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IIK enjoyed a great deal of success with its priority bills in the 2024 session of the Kentucky General Assembly. Following is a brief description of the bills along with the outcome for each:

• SB 29 (Sen. Storm): This bill prohibited the assignment of benefits in auto glass claims, and instituted several other measures designed to limit questionable claims practices. It became law on April 2, 2024, when it was signed by the Governor.
• SB 158 (Sen. Girdler): The bill clarifies that banks may open restricted accounts for minors without a court order when a minor is party to an insurance settlement. It became law on March 29, 2024.
• HB 7 (Rep. Bray): This bill sets up a framework for autonomous vehicles to operate in Kentucky with a $1 million insurance requirement. It includes a two-year driver-in period for large trucks and this provision sunsets in August 2026. The bill was vetoed by the governor and the legislature overrode the veto to give the bill final passage.
• HB 15 (Rep. Branscum): This bill allows Kentucky to join the ranks of those states passing a data privacy bill in line with Virginia’s Data Privacy legislation. It will become law on January 1, 2026.
• HB 179 (Rep. Heavrin): This bill allows insurers to offer voluntary paid family leave to employers in Kentucky. It became law on April 5, 2024.
• HB 280 (Rep. Pollock): This NCOIL model bill established insurance requirements for delivery network companies such as Amazon, Grubhub, Uber Eats & DoorDash. It becomes law on January 1, 2025.
• HB 401 (Rep. Pollock): This bill allows out-of-state physicians to review WC cases and also allows a retired physician in good standing to do desk reviews. It also allows for unemployment wages to be considered for “seasonal” type workers. It will become law on July 15, 2024.
• HB 829 (Rep. Nemes): This bill dealt with medicinal marijuana and IIK’s interest in the bill was to exempt all property casualty insurance policies, not just WC policies, from having to pay for medical cannabis.

In addition to the successful bills above, another IIK priority bill was HB 620 (Rep. Pollock) which would have required hands-free usage of a cell phone while driving. The bill did not see any action.

There were a number of other bills that IIK successfully influenced:

• HB 7 (Rep. Bray): The bill sets up a framework for autonomous vehicles to operate in Kentucky with a $1 million insurance requirement. It was vetoed by the Governor, but the legislature overrode the veto and gave the bill final passage. It bill becomes law on July 15, 2024.
• HB 256 (Rep. Pollock): The bill creates a $5 million grant fund and requires insurers to offer premium discounts that are actuarily justified for those building using Fortified Housing standards. It will apply to insurance policies and contracts issued or renewed after March 1, 2026.
• HB 371 (Rep. Williams): This bill allows the Insurance Commissioner to increase the rates and payouts for mine subsidence insurance to keep up with rising costs and inflation. It also requires a nine-month notification to insurers before any rates are changed. It becomes law on January 1, 2025.