Provides that alteration of a repair estimate without notification to the author of the estimate, supplement, or revision is a fraudulent insurance act. (8/1/25)
Summary
SB 34 amends Louisiana’s insurance fraud definitions to make it a fraudulent insurance act for a person, knowingly and with intent to defraud, to alter or amend an original repair estimate, a revision to that estimate, or a supplemental estimate without documentation in the claim file or other notification to the person who issued the estimate. The bill applies to repair estimates prepared by adjusters or appraisers and is aimed at preserving the integrity of the claims process.
The measure adds a new category to the state’s existing fraudulent insurance act statute, R.S. 22:1923, rather than creating a separate enforcement scheme. It becomes effective July 1, 2026, and will affect insurers, adjusters, appraisers, repair shops, contractors, and others involved in property and casualty claims where estimates are revised or supplemented.
Impact
SB 34 expands Louisiana insurance fraud law by expressly covering unauthorized alterations to repair estimates and related revisions or supplements. This gives insurers and regulators a clearer statutory basis to treat undocumented changes to claim estimates as fraudulent conduct, and it may affect how claims documentation is handled across the auto, property, and repair industries. The bill does not appear to change penalties directly, but it broadens the conduct that can trigger existing fraud provisions under Title 22.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate 39-0, the House 91-0, and then the Senate again on concurrence 37-0, indicating unanimous support in both chambers. The available record shows no committee opposition or recorded debate, suggesting the measure was viewed as a technical or clarifying anti-fraud update.
Contention
No major points of contention are reflected in the available materials. The main policy issue is the scope of what counts as a fraudulent insurance act when an estimate is changed without notice, but the unanimous votes suggest lawmakers agreed that undocumented alterations should be prohibited. Any practical concerns would likely center on documentation standards and how insurers, adjusters, and repair businesses prove that notice was given or received, rather than on the bill’s core purpose.