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SF2233 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to insurer’s requests for information and claim timelines, and property and casualty insurer’s loss calculations, adjustments, payments of claims, and policy terms.

A bill for an act relating to insurer’s requests for information and claim timelines, and property and casualty insurer’s loss calculations, adjustments, payments of claims, and policy terms.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
WEBSTER
Last action
2026-02-19
Official status
Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act relating to insurer’s requests for information and claim timelines, and property and casualty insurer’s loss calculations, adjustments, payments of claims, and policy terms.

A bill for an act relating to insurer’s requests for information and claim timelines, and property and casualty insurer’s loss calculations, adjustments, payments of claims, and policy terms.

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to insurer’s requests for information and claim timelines, and property and casualty insurer’s loss calculations, adjustments, payments of claims, and policy terms.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-19 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage.

  2. 2026-02-18 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/19/2026 10:00AM Senate Lounge.

  3. 2026-02-12 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Webster, Blake, and Reichman. S.J. 277 .

  4. 2026-02-09 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Commerce. S.J. 223 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to insurer’s requests for information and claim timelines, and property and casualty insurer’s loss calculations, adjustments, payments of claims, and policy terms.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Senate

File

2233

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

2233

BY

WEBSTER

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

insurer’s

requests

for

information

and

1

claim

timelines,

and

property

and

casualty

insurer’s

loss

2

calculations,

adjustments,

payments

of

claims,

and

policy

3

terms.

4

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

5

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Section

1.

Section

507B.4,

subsection

3,

Code

2026,

is

1

amended

by

adding

the

following

new

paragraph:

2

NEW

PARAGRAPH

.

w.

Insured

——

requests

for

information.

3

Refusing

to

provide

requested

information

to

an

insured

in

4

accordance

with

section

507B.4D

on

the

basis

that

the

requested

5

information

is

privileged,

if

the

information

is

later

6

determined

not

to

be

privileged.

7

Sec.

2.

NEW

SECTION

.

507B.4D

Insured

——

requests

for

8

information.

9

1.

As

used

in

this

section,

unless

the

context

otherwise

10

requires:

11

a.

“Insured”

means

a

person

covered

under

an

insurance

12

policy.

13

b.

“Insurer”

means

a

person

licensed

to

transact

the

14

business

of

insurance

in

this

state.

15

c.

“Person”

means

an

individual,

corporation,

limited

16

liability

company,

business

trust,

estate,

trust,

partnership

17

or

association,

or

any

other

legal

entity.

18

2.

Except

as

provided

under

subsection

3,

an

insurer

shall

19

provide,

within

fifteen

calendar

days

of

receipt

of

a

request,

20

the

following

information

to

an

insured

if

requested

by

the

21

insured:

22

a.

A

certified

copy

of

the

insured’s

insurance

policy.

23

b.

A

copy

of

a

claim

application

filed

by

the

insured.

24

c.

The

name

and

contact

information

of

any

person

involved

25

on

the

insurer’s

behalf

with

a

claim

filed

by

the

insured.

26

d.

An

accounting

of

the

amount

paid

on

a

claim

filed

by

the

27

insured.

28

e.

An

accounting

of

the

reserve

set

on

a

claim

filed

by

the

29

insured.

30

f.

A

copy

of

internal

communications,

notes,

or

memos

31

related

to

a

claim

filed

by

the

insured,

including

internal

32

communications,

notes,

or

memos

of

a

third-party

administrator

33

or

independent

adjusting

firm.

34

g.

A

copy

of

communications

related

to

a

claim

filed

by

the

35

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insured

between

the

insurer

and

any

other

party.

1

h.

A

copy

of

all

information

in

the

possession

of

the

2

insurer

related

to

a

claim

filed

by

the

insured,

including

3

information

submitted

by

the

insured

to

the

insurer,

and

4

information

the

insurer

independently

gathered.

5

i.

Other

information

required

to

be

provided

to

an

insured

6

upon

request

pursuant

to

rules

adopted

by

the

commissioner.

7

3.

An

insurer

shall

not

be

required

to

provide

privileged

8

information

to

an

insured.

If

an

insurer

refuses

to

provide

9

information

to

an

insured

on

the

basis

that

the

information

10

is

privileged,

the

insurer

shall

provide

the

insured

with

a

11

written

explanation

for

the

basis

of

the

privilege.

