Create insurance website with insurance commissioner to assist consumers
Summary
HB 937 would require the Montana Commissioner of Insurance to create and maintain a public website listing all admitted insurance carriers and insurance producers in good standing that are authorized to sell insurance for those carriers. The list must be organized by insurance classification, include search fields within each category, and allow additional search terms or categories the commissioner deems helpful for consumers. The bill also requires the information to appear in randomized order on the homepage each day and directs the commissioner to notify insurers and producers about the website and how to submit or update contact information.
The bill further states that the website is intended only as a consumer assistance tool and not as advertising for any particular insurer or producer. It prohibits the commissioner from receiving compensation to advertise specific companies or producers and bars the assessment of fees on insurers or producers to administer the list. HB 937 includes a $10,000 general fund appropriation for the 2025-2027 biennium to establish the website and list, and it would be codified into Title 33, chapter 1 of Montana insurance law.
Impact
HB 937 would add a new consumer-facing administrative duty to the Commissioner of Insurance and create a new statutory requirement for public disclosure of admitted insurers and licensed producers. It would affect the administration of Montana insurance regulation by requiring ongoing website maintenance, consumer search functionality, and outreach to insurers and producers, while also limiting the state’s ability to charge fees for the service. The bill would not change insurance coverage standards directly, but it would alter how consumers locate authorized insurance providers and how the commissioner presents insurer information online.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests limited opposition and generally favorable treatment, but the bill did not advance to enactment. In committee, the House Business and Labor Committee voted 16-0 to table the bill, indicating unanimous committee action at that stage rather than a divided recorded vote on the merits. No committee transcript is available, so the broader discussion is not documented here, but the bill’s consumer-assistance framing and modest appropriation suggest it was presented as a practical administrative measure.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are the scope of the commissioner’s new duties, the prohibition on fees, and the bill’s statement that the website is not advertising. Insurers and producers may have concerns about administrative burden, data updates, or how their information is displayed, while the state may be concerned about implementing and maintaining the site within the appropriated amount. The randomized homepage display and the restriction on advertising compensation also suggest sensitivity to fairness and neutrality in how insurers are presented to consumers.