A Louisiana Senate committee deferred action on four insurance-related bills on May 28, the same day Gov. Jeff Landry signed a legislative package his office described as the most extensive tort reform in the state’s history.
The Senate Judiciary A Committee adjourned without taking up the measures after none of the bills’ sponsors appeared to testify. Committee Chair Sen. Gregory Miller, a Republican, said lawmakers had been given the opportunity to present their proposals and indicated he did not plan to reschedule the bills.
“I've given the opportunity for the members to be here to present their bills,” Miller said before the vote, according to a Best Wire report. “I don't intend to reschedule them if they didn't show up for this committee.”
The deferred bills included one that would limit the ability of a plaintiff to seek a change of venue in uninsured or underinsured motorist cases that proceed to trial. Another would place a $5 million limit on general damage awards. A third proposal would shorten the prescriptive period for reporting injuries to an insurer from three years to two. A fourth would require plaintiffs to notify defendants within 20 days if legal representation has been retained to pursue part of the damages.
Earlier in the day, Landry signed several measures aimed at addressing auto insurance costs by limiting certain legal actions and expanding the authority of the state’s insurance regulator. Among the provisions is legislation allowing the insurance commissioner to modify rate filings if they are determined to result in profits that are not aligned with the level of service provided. In a statement, Landry said several other states, including Texas, Mississippi, South Carolina and Florida grant similar authority to their insurance commissioners.
The new law also includes a requirement that insurers clearly display both the current and renewal premium on policy renewal notices.
The legislative activity comes amid ongoing concerns over auto insurance costs in Louisiana, which remain among the highest in the United States. Insurers have cited litigation trends, claims volume, and inflation as key factors influencing rates.
