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Bill

SB 42

Providing for the establishment of a web-based online insurance verification system for the verification of evidence of motor vehicle liability insurance, eliminating the requirement that the commissioner of insurance submit certain reports to the governor and requiring certain reports be available on the insurance department's website, removing certain entities from the definition of person for the purpose of enforcing insurance law, requiring that third party administrators maintain separate fiduciary accounts for individual payors and prohibiting the commingling of funds held on behalf of multiple payors, requiring the disclosure to the commissioner of insurance of any bankruptcy petition filed by or on behalf of such administrator pursuant to the United State bankruptcy code, requiring title agents to make their reports available for inspection upon request of the commissioner of insurance instead of submitting such reports annually, standardizing the amount of surety bonds filed with the commissioner of insurance at $100,000 and eliminating the small business exemption in certain counties.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas law creates online insurance verification system, standardizes surety bonds at $100K, mandates separate fiduciary accounts for administrators, and eliminates annual reporting requirements in favor of on-demand inspection.

Enrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, April 4, 2025
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Bill Summary · SB 42

Legislative bill overview

SB 42 modernizes Kansas insurance regulatory processes by establishing a web-based verification system for motor vehicle liability insurance and streamlining administrative requirements for insurers and third-party administrators. The bill also standardizes surety bond amounts at $100,000, mandates separate fiduciary accounts for fund management, requires bankruptcy disclosure, and shifts certain reporting from annual submissions to on-demand inspection.

Why is this important

These changes reduce administrative burden on insurance industry participants while strengthening consumer protections through better fund segregation and transparency requirements. The online verification system improves access and efficiency for both regulators and the public in confirming insurance coverage.

Potential points of contention

  • Standardized surety bond amount: Raising to a uniform $100,000 may be insufficient for larger administrators or excessive for smaller ones, and eliminating county-based exemptions could increase costs for small businesses in certain regions
  • Fiduciary account requirements: While protecting consumers, separate account mandates increase operational complexity and costs for third-party administrators, potentially passed to customers
  • Reporting format shifts: Moving from annual submissions to on-demand inspection reduces oversight frequency and may hinder the commissioner's ability to proactively identify problems compared to regular scheduled reports

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

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