If

the

12

information

is

later

determined

not

to

be

privileged,

the

13

insurer’s

prior

refusal

to

provide

the

requested

information

14

shall

constitute

an

unfair

method

of

competition

and

unfair

or

15

deceptive

act

or

practice

under

section

507B.4.

16

Sec.

3.

NEW

SECTION

.

507B.4E

Insurance

policies

——

17

prohibited

deadlines

and

statutes

of

limitation.

18

An

insurer

shall

not

include

any

of

the

following

in

an

19

insurance

policy:

20

1.

A

deadline

for

an

insured

to

provide

notice

of

a

loss

21

to

the

insurer

if

the

insured

could

not

have

reasonably

known

22

about

the

loss,

and

the

insurer

will

not

be

prejudiced

by

a

23

delay

in

notice.

24

2.

If

the

insurance

policy

provides

for

replacement

cost,

25

a

deadline

for

the

insured

to

recover

the

depreciation

amount

26

that

is

less

than

one

year

from

the

date

that

the

insurer

made

27

the

most

recent

actual

cash

value

payment

to

the

insured.

An

28

insurer

shall

provide

written

notice

to

the

insured

of

the

29

deadline

for

the

insured

to

recover

the

depreciation

amount

30

no

later

than

ninety

calendar

days

prior

to

the

date

of

the

31

deadline.

32

3.

Language

that

imposes

a

statute

of

limitations

for

an

33

insured

to

file

a

lawsuit

against

the

insurer

for

wrongfully

34

denying

a

claim

submitted

by

the

insured

to

less

than

five

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years

from

the

date

of

the

loss

that

is

the

subject

of

the

claim

1

that

the

insurer

denied,

or

less

than

two

years

from

the

date

2

of

the

denial

of

the

claim,

whichever

is

later.

An

insurer

3

shall

provide

written

notice

to

the

insured

of

the

statute

of

4

limitations

deadline

for

the

insured

to

file

a

lawsuit

related

5

to

a

denied

claim

no

later

than

ninety

calendar

days

prior

to

6

the

date

of

the

deadline.

7

Sec.

4.

NEW

SECTION

.

515.116

Loss

calculations

——

property

8

insurance

claims.

9

1.

Definitions.

As

used

in

this

section,

unless

the

context

10

otherwise

requires:

11

a.

“Actual

cash

value”

means

the

replacement

cost

of

12

property

at

the

time

of

the

loss,

less

depreciation,

if

13

any.

If

the

replacement

cost

of

property

at

the

time

of

the

14

loss,

less

depreciation,

cannot

be

ascertained,

a

person

may

15

determine

the

actual

cash

value

of

property

using

the

market

16

value,

diminished

value,

or

other

evidence

or

information

to

17

determine

the

actual

cash

value

of

property

at

the

time

of

the

18

loss.

19

b.

“Commissioner”

means

the

commissioner

of

insurance.

20

c.

“Insurance

policy”

means

a

property

insurance

policy

21

issued

by

an

insurer.

22

d.

“Insured”

means

a

named

insured

covered

under

an

23

insurance

policy.

24

e.

“Insurer”

means

a

person

to

whom

the

commissioner

of

25

insurance

has

issued

a

property

insurance

producer

license.

26

f.

“Line

of

sight”

means

any

location

a

reasonable

person

27

would

stand,

on

the

ground

or

any

floor

of

an

insured’s

damaged

28

structure,

to

view,

without

obstruction

or

the

use

of

aerial

29

tools

or

technology,

the

damaged

area

of

the

interior

or

30

exterior

of

the

damaged

structure

from

a

reasonable

distance.

31

“Line

of

sight”

is

not

limited

to

a

view

of

the

insured’s

32

damaged

structure

from

the

location

at

which

the

damage

33

occurred.

34

g.

“Reasonable

distance”

means,

for

exterior

repair

or

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replacement,

a

vantage

point

approximately

thirty

feet

from

1

where

the

repair

or

replacement

is

to

occur.

A

“reasonable

2

distance”

for

interior

repair

or

replacement

means

a

vantage

3

point

approximately

five

feet

from

where

the

repair

or

4

replacement

is

to

occur.

