AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- HOMEOWNER CASUALTY INSURANCE BILL OF RIGHTS (Creates a homeowner casualty bill of rights.)

H7478

2026 -- H 7478
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LC004091
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO INSURANCE -- HOMEOWNER CASUALTY INSURANCE BILL OF
RIGHTS

Introduced By:
Representatives Hull, Azzinaro, J. Lombardi, Biah, Slater, Fogarty,
Fellela, and Santucci

Date Introduced:
February 04, 2026

Referred To:
House Corporations
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Title 27 of the General Laws entitled "INSURANCE" is hereby amended by
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adding thereto the following chapter:
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CHAPTER 8.4
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HOMEOWNER CASUALTY INSURANCE BILL OF RIGHTS
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27-8.4-1. Short title.

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This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Homeowner Casualty Insurance Bill
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of Rights".
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27-8.4-2. Legislative purpose.

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It is the purpose of this chapter to summarize, in simple, nontechnical terms, existing Rhode
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Island law regarding the rights of a personal residential property insurance policyholder who files
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a claim of loss.
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27-8.4-3. Timely submission.

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An insurer, issuing a homeowner's residential property casualty insurance policy in this
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state, shall provide a homeowner casualty insurance bill of rights notice to a policyholder within
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fourteen (14) days after receiving an initial communication with respect to a claim, unless the claim
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follows an event that is the subject of a declaration of a state of emergency by the governor.
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27-8.4-4. Limitation of policyholder’s rights.

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(a) The homeowner casualty insurance bill of rights is specific to the claims process and

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does not represent all of a policyholder’s rights under Rhode Island law regarding the insurance
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policy;
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(b) The homeowner casualty insurance bill of rights does not create a civil cause of action
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by any individual policyholder or class of policyholders against an insurer or insurers; and
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(c) The homeowner casualty insurance bill of rights does not enlarge, modify, or
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contravene statutory requirements, and does not prohibit an insurer from exercising its right to
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repair damaged property in compliance with the terms of an applicable policy.
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27-8.4-5. Statutory form of the homeowner casualty insurance bill of rights.

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The homeowner casualty insurance bill of rights shall state the following:
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HOMEOWNER CASUALTY INSURANCE BILL OF RIGHTS
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This Bill of Rights is specific to the claims process and does not represent all of your rights
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under Rhode Island law regarding your policy. There are also exceptions to the stated timelines
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when conditions are beyond your insurance company’s control. This document does not create a
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civil cause of action by an individual policyholder, or a class of policyholders, against an insurer
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or insurers and does not prohibit an insurer from exercising its right to repair damaged property in
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compliance with the terms of an applicable policy.
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YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO:
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1. Receive from your insurance company an acknowledgment of your reported claim
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within fourteen (14) days after the time you communicated the claim.
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2. Upon written request, receive from your insurance company within twenty (20) days
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after you have submitted a complete proof-of-loss statement to your insurance company

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confirmation that your claim is being investigated.
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3. Within thirty (30) days, receive full settlement payment for your claim or payment of
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the undisputed portion of your claim, or your insurance company’s denial of your claim.
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4. Contact the Rhode Island department of business regulation, insurance division, with
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any insurance claim or questions pertaining to the handling of your claim. You can seek assistance
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by phone at (401) 462-9520 or online at the Rhode Island department of business regulation,
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insurance division website at https://dbr.ri.gov./insurance.
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YOU ARE ADVISED TO:
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1. Contact your insurance company before entering into any contract for repairs to confirm
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any managed repair policy provisions or optional preferred vendors.
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2. Make and document emergency repairs that are necessary to prevent further damage.
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Keep the damaged property, if feasible, keep all receipts, and take photographs of damage before
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and after any repairs.

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3. Carefully read any contract that requires you to pay out-of-pocket expenses or a fee that
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is based on a percentage of the insurance proceeds that you will receive for repairing or replacing
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your property.
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4. Confirm that the contractor you choose is licensed to do business in Rhode Island. You
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can verify a contractor’s license and check to see if there are any complaints against the contractor
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by searching online through the Rhode Island contractors’ registration and licensing board at their
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website, https://crb.ri.gov/search/contractor-search. You should also ask the contractor for
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references from previous work.
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5. Require all contractors to provide proof of insurance before beginning repairs.
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6. Take precautions if the damage requires you to leave your home, including securing your
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property and turning off your gas, water, and electricity, contacting your insurance company and
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providing a phone number where you can be reached.
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27-8.4-6. Penalty.

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The failure of an insurer to properly deliver the homeowner casualty insurance bill of rights
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may result in a penalty to be determined by the director of the department of business regulation,
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insurance division but is not admissible as evidence in a civil action against an insurer.
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27-8.4-7. Severability.

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If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part of this chapter shall be adjudged by any
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court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, that judgment shall not
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affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder of this chapter but shall be confined in its operation to
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the clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part directly involved in the controversy in which that
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judgment shall have been rendered.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO INSURANCE -- HOMEOWNER CASUALTY INSURANCE BILL OF
RIGHTS
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This act would create a homeowner casualty bill of rights that would summarize, in simple,
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nontechnical terms, Rhode Island law regarding the rights of a personal residential property
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insurance policyholder who files a claim of loss. The act would require the insurance company to
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utilize specific language in acknowledging the receipt of a reported claim within fourteen (14) days
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but would not impact any cause of action by a policyholder.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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