INSURANCE/SURPLUS LINE: Provides policy provisions and exceptions relative to surplus lines insurance
HB 561 amends a provision in surplus lines insurance law to explicitly state that certain policy requirements apply "to a commercial insured." This change directly affects insurance companies writing surplus lines policies and commercial businesses purchasing them, clarifying that specific rules (like disclosures or coverage terms) now apply to commercial clients. The bill modifies the existing legal text by inserting "to a commercial insured" after "insurer" in the relevant section, ensuring these requirements are unambiguously directed at commercial policyholders. It does not create new rules but refines how existing provisions apply to a key category of insureds.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Apr 4, 2025
Last action Jun 2, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB561 Reengrossed
→
HB561 Engrossed
·
3 edits
·
May 28, 2025
MINOR
The bill was renumbered from 'Reengrossed' to 'Engrossed' and updated its explanatory text to clarify that surplus lines insurers are explicitly allowed to include arbitration clauses in their policies, unless prohibited by specific public contract laws. This change removes a confusing exception in the original text and replaces it with a clearer statement affirming the legislature's intent to permit these clauses while maintaining existing restrictions on public contracts.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on surplus lines insurers, but the language now more clearly defines their authority to use arbitration clauses without needing form approval, except where public contract laws apply.
REQUIREMENT
Replaced a confusing exception clause with a clear statement that surplus lines insurers can include arbitration clauses in their policies, subject only to existing public contract restrictions.
TECHNICAL
Updated the document title from 'REENGROSSED' to 'ENGROSSED' and adjusted the coding instructions to reflect the final version of the bill.
DEFINITION
Clarified the legislative intent to reaffirm that no existing laws limit surplus lines insurers from including arbitration clauses, except for specific prohibitions on public contracts.
Floor votes · House May 7, 2025
How they voted
72–26
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 101
May 7, 2025
D
Democratic30
83% Nay
R
Republican71
97% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
13
Key actions
3
Committee
5
May 27, 2025
Committee
Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Reported with amendments.
upper
May 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 75, nays 26. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (16-0).
lower
Apr 14, 2025
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Insurance.
lower
Apr 4, 2025
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Insurance.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Gabe Firment
RRepublican
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