INSURANCE/PROPERTY: Provides relative to fortified roof endorsement offers

HLS 26RS-1197 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 759
BY REPRESENTATIVE FIRMENT
INSURANCE/PROPERTY: Provides relative to fortified roof endorsement offers
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 22:1483.2, relative to fortified roof endorsements; to clarify
3 certain requirements; to clarify geographic area upgrade requirements; to outline
4 eligibility determinations and premium refunds; to provide for the use of roof age
5 and condition as rating factors; to provide for applicability; and to provide for related
6 matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 22:1483.2 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
9 §1483.2. Fortified roof endorsement; mandatory offer
10 A. Any authorized insurer writing homeowners' insurance policies shall offer
11 an endorsement to upgrade an insured's nonfortified home residential structure to
12 comply with the fortified roof standards of the Insurance Institute for Business and
13 Home Safety, if the insured incurs damage covered by the policy that requires the
14 roof to be replaced. The endorsement shall upgrade the home consistent with the
15 fortified requirements for the geographic area in which the home is located.
16 B. The endorsement offer provided for in Subsection A of this Section shall
17 be made at the time of writing a new homeowners' policy on a nonfortified home and
18 upon first renewal of an existing homeowners' policy on a nonfortified home after
19 December 31, 2023.
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are additions.
HLS 26RS-1197 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 759
1 C. Insurers required to make an endorsement offer pursuant to this Section
2 shall file endorsement forms and accompanying rates with the department by
3 October 1, 2023. The requirements of this Section shall apply only to homeowners'
4 policies covering residential structures with a roof that was installed within ten years
5 of the date of offering the policy or renewal that are eligible to be retrofitted to
6 comply with the fortified roof standards of the Insurance Institute for Business and
7 Home Safety. If an insurer sells an endorsement provided for in this Section and
8 thereafter discovers that the insured structure is not eligible to be retrofitted to the
9 fortified roof standards of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, the
10 insurer shall refund to the insured any premiums collected under the endorsement,
11 less the costs of determining the structure was not eligible.
12 D. This Section shall not be construed to prohibit an insurer from voluntarily
13 offering the endorsement provided for in this Section for a homeowners' policy
14 covering a residential structure with a roof installed more than ten years after the
15 date of the policy being offered or renewed, and this Section shall not be construed
16 to prohibit an insurer from using the age or condition of the roof as a rating factor in
17 determining the premium to be charged for the endorsement.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 759 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Firment
Abstract: Outlines the requirements for mandatory offers of fortified roof endorsements
in homeowners' insurance policies. Specifies the age eligibility criteria for roofs that
qualify for these mandatory offers while allowing for voluntary offers on older roofs.

Present law requires insurers writing homeowners' insurance to offer an endorsement
allowing an insured to upgrade a nonfortified residential structure to meet the fortified roof
standards of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety when covered damage
requires roof replacement. Present law further requires the offer to be made when writing
a new policy on a nonfortified home and upon the first renewal of an existing policy on a
nonfortified home after Dec. 31, 2023. Present law also requires insurers to file endorsement
forms and rates with the Dept. of Insurance by Oct. 1, 2023, and limits applicability to
structures eligible for fortified roof retrofits.
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HLS 26RS-1197 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 759
Proposed law retains present law and clarifies that:
(1) The endorsement must upgrade the home consistent with fortified requirements for
the geographic area in which the home is located.
(2) If an insurer sells the endorsement and later determines the structure is not eligible
for fortified roof retrofitting, the insurer shall refund premiums collected under the
endorsement, less the costs of determining ineligibility.
(3) Proposed law revises the applicability provision to specify that the requirements
apply only to homeowners' policies covering residential structures with a roof that
was installed within 10 years of the date of offering the policy or renewal and that
are eligible to be retrofitted to comply with fortified roof standards.
(4) Proposed law mandates that an insurer shall not fail to comply with the
endorsement-offer requirement based on the age of the roof; however, the insurer
may use roof age and condition as rating factors in determining the endorsement
premium. Proposed law further clarifies that nothing in present law prohibits an
insurer from voluntarily offering the endorsement for a homeowners' policy covering
a residential structure with a roof installed more than 10 years before the date of the
policy being offered or renewed, and that nothing prohibits an insurer from using the
age or condition of the roof as a rating factor in determining the premium for the
endorsement.
(Amends R.S. 22:1483.2)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Insurance to the
original bill:
1. Clarify that the requirement for the fortified roof endorsement applies
exclusively to authorized insurers issuing homeowners' policies, not to
individual insurance producers or agents.
2. Establish that the required endorsement is applicable exclusively to
homeowners' insurance for residential properties with roofs installed within
the last 10 years, if those roofs can be upgraded to meet the specified
standards at the time of policy issuance or renewal.
3. Specify that insurers may voluntarily offer the endorsement for homes with
roofs older than 10 years, and it confirms that nothing in the bill prevents
insurers from using the age or condition of the roof as a rating factor when
determining the premium for that endorsement.
4. Make technical changes.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.