Ask NY Assembly to Support Prohibiting Breed Discrimination in Insurance Policies

The NY Assembly Insurance Committee has given initial approval to a bill that would prohibit homeowners insurance providers from refusing or cancelling coverage or increasing premiums based solely on the breed of dog owned by the policy holder.

The bill now goes to the Assembly Codes Committee.  All responsible dog owners and breeders in New York are encouraged to contact the committee and their State Assemblyperson and ask for them to support Assembly Bill 3696. 

Summary:

As introduced, Assembly Bill 3696 prohibits insurers from refusing to issue, renew or cancel or raise premiums for homeowners insurance based on breed of dog (or mixed-breed) owned by the policyholder. The bill does allow for insurance companies to take these actions if the dog has been declared dangerous based on current law, so long as these actions are based on “sound underwriting and actuarial principles” that are reasonably related to actual or anticipated loss.

New York state law already expressly prohibits municipalities from passing laws that target specific breeds of dogs.  This bill would extend these protections to homeowners, while still holding all dog owners accountable, regardless of the breed they choose to own.

What You Can Do:

• Contact the Assembly Codes Committee and ask them to support Assembly Bill 3696.  Visit the committee web page and click on the individual names for contact information.

• Contact your State Assemblyperson and ask them to support Assembly Bill 3696.  Be sure to mention that you are a constituent when contacting them.  Visit the AKC Legislative Action Center and type your address in the “Find Your Elected Officials” box to obtain the name and contact information for your State Assemblyperson.

AKC Government Relations will continue to closely follow this bill.  For questions or more information, contact the AKC GR at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=104553

Posted by chesliepickett on May 23 2016. Filed under Breaking News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.