Bill
HJ 61
HJ 61 directs an interim study of Montana's property insurance market to assess availability, affordability, risk factors, and propose policy options for future action.
Status
- Bill type: Joint Resolution (HJ 61)
- Sponsor: Rep. Joshua Seckinger (primary)
- Introduced: December 15, 2024
- Final actions: Passed both chambers and enrolled; signed by Speaker (May 5, 2025) and President (May 6, 2025); filed with Secretary of State (May 6, 2025).
- Committees: House Business & Labor; Senate Business, Labor & Economic Affairs
- Related: Replaces LC 3987
Purpose and intent
- HJ 61 directs an interim legislative study of Montana’s property insurance market. The resolution’s intent is to gather facts, analyze market dynamics, and develop findings and potential policy options for the Legislature to consider in a future session. It does not itself change statutes or regulatory authority; it establishes/authorizes study activity during the legislative interim.
Key provisions and scope (as reflected by a typical interim-study joint resolution)
- Establishes an interim study to examine the state’s property insurance market, focusing on issues such as:
- Availability and affordability of homeowners, renters, and commercial property insurance in Montana;
- Recent premium trends and nonrenewal or withdrawal of insurers from certain counties or risk classes;
- The role of catastrophe risk (e.g., wildfires, severe weather) and climate change on underwriting and pricing;
- The impact of reinsurance markets, premium-to-loss ratios, and insurer solvency/capital considerations;
- Existing state regulatory tools, oversight, and consumer protections (including filing and rate review processes);
- Potential market solutions (public-private options, residual market mechanisms, mitigation incentives, disaster resilience investments).
- Directs collection of data and testimony from stakeholders: insurers, agents/brokers, the state insurance regulator, consumer advocates, local governments, and others.
- Requires the study committee to hold hearings, review evidence, and prepare a report with findings and recommendations for the Legislature.
Who is affected
- Montana homeowners, renters, landlords, commercial property owners, and communities in elevated risk areas (e.g., wildfire-prone regions).
- Insurance companies, independent agents/brokers, reinsurers, and the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance.
- The Legislature and state agencies (which may use the study’s findings to craft future legislation or administrative action).
Procedural/timeline notes
- House activity: introduced April 15, 2025; hearings and committee action (House Business & Labor) April 18–22; 2nd and 3rd readings passed April 24–25; transmitted to Senate April 25.
- Senate activity: referred April 25; hearings and committee concurrence April 28; 2nd/3rd reading concurrence April 29–30.
- Enrolled, signed by legislative leaders May 5–6, and filed with Secretary of State May 6, 2025.
- Next steps: interim study to convene during the legislative interim; committee to issue report and recommendations for the next legislative session (dates and membership typically specified in the enrolled resolution or by interim committee rules).
Potential impact
- The study is intended to produce evidence-based options for stabilizing insurance availability and affordability in Montana and could lead to legislative or regulatory proposals (rate-review changes, incentive programs for mitigation, creation/adjustment of residual market mechanisms, or other interventions) in a subsequent session.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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