Based

on

a

particular

property,

5

“reasonable

distance”

may

be

determined

to

be

greater

than

or

6

less

than

thirty

feet

for

exterior

repair,

or

greater

than

or

7

less

than

five

feet

for

interior

repair.

8

h.

“Reasonably

similar

appearance”

means

if,

within

a

9

line

of

sight,

a

person

viewing

the

repaired

or

replaced

10

property

would

find

the

property

to

resemble

the

property’s

11

preloss

condition,

or

would

find

the

repaired

or

replaced

12

property

indistinguishable

from

the

remaining

original

13

property.

Whether

a

replacement

results

in

a

reasonably

14

similar

appearance

is

a

fact-specific

determination

made

15

on

a

case-by-case

basis

considering

the

totality

of

the

16

circumstances.

17

2.

Replacement

cost.

For

an

insurance

policy

providing

for

18

the

adjustment

and

settlement

of

first-party

losses

based

on

19

replacement

cost,

all

of

the

following

shall

apply:

20

a.

When

a

loss

requires

repair

or

replacement

of

a

product

21

or

part,

consequential

physical

damage

incurred

during

the

22

repair

or

replacement

of

the

product

or

part

shall

be

included

23

in

the

calculation

of

loss.

The

insured

shall

not

be

required

24

to

pay

for

betterment

or

other

costs,

except

for

any

applicable

25

deductible.

26

b.

(1)

When

a

loss

requires

repair

or

replacement

of

a

27

product

or

part,

the

insurer

shall

repair

or

replace

as

much

28

of

the

product

or

part

as

is

necessary

to

achieve

a

reasonably

29

similar

appearance.

30

(2)

An

insurer

shall

have

the

burden

to

prove

that

a

31

proposed

repair

or

replacement

of

a

product

or

part

will

32

achieve

a

reasonably

similar

appearance,

after

the

insurer

33

conducts

a

comparison

of

the

original

product

or

part

to

the

34

proposed

repair

or

replacement

product

or

part.

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(3)

As

necessary

to

determine

whether

a

proposed

repair

1

or

replacement

will

achieve

a

reasonably

similar

appearance,

2

an

insurer

may

compel

an

insured

to

complete

the

repair

or

3

replacement

at

the

expense

of

the

insurer.

The

insured

shall

4

not

bear

any

cost

over

the

insured’s

applicable

deductible,

if

5

any.

6

(4)

An

insurer

that

includes,

in

an

insurance

policy

7

providing

for

the

adjustment

and

settlement

of

first-party

8

losses

based

on

replacement

cost,

an

endorsement

that

excludes

9

or

limits

the

requirement

for

a

repair

or

replacement

product

10

or

part

to

achieve

a

reasonably

similar

appearance

shall

not

11

be

subject

to

subparagraphs

(1)

through

(3),

provided

the

12

endorsement

meets

all

of

the

following

requirements:

13

(a)

The

endorsement

is

approved

by

the

commissioner.

14

(b)

The

endorsement

is

listed

in

the

insurance

policy

15

declarations

page.

16

(c)

The

endorsement

results

in

a

premium

discount

for

the

17

insured.

18

(d)

The

endorsement

includes

a

disclosure

statement,

19

in

twelve

point

or

larger

bold

font,

informing

the

insured

20

that

the

insured

is

forfeiting

the

rights

provided

under

21

subparagraphs

(1)

through

(3).

22

(e)

The

endorsement

is

signed

by

the

insured.

23

c.

(1)

When

a

loss

requires

repair

or

replacement

of

a

24

building,

the

insurer

shall

repair

or

replace

as

much

of

the

25

building

as

is

necessary

to

bring

the

building

into

compliance

26

with

the

building

code

adopted

by

the

jurisdiction

in

which

27

the

damaged

building

is

located.

If

the

jurisdiction

has

not

28

adopted

a

building

code,

the

insurer

shall

repair

or

replace

as

29

much

of

the

building

as

is

necessary

to

bring

the

building

into

30

compliance

with

the

state

building

code.

The

insured

shall

31

not

bear

the

cost

of

betterment

or

any

cost

except

for

the

32

applicable

deductible,

if

any.

