STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2809--A 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 17, 2017 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SEWARD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to requiring the super- intendent of financial services to promulgate regulations which provide standardized definitions for commonly used terms and phrases in certain insurance policies The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 3425 of the insurance law is amended by adding a 2 new subsection (t) to read as follows: 3 (t) Within six months after the effective date of this subsection, the 4 superintendent shall promulgate regulations in accordance with section 5 two hundred two of the state administrative procedure act which provide 6 standardized definitions for commonly used terms and phrases in policies 7 that provide coverage for personal lines insurance as defined in para- 8 graph two of subsection (a) of this section. Such standardized terms and 9 phrases shall be used in such policies issued or delivered in this state 10 on or after the date the regulations are finalized, which shall be no 11 later than January first, two thousand nineteen. An insurer may use 12 alternative definitions, so long as such definitions are not any less 13 favorable to the policyholder or claimant, as determined by the super- 14 intendent. 15 § 2. Section 3426 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new 16 subsection (p) to read as follows: 17 (p) Within six months after the effective date of this subsection, the 18 superintendent shall promulgate regulations in accordance with section 19 two hundred two of the state administrative procedure act which provide 20 standardized definitions for commonly used terms and phrases in policies 21 that provide coverage for commercial lines insurance policies that cover EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01390-03-7S. 2809--A 2 1 loss or damage to real property, personal property, or other liabilities 2 for loss or damage to property. Such standardized terms and phrases 3 shall be used in such policies issued or delivered in this state on or 4 after the date the regulations are finalized, which shall be no later 5 than January first, two thousand nineteen. An insurer may use alterna- 6 tive definitions, so long as such definitions are not any less favorable 7 to the policyholder or claimant, as determined by the superintendent. 8 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.