By Teresa Moss
The National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) elected a new slate of officers during their annual meeting last week, including advancing Minnesota Sen. Paul Utke to serve as president. Outgoing New York Asw. Pamela Hunter will remain on the board as the immediate past president. Michigan Rep. Brenda Carter was approved as secretary, Utah Rep. Jim Dunnigan as treasurer, and Louisiana Rep. Edmond Jordan as vice president.
“I could not be more proud of what we as an organization accomplished this year during my term as NCOIL president,” said Hunter. “From setting NCOIL National Meeting attendance records, to having a sitting U.S. Cabinet secretary speak to NCOIL for the first time, to adopting consumer-focused model laws, it really was a great year. I’m very humbled to have presided over the organization during a time of strength and growth, and I’m confident the newly elected officer group will continue to build on this momentum in 2026 and beyond.”
Seventy-four legislators from 33 states, five insurance commissioners, and 14 insurance departments were represented during the annual meeting held Nov. 12–15 in Atlanta, Georgia, according to a press release.
The Property & Casualty Insurance Committee met during the annual meeting, with Georgia Sen. Larry Walker presiding.
“It was great to host NCOIL in my home state of Georgia, and I was glad to preside over a very productive meeting of the Property & Casualty Insurance Committee,” Walker said in the release. “ The resolution and models we adopted and the discussions we held all dealt with important consumer protection issues, and I look forward to the committee having many more important discussions in the year ahead.”
A resolution encouraging states to require insurers to provide at least 60 days’ advance notice when non-renewing a policy was adopted by the committee.
The resolution notes that the loss of insurance coverage can be disruptive, confusing, and unsettling for consumers and businesses who are required to maintain coverage or who obtain insurance for financial protection or other reasons.
“Requiring advance and meaningful notice of non-renewal helps ensure that insureds maintain insurance protection and avoid gaps in coverage,” the resolution says.
Most state non-renewal laws also require insurers to explain the reason for the decision not to renew and prohibit insurance companies from non-renewing for certain specific reasons.
The notice adds that a number of state legislatures have recently taken action to amend their non-renewal laws, establishing non-renewal notice periods of 60 days or longer.
“NCOIL urges state policymakers across the country to examine their non-renewal laws and ensure that such laws of their jurisdictions require property and casualty insurers to provide insureds with at least 60 days’ advance notice when non-renewing an insurance policy or offering renewal with reductions in policy limits or coverage,” the notice says.
The committee also approved a model act regarding the use of credit information in personal insurance.
The model act, if passed at the state level, would prohibit insurance companies from refusing to insure an applicant or insured solely on credit score. The insurance company would be able to do so if one or more other factors independent of credit information were also considered.
It also prohibits consumer reporting agencies from providing or selling data or lists that include any information that, in whole or in part, is submitted in conjunction with an insurance inquiry about a consumer’s credit information or a request for a credit report or insurance score.
“Such information includes, but is not limited to, the expiration dates of an insurance policy or any other information that may identify time periods during which a consumer’s insurance may expire and the terms and conditions of the consumer’s insurance coverage,” the model act states.
It does not apply to data or lists the consumer reporting agency supplies to insurance agents, the act states.