Requires that in civil claims under the child victims act, adult survivors act, or a civil sex trafficking claim any insurer who may provide liability coverage for a claim shall, upon request from the claimant or claimant's attorney, provide information regarding each known policy of insurance; provides that a person bringing a civil claim in a sex trafficking case need not disclose their immigration status.
This bill would require insurers to disclose insurance coverage information in certain civil actions, including claims that may be brought under the Child Victims Act, Adