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Bill

S 9207

Prohibits restrictions on insurance policies based on the policyholder harboring or owning any dog of a specific breed or mixture of breeds

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Leroy Comrie and 6 co-sponsors

Prohibits insurers from denying, canceling, or increasing premiums for homeowners’ or renters’ policies based solely on a dog’s breed or mixed breed.

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Bill Summary · S 9207

Summary of Bill S.9207 (2025-2026) – New York

Title

Prohibits restrictions on insurance policies based on policyholder harboring or owning any dog of a specific breed or mixture of breeds.

Purpose and Intent

  • Prohibits insurers from using a policyholder’s dog breed or mixed breed as a basis to refuse to issue or renew a homeowners’ or renters’ insurance policy, or to cancel, or to impose higher premiums or special terms.
  • Aims to prevent breed-based discrimination in the underwriting and rating of homeowners’ and renters’ liability insurance.

Key Provisions

Section 1: Amendments to Insurance Law (Section 3421)

  • Reframes the rule for homeowners’ and renters’ insurance policies.

  • Prohibits insurers from taking the following actions based solely on harboring or owning a dog of a specific breed or mixed breed:

    • Refusing to issue or renew a policy
    • Canceling a policy
    • Charging or increasing premiums or rates
    • Excluding, limiting, restricting, or reducing coverage under the policy

  • The clause applies to both homeowners’ insurance policies (as defined by state law) and renters’ insurance policies (as defined by state law).

Section 2: Effective Date

  • The act becomes effective 90 days after it becomes law.
  • It applies to all policies issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on or after the effective date.

Affected Parties

  • Insurers offering homeowners’ or renters’ insurance in New York.
  • Policyholders who own or harbor dogs of any breed or mixtures of breeds.
  • Industry stakeholders (agents, brokers, underwriters) who handle underwriting, rating, renewals, and policy modifications.

Procedural and Timeline Details

  • Introduction Date: February 13, 2026
  • Progression: Referred to the Senate Insurance Committee; advanced through reporting stages in April 2026.
    • 1st Report CAL: April 20, 2026
    • 2nd Report CAL: April 21, 2026
    • Advanced to Third Reading: April 22, 2026
  • Effective Date: 90 days after enactment (exact date contingent on enactment date).
  • Applicability: Applies to policies issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on or after the effective date.

Practical Impact

  • Removes breed-based barriers in the issuance and ongoing management of homeowners’ and renters’ insurance.
  • Encourages consistent underwriting practices not influenced by dog breed, potentially reducing insurance-access disparities for dog-owning households.
  • Could influence underwriting guidelines, rating models, and premium determinations to focus on non-breed factors (e.g., liability exposure, claims history, property characteristics) instead of breed alone.

Summary

Bill S.9207 seeks to align New York insurance practice with nondiscrimination principles regarding dog ownership, ensuring that policy issuance, renewal, cancellation, and premium setting for homeowners’ and renters’ policies cannot be conditioned solely on the dog’s breed or any mix of breeds. The measure becomes effective 90 days after enactment and applies to policies issued or modified on or after that date.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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