33

(2)

An

insurer

that

includes,

in

an

insurance

policy

34

providing

for

the

adjustment

and

settlement

of

first-party

35

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losses

based

on

replacement

cost,

an

endorsement

that

excludes

1

or

limits

the

requirement

for

a

repair

or

replacement

of

a

2

building

to

comply

with

the

building

code

adopted

by

the

3

jurisdiction

in

which

the

damaged

building

is

located

or

the

4

state

building

code

shall

not

be

subject

to

subparagraph

5

(1)

provided

the

endorsement

meets

all

of

the

following

6

requirements:

7

(a)

The

endorsement

is

approved

by

the

commissioner.

8

(b)

The

endorsement

is

listed

in

the

insurance

policy

9

declarations

page.

10

(c)

The

endorsement

results

in

a

premium

discount

for

the

11

insured.

12

(d)

The

endorsement

includes

a

disclosure

statement,

13

in

twelve

point

or

larger

bold

font,

informing

the

insured

14

that

the

insured

is

forfeiting

the

rights

provided

under

15

subparagraph

(1).

16

(e)

The

endorsement

is

signed

by

the

insured.

17

d.

(1)

The

insurance

policy

shall

not

include

a

roof

18

payment

schedule,

or

a

similar

provision,

intended

to

reduce

19

the

insurer’s

liability

for

damage

to

roof

surfaces

or

to

20

property

otherwise

insured

at

a

replacement

cost.

21

(2)

An

insurer

that

includes,

in

an

insurance

policy

22

providing

for

the

adjustment

and

settlement

of

first-party

23

losses

based

on

replacement

cost,

an

endorsement

that

excludes

24

or

limits

the

insurer’s

liability

for

damage

to

roof

surfaces

25

or

to

property

otherwise

insured

at

a

replacement

cost

shall

26

not

be

subject

to

subparagraph

(1),

provided

the

endorsement

27

meets

all

of

the

following

requirements:

28

(a)

The

endorsement

is

approved

by

the

commissioner.

29

(b)

The

endorsement

is

listed

in

the

insurance

policy

30

declarations

page.

31

(c)

The

endorsement

results

in

a

premium

discount

for

the

32

insured.

33

(d)

The

endorsement

includes

a

disclosure

statement,

34

in

twelve

point

or

larger

bold

font,

informing

the

insured

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that

the

insured

is

forfeiting

the

rights

provided

under

1

subparagraph

(1).

2

(e)

The

endorsement

is

signed

by

the

insured.

3

e.

The

replacement

cost

of

damaged

property

shall

be

4

calculated

based

on

the

replacement

cost

on

the

date

that

the

5

damaged

property

is

repaired

or

replaced.

6

3.

Actual

cash

value.

For

an

insurance

policy

providing

7

for

adjustment

and

settlement

of

first-party

losses

based

on

8

actual

cash

value,

if

the

actual

cash

value

of

a

claim

is

9

not

calculated

as

the

replacement

cost

less

depreciation,

10

the

insurer

shall

provide

a

copy

of

the

claim

file

worksheet

11

detailing

all

deductions

for

depreciation

and

a

detailed

12

written

explanation

that

describes

the

manner

in

which

13

depreciation

was

calculated

and

the

actual

cash

value

14

determined.

15

4.

Total

loss.

For

property

covered

by

an

insurance

16

policy

that

is

wholly

destroyed

or

damaged

and

cannot

be

17

repaired,

or

the

cost

of

repair

exceeds

the

value

of

the

18

property,

the

insurer

shall

pay

the

insured

the

limit

of

the

19

insurance

policy.

The

insurer

shall

not

withhold

the

cost

of

20

depreciation

or

the

insured’s

deductible.

21

5.

Cosmetic

damage.

22

a.

An

insurance

policy

shall

not

include

a

provision

that

23

requires

covered

property

damage

to

satisfy

certain

criteria

in

24

order

to

exclude

or

limit

the

insurer’s

liability

for

cosmetic

25

or

nonfunctional

damages.

26

b.

An

insurer

that

includes

an

endorsement

insurance

policy

27

that

establishes

criteria

that

covered

property

must

satisfy

28

in

order

for

the

insured

to

receive

cosmetic

or

nonfunctional

29

damages

shall

not

be

subject

to

this

subsection

provided

the

30

endorsement

meets

all

of

the

following

requirements:

31

(1)

The

endorsement

is

approved

by

the

commissioner.

32

(2)

The

endorsement

is

listed

in

the

insurance

policy

33

declarations

page.

