IIK’s 2022 Agenda Items
HB 258: Hands-free Cell Phone Use
Distracted Driving is a serious problem in Kentucky and across the nation. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving claimed 3,142 lives in 2019. Specifically for KY, according to the 2020-24 Strategic Highway Safety Plan, 843 of the 3,733 highway fatalities in Kentucky between 2014 and 2018 involved distracted driving – 22 percent of all deaths. The report also states that these numbers likely understate the problem.
Distractions while driving come in many forms, but the most dangerous distractions are those which take a driver’s eyes off the road – reading an email, dialing a number, or maybe even checking out a video. HB 258 would address that form of distraction by requiring hands-free use of cell phones while driving. Please see here for a much more detailed explanation of HB 258.
HB 380: Modernize KY Insurance Laws
Kentucky’s current laws have not kept pace with the latest developments in marketing insurance to consumers, or with the ability for insurers to provide products or services to their policyholders. These rebating laws were designed to prevent unfair competition among insurers, but they have not been updated for some time. Current law may even prohibit insurers from providing “smart” or connected technology that is designed to reduce losses or premiums. HB 380 modernizes KY’s insurance laws on gifts to existing or prospective policyholders, and it allows insurers to provide loss-mitigation devices to policyholders for free or at a reduced cost.
HB 170: Settlements Involving Minors
It is not uncommon for a minor to receive a settlement in a lawsuit. To protect the minor’s interests, settlements above a certain amount must be approved by a court. HB 170 would modernize KY’s laws involving settlements involving minors and it is based on model legislation from the National Conference of Insurance Legislators. IIK is working with the KY Justice Association to develop procedures that would allow fewer settlements to require court approval when both parties agree.