety and disaster preparedness courses will be affected by new approval requirements and state funding opportunities.
New York State Department of Financial Services
The department, specifically the Superintendent of Insurance, is responsible for reviewing, approving, and funding these courses, making them a key administrative stakeholder.
Headline styles
Disaster Preparedness Courses Required
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to finance
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Amended on third reading 182a
- Ordered to third reading cal.7
- Returned to assembly
- Died in senate
- Referred to insurance
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.195
- Rules report cal.195
Show 4 earlier actions
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to ways and means
- 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.
Disaster Prep Courses for Homeowners
In Senate Committee · Rules · Sponsor Leroy Comrie
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
182--A Cal. No. 7
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. CRUZ, STERN, BURDICK, SIMON, McDONOUGH, WEPRIN, COLTON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance -ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to homeowner natural disaster preparedness, home safety and loss prevention courses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subparagraphs 3 and 4 of paragraph (a) and paragraph (d) of subsection 5 of section 2346 of the insurance law, as added by section 2 of part BB of chapter 54 of the laws of 2016, are amended and a new paragraph (e) is added to read as follows:
(3) "Homeowner natural disaster preparedness, home safety and loss prevention course" means a natural disaster preparedness, home safety and loss prevention course that has been submitted to the superintendent for [their information and review] approval by an applicant, and which has been approved by the superintendent, pursuant to paragraph (d) of this subsection. Such course [may] shall provide useful information to participants on items including, but not limited to: courses of action that can be taken before, during and after the occurrence of a natural disaster, strategies to reduce risk exposure to insured residential property owners and renters, and information about the installation of equipment, devices or other capital improvements to real property which can help to eliminate or mitigate damage to real or personal property, personal injury or the loss of life caused by a natural disaster or other insurable event or occurrence of a fire, theft, burglary, personal injury or property damage.
(4) "Applicant" means an insurer, or any other person, agency or organization which submits a proposed homeowner natural disaster preparedness, home safety and loss prevention course to the superinten-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00156-02-6
dent for [their information and review] approval pursuant to paragraph (d) of this subsection, and who or which is prepared and able to offer such course to insureds upon the approval thereof.
(d) The superintendent may establish, by rule or otherwise, standards or guidelines to be used by the superintendent when reviewing the proposed homeowner natural disaster preparedness, home safety and loss prevention courses. Every such course submitted by an applicant to the superintendent for approval must be reviewed and shall be subject to approval by the superintendent.
(e) The department shall issue a request for proposal for the homeowner natural disaster preparedness, home safety and loss prevention courses described pursuant to this subsection. On or before March first, two thousand twenty-seven, the department shall submit a request for state funding in order to effectuate the provisions of this subsection; provided, however, that no expenditure shall be made until the superintendent has approved a program and fiscal plan for homeowner natural disaster preparedness, home safety and loss prevention courses. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) specific criteria to be applied in evaluating the requests for proposal; and (2) uniform course and cost standards.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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.