34

(3)

The

endorsement

results

in

a

premium

discount

for

the

35

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insured.

1

(4)

The

endorsement

includes

a

disclosure

statement,

in

2

twelve

point

or

larger

bold

font,

informing

the

insured

that

3

the

insured

is

forfeiting

the

rights

provided

under

paragraph

4

“a”

.

5

(5)

The

endorsement

is

signed

by

the

insured.

6

Sec.

5.

NEW

SECTION

.

515.117

Adjustment

and

payment

of

7

claims.

8

1.

Definitions.

As

used

in

this

section,

unless

the

context

9

otherwise

requires:

10

a.

“Commissioner”

means

the

commissioner

of

insurance.

11

b.

“Insurance

policy”

means

a

property

insurance

policy

12

issued

by

an

insurer.

13

c.

“Insured”

means

a

named

insured

covered

under

an

14

insurance

policy.

15

d.

“Insurer”

means

a

person

to

whom

the

commissioner

of

16

insurance

has

issued

a

property

insurance

producer

license.

17

2.

Acknowledgment

of

claim.

No

later

than

fifteen

business

18

days

after

the

date

an

insurer

receives

notice

of

a

claim,

19

or

notice

that

a

claim

has

been

received

by

an

agent

of

the

20

insurer,

the

insurer

shall

do

all

of

the

following:

21

a.

Provide

acknowledgment

to

the

insured

that

the

claim

has

22

been

received.

If

the

acknowledgment

is

not

made

in

writing,

23

the

insurer

shall

make

a

record

specifying

the

date,

manner,

24

and

content

of

the

acknowledgment.

25

b.

Commence

review

or

investigation

of

the

claim

as

26

necessary.

27

c.

Request

that

the

insured

provide

any

item,

statement,

28

or

form

related

to

the

claim,

including

any

proof

of

loss

form

29

required

by

the

insurer,

necessary

for

review

or

investigation

30

of

the

claim.

The

insurer

shall

provide

the

insured

with

any

31

form

or

instruction

necessary

for

the

insured

to

provide

such

32

item,

statement,

or

form.

The

insurer

may

request

additional

33

items,

statements,

or

forms

related

to

the

claim

during

the

34

course

of

the

review

or

investigation.

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3.

Communications.

An

insurer

shall

reply

within

fifteen

1

business

days

from

the

date

of

receipt

to

a

communication

2

from

an

insured

to

which

an

insured

would

reasonably

expect

3

a

response

from

the

insurer.

The

insurer’s

response

shall

4

address

all

material

parts

of

the

insured’s

communication.

5

4.

Acceptance

or

denial

of

claim.

6

a.

Except

as

provided

by

paragraph

“b”

,

an

insurer

shall

7

notify

an

insured

in

writing

of

the

acceptance

or

denial

of

8

a

claim

no

later

than

thirty

calendar

days

from

the

date

of

9

receipt

of

a

properly

completed

proof

of

loss

form.

10

b.

If

there

is

a

reasonable

basis,

supported

by

specific

11

evidence,

for

an

insurer

to

believe

that

an

insured

12

fraudulently

caused

or

contributed

to

a

claim,

an

insurer

shall

13

do

all

of

the

following:

14

(1)

Notify

the

insured,

no

later

than

thirty

calendar

days

15

from

the

date

of

receipt

of

a

properly

completed

proof

of

loss

16

form,

of

the

reason

additional

time

is

required

to

investigate

17

the

claim.

18

(2)

Notify

the

insured

every

thirty

calendar

days

following

19

the

notice

under

subparagraph

(1)

of

the

reason

additional

time

20

is

required

to

investigate

the

claim.

21

(3)

Within

a

reasonable

amount

of

time

after

completing

an

22

investigation

of

the

claim

and

making

a

determination

whether

23

the

insured

fraudulently

caused

or

contributed

to

the

claim,

24

notify

the

insured

of

the

acceptance

or

denial

of

the

claim.

25

c.

If

any

part

of

a

claim

is

denied

by

an

insurer,

the

26

notice

required

by

paragraph

“a”

or

paragraph

“b”

,

subparagraph

27

(3),

must

include

a

complete

and

detailed

explanation

of

the

28

reason

for

the

denial

and

include

a

citation

to

applicable

29

insurance

policy

language

or

law

that

is

the

basis

for

the

30

denial.

