Scored 3/10 on whether it helps or hurts everyday people.
The Broker Waiver Bill
Broker waiver could let unauthorized insurers sell commercial policies
Permits a waiver of the diligent effort requirement in limited circumstances for certain insurance coverage to be placed by licensed excess line brokers with unauthorized insurers where a retail producing insurance broker seeks to procure or place commercial lines insurance through an unaffiliated wholesale excess line insurance broker.
Bad for everyday people ·
If enacted, the bill would let insurance brokers skip proving they tried authorized insurers before using unauthorized ones, easing placement of commercial coverage through unaffiliated excess line brokers.
Our take
What we think, in plain words.
The bill would lower the checks on brokers, letting them work with insurers that are not authorized. That could mean cheaper or faster coverage for businesses, but it also reduces oversight and may put more risk on policyholders if the insurer cannot pay claims. Citizens should watch the bill because it shifts protection away from consumers toward the insurance industry.
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The facts
What the bill actually says, no spin.
- The bill lets retail insurance brokers work with unaffiliated wholesale excess line brokers without showing diligent effort to find authorized insurers.
- It waives the requirement to prove that authorized insurers were tried first.
- The waiver applies only to commercial lines insurance, not personal policies.
- The bill passed the New York Senate and is now with the Assembly.
- The change is limited to certain circumstances defined in the bill.
How they voted
The actual floor vote, and who broke from their own party.
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In the news
Scanning the news for this bill…
Headlines gathered from across the news, starting points to explore, not endorsements. Always read the official text before acting.
Sources
Read it yourself: the official bill and records.
This bill is in the New York Bill Book 2026
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