DELAWARE SESSION DISAPPOINTS:

Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner has signed a number of bills of interest to the property/casualty industry since the 2003-2004 legislative session ended July 1, most recently a personal injury protection measure and a workers’ compensation subclassification bill. “Many bills of interest to the business community were passed during the legislative session and signed into law, but we were disconcerted that a full discussion on reigning in workers’ compensation costs did not take place,” said Richard Stokes, regional manager and counsel for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). PCI was also disappointed that lawmakers increased the fee for national driving records from $4 to $15 and increased from $8 to $20 the cost of handling special requests to certify records or notarize affidavits. Gov. Minner signed several other bills: SB 166, which spells out all deductible options available and ensures the policyholder acknowledges the cover and costs associated with the policy he or she selects, takes effect Oct. 1; HB 430 permits employers to develop subclassifications within the uniform classification system that better recognize their particular risk; HB 43 makes a failure to wear a seat belt a primary traffic violation; HB 280 creates professional public adjuster licenses, and HCR 40 urges all insurers to review driver education curriculum to potentially offer a premium reduction.