If

a

denial

of

a

claim,

in

part

or

in

full,

is

based

31

on

a

written

report

or

other

documentation

of

the

claim

by

the

32

insurer

or

by

an

agent

of

the

insurer,

the

written

report

or

33

other

documentation

shall

be

provided

to

the

insured.

34

5.

Inspection

of

damaged

property.

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a.

If,

prior

to

an

insurer

accepting

or

denying

a

claim,

1

inspection

of

damaged

property

that

is

the

subject

of

a

claim

2

is

required,

the

insurer

shall

schedule

and

complete

the

3

inspection

no

later

than

thirty

calendar

days

from

the

date

of

4

receipt

of

a

properly

completed

proof

of

loss

form.

5

b.

An

insurer

shall

complete

an

inspection

of

damaged

6

property

within

the

time

limit

under

paragraph

“a”

unless

7

an

act

of

nature

prevents

the

insurer

from

completing

the

8

inspection.

If

an

inspection

is

delayed

the

insurer

shall

9

notify

the

insured

within

the

time

limit

under

paragraph

“a”

,

10

and

every

thirty

calendar

days

thereafter

until

an

inspection

11

is

completed,

of

the

reason

the

inspection

is

delayed

or

12

continuing

to

be

delayed.

13

6.

Claim

payment.

14

a.

Except

as

otherwise

provided

by

this

section,

if

an

15

insurer

accepts

liability

for

all

or

part

of

a

claim,

the

16

insurer

shall

pay

the

portion

of

the

claim

for

which

liability

17

has

been

accepted

not

later

than

ten

business

days

after

the

18

date

liability

was

accepted.

19

b.

If

payment

of

all

or

part

of

a

claim

is

conditioned

on

20

the

performance

of

an

act

by

the

insured,

the

insurer

shall

pay

21

the

portion

of

the

claim

for

which

liability

has

been

accepted

22

not

later

than

ten

business

days

after

the

act

is

performed

by

23

the

insured.

24

c.

This

subsection

shall

not

apply

if,

through

litigation,

25

arbitration,

mediation,

or

appraisal,

it

is

discovered

that

any

26

of

the

following

are

true:

27

(1)

The

damaged

property

that

is

the

subject

of

a

claim

does

28

not

belong

to

the

insured

that

filed

the

claim,

such

that

the

29

insured

did

not

suffer

any

loss.

30

(2)

The

insured’s

insurance

policy

does

not

provide

31

coverage

for

the

damaged

property

that

is

the

subject

of

a

32

claim.

33

(3)

The

claim

is

otherwise

invalid.

34

7.

Penalties.

35

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a.

If

an

insurer

that

accepts

all

or

part

of

a

claim

1

violates

subsection

4,

5,

or

6,

the

insurer

shall

be

liable

2

for,

in

an

action

brought

by

an

insured

against

the

insurer

3

in

which

the

insured

prevails,

the

portion

of

the

claim

for

4

which

the

insurer

accepted

liability

plus

simple

interest

at

5

an

annual

rate

of

eighteen

percent

on

the

portion

of

the

claim

6

not

adjusted

or

paid

pursuant

to

this

section,

the

insured’s

7

cost

of

litigation,

including

reasonable

attorney

fees,

and

8

any

other

damages

provided

by

law.

Simple

interest

on

a

claim

9

shall

begin

accruing

on

the

date

of

the

insurer’s

violation

and

10

shall

accrue

until

the

date

the

underlying

claim

and

interest

11

is

paid

in

full

by

the

insurer.

12

b.

This

subsection

shall

not

be

construed

to

prevent

or

13

replace

an

award

of

prejudgment

interest

or

any

other

damages

14

as

provided

by

law.

15

8.

Public

adjusters.

16

a.

An

insurer

shall

not

include

a

provision

in

an

insurance

17

policy

that

prohibits

an

insured

from

contracting

with

a

public

18

adjuster.

19

b.

For

purposes

of

this

subsection,

“public

adjuster”

means

20

the

same

as

defined

in

section

522C.2.

21

EXPLANATION

22

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

23

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

24

This

bill

relates

to

insurer’s

requests

for

information

25

and

claim

timelines,

and

property

and

casualty

insurer’s

loss

26

calculations,

adjustments,

payments

of

claims,

and

policy

27

terms.

28

Under

the

bill,

an

insurer

shall

provide

to

an

insured,

29

within

15

days

of

receipt

of

a

request,

copies

of

requested

30

documents,

the

name

and

contact

information

of

a

person

31

involved

on

the

insurer’s

behalf

with

a

claim,

an

accounting

of

32

the

amount

paid

and

reserve

set

on

a

claim,

or

other

required

33

information

as

detailed

by

the

bill.

The

insurer

is

not

34

required

to

provide

privileged

information,

but

must

provide

35

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to

the

insured

a

written

explanation

for

the

basis

of

the

1

privilege.

If

the

information

is

later

determined

not

to

be

2

privileged,

the

insurer’s

prior

refusal

constitutes

an

unfair

3

method

of

competition

and

unfair

or

deceptive

act

or

practice.

4

The

bill

makes

a

conforming

change

to

Code

section

507B.4(3).

5

An

insurer

shall

not

include

in

a

policy

a

deadline

for

an

6

insured

to

provide

notice

of

a

loss

if

the

insured

could

not

7

have

reasonably

known

about

the

loss

and

the

insurer

will

not

8

be

prejudiced

by

a

delay.

If

a

policy

provides

for

replacement

9

cost,

an

insurer

shall

not

include

a

deadline

for

the

insured

10

to

recover

the

depreciation

amount

that

is

less

than

one

year

11

from

the

insurer’s

most

recent

actual

cash

value

payment

to

12

the

insured,

and

shall

notify

the

insured

of

such

deadline

no

13

later

than

90

days

prior

to

the

deadline.

An

insurer

shall

14

not

include

in

a

policy

language

that

imposes

a

statute

of

15

limitations

for

an

insured

to

sue

the

insurer

for

wrongfully

16

denying

a

claim

to

less

than

five

years

from

the

date

of

the

17

loss,

or

two

years

from

the

denial

of

the

claim,

whichever

is

18

later,

and

shall

notify

the

insured

of

such

deadline

no

later

19

than

90

days

prior

to

the

deadline.

20

For

a

policy

providing

for

replacement

cost

for

property,

21

and

the

loss

requires

repair

or

replacement

of

a

product

or

22

part,

consequential

physical

damage

shall

be

included

in

the

23

calculation

of

loss,

the

insured

shall

not

be

required

to

pay

24

for

betterment

or

costs

other

than

an

applicable

deductible,

25

and

the

insurer

shall

repair

or

replace

as

much

of

the

26

property

necessary

to

achieve

a

reasonably

similar

appearance

27

as

detailed

by

the

bill.

“Reasonably

similar

appearance”

28

is

defined

by

the

bill.

If

the

loss

requires

repair

or

29

replacement

of

a

building,

the

insurer

shall

repair

or

replace

30

as

much

of

the

building

necessary

to

bring

the

building

into

31

compliance

with

the

local

or

state

building

code,

and

the

32

insured

shall

not

be

required

to

pay

for

betterment

or

costs

33

other

than

an

applicable

deductible.

The

requirement

that

an

34

insurer

bring

a

building

into

compliance

with

a

local

or

state

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building

code

may

be

waived

pursuant

to

an

endorsement

in

a

1

policy

as

detailed

by

the

bill.

2

A

policy

shall

not

include

a

roof

payment

schedule

or

3

a

similar

provision,

or

a

provision

that

requires

covered

4

property

damage

to

satisfy

certain

criteria

in

order

to

exclude

5

or

limit

the

insurer’s

liability

for

cosmetic

or

nonfunctional

6

damages,

unless

an

endorsement

providing

otherwise

is

included

7

in

a

policy

as

detailed

by

the

bill.

8

The

replacement

cost

of

damaged

property

shall

be

calculated

9

based

on

the

date

the

damaged

property

is

repaired

or

replaced.

10

For

a

policy

providing

for

actual

cash

value

for

a

claim,

11

and

the

actual

cash

value

is

not

calculated

as

the

replacement

12

cost

less

depreciation,

the

insurer

shall

provide

the

insured

13

a

copy

of

the

claim

file

worksheet

and

an

explanation

of

the

14

calculation

of

depreciation

and

determination

of

the

actual

15

cash

value.

“Actual

cash

value”

is

defined

by

the

bill.

16

For

property

covered

by

a

policy

that

is

wholly

destroyed

or

17

damaged

and

cannot

be

repaired,

or

is

too

expensive

to

repair,

18

the

insurer

shall

pay

the

limit

of

the

policy

and

shall

not

19

withhold

the

cost

of

depreciation

or

the

deductible.

20

The

bill

requires

an

insurer

to,

within

15

days

of

receiving

21

notice

of

a

claim,

acknowledge

receipt

of

the

claim

to

the

22

insured,

commence

review

or

investigation

of

the

claim,

23

and

request

from

the

insured

any

item,

statement,

or

form

24

related

to

the

claim.

An

insurer

shall

reply

within

15

days

25

to

a

communication

from

an

insured

to

which

an

insured

would

26

reasonably

expect

a

response,

and

shall

address

all

material

27

parts

of

the

insured’s

communication.

28

An

insurer

shall

notify

an

insured

of

the

acceptance

or

29

denial

of

a

claim

no

later

than

30

days

from

the

date

of

receipt

30

of

a

properly

completed

proof

of

loss

form.

If

an

insurer

31

believes

an

insured

fraudulently

caused

or

contributed

to

a

32

claim,

the

insurer

shall

notify

the

insured

within

30

days

of

33

receiving

a

proof

of

loss

form

of

the

reason

additional

time

is

34

required

to

investigate

the

claim,

notify

the

insured

every

30

35

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2233

calendar

days

thereafter

of

the

continuing

reason

additional

1

time

is

required,

and,

within

a

reasonable

amount

of

time

after

2

completing

an

investigation

and

a

determination

whether

the

3

insured

fraudulently

caused

or

contributed

to

the

claim,

notify

4

the

insured

of

the

acceptance

or

denial

of

the

claim.

5

If

part

of

a

claim

is

denied

by

an

insurer,

the

notice

6

must

include

an

explanation

of

the

reason

for

the

denial

and

7

a

citation

to

applicable

policy

language

or

law

that

is

the

8

basis

for

the

denial.

If

a

denial

is

based

on

a

written

report

9

or

other

documentation,

the

report

or

documentation

shall

be

10

provided

to

the

insured.

11

If,

prior

to

accepting

or

denying

a

claim,

inspection

of

12

damaged

property

under

a

claim

is

required,

the

insurer

shall

13

schedule

and

complete

the

inspection

within

30

days

of

receipt

14

of

a

proof

of

loss

form.

The

inspection

may

only

be

delayed

if

15

an

act

of

nature

reasonably

prevents

the

inspection,

in

which

16

case

the

insurer

shall

notify

the

insured

of

the

reason

for

17

delay.

18

If

an

insurer

accepts

liability

for

all

or

part

of

a

claim,

19

the

insurer

shall

pay

the

accepted

portion

of

the

claim

within

20

10

days.

If

payment

is

conditioned

on

the

performance

of

an

21

act

by

the

insured,

the

insurer

shall

pay

the

portion

for

which

22

liability

has

been

accepted

within

10

days

of

the

act

being

23

performed.

Payment

of

a

claim

shall

not

be

required

if

it

is

24

discovered

that

the

damaged

property

does

not

belong

to

the

25

insured,

the

policy

does

not

provide

coverage

for

the

damaged

26

property,

or

the

claim

is

otherwise

invalid.

27

An

insurer

that

violates

the

bill

and

has

accepted

all

or

28

part

of

a

claim

is

liable

for,

in

an

action

brought

by

an

29

insured

in

which

the

insured

prevails,

the

portion

of

the

claim

30

for

which

the

insurer

accepted

liability

plus

simple

interest

31

at

an

annual

rate

of

18

percent,

the

insured’s

reasonable

32

attorney

fees,

costs

of

litigation,

and

any

other

damages

33

provided

by

law.

The

bill

shall

not

be

construed

to

prevent

or

34

replace

an

award

of

prejudgment

interest

or

any

other

damages

35

-14-

LSB

5777XS

(2)

91

nls/ko

14/

15

S.F.

2233

as

provided

by

law.

1

An

insurer

shall

not

include

a

provision

in

a

policy

that

2

prohibits

an

insured

from

contracting

with

a

public

adjuster.

3

-15-

LSB

5777XS

(2)

91

nls/ko

15/

15