HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact

HB 1344, called the Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act, touches insurance fraud enforcement, claims handling, uninsured motorist fees, homeowner protections, and even judicial sales and judges' privacy. It expands the Commissioner of Insurance's power to investigate and prosecute fraud, lets the Commissioner hire prosecuting attorneys funded by the Special Insurance Fraud Fund, and raises many criminal and civil penalties for fraud and unfair claims practices. It bans acting as a paid "capper, runner, or steerer" who funnels clients to lawyers or medical providers for insurance claims. The bill sets strict deadlines insurers must follow when processing property claims after a declared disaster, and creates new rules limiting insurers from canceling or refusing to renew a homeowner's policy based on aerial or satellite images without first giving the homeowner 60 days to fix the problem. It establishes the Georgia Storm Damage Mitigation Program to fund home retrofits against hurricanes and tornadoes, raises uninsured motorist lapse and restoration fees, exempts short-term rental damage guarantees from being treated as insurance, and adds new protections shielding judges' and their spouses' personal information from public records. Most provisions take effect January 1, 2027.

• Lets the Commissioner of Insurance use the Special Insurance Fraud Fund to hire prosecuting attorneys for insurance fraud cases, and raises the cap on individual fraud fines to $100,000 per violation.
• Creates a new crime for acting as a paid "capper, runner, or steerer" who solicits clients for lawyers or medical providers seeking insurance payouts, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $200,000 fine.
• Requires insurers to meet specific deadlines (15 to 60 days) for acknowledging, investigating, and paying property claims after the Governor or President declares a disaster in Georgia.
• Requires insurers using aerial or satellite images to cancel or not renew a homeowner's policy to give the homeowner copies of the images and at least 60 days to fix the underlying problem.
• Establishes the Georgia Storm Damage Mitigation Program, funded partly by a slice of state insurance premium taxes, to award grants for roof and structural retrofits that reduce storm damage.
• Raises uninsured motorist lapse fees (from $25 to $50 or more) and restoration fees (up to $500 for repeat violations) for drivers caught without minimum auto insurance.

Georgia homeowners, especially those insured through aerial or satellite inspections; drivers who let auto insurance lapse; insurance companies, agents, and premium finance companies facing new penalties; attorneys and medical providers who compensate referral sources; judges and their spouses; and county governments and nonprofits eligible for storm mitigation grants.

Homeowners facing policy cancellation over drone or satellite photos would get advance notice and time to fix problems before losing coverage. Storm victims could see faster claims payments after disasters, uninsured drivers would pay higher fees to restore registration, and insurance fraud would carry much steeper financial and criminal penalties.

• Sections 2-1 through 2-4 expand fraud reporting rules, let the Commissioner fund prosecuting attorneys from the Special Insurance Fraud Fund, and create the new capper/runner/steerer crime.
• Section 4-1 (new O.C.G.A. § 33-3-28.1) sets mandatory claims-processing deadlines insurers must follow after a declared catastrophic event.
• Section 7-1 (new O.C.G.A. § 33-9-45) requires insurers using aerial or satellite images for cancellation or nonrenewal decisions to disclose the images and give homeowners 60 days to cure defects.
• Sections 9-1 create the Georgia Storm Damage Mitigation Program, funded by premium tax revenue and grants, offering matching and nonmatching awards up to $7,500 for roof and structural retrofits.
• Section 10-1 raises uninsured motorist lapse fees to $50-$150 and restoration fees up to $500 depending on repeat violations.
• Part XI raises dozens of civil and criminal penalty caps across Title 33, including raising insurance fraud fines from $10,000 to up to $100,000 per act.
• Sections 14-1 and 14-2 expand protections shielding judges' and their spouses' home addresses, parcel numbers, and phone numbers from public disclosure.
• Section 16-1 sets the Act's effective date as January 1, 2027, applying to policies and taxable years beginning on or after that date.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2027-01-01
2. 2026-05-12Act 635
3. 2026-05-12House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2026-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2026-04-02House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
6. 2026-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2026-04-02Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2026-04-02Senate Taken from Table (Senate)

• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)Primary sponsor
• Jon Burns (R, HD-159)
• Eddie Lumsden (R, HD-012)
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)
• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
• Soo Hong (R, HD-103)
• Larry Walker (R, SD-020)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 26, 2026

   166 yea, 3 nay (8 not voting, 0 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #570

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Motion To Table Remaining Legislation On The Rules Calendar: Senate Vote #912

3. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2026

   53 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #929

4. PassedHouse voteApril 2, 2026

   164 yea, 3 nay (6 not voting, 3 absent)

   Agree To Senate Substitute: House Vote #860

• insurance fraud
• homeowner insurance
• storm mitigation
• uninsured motorist fees
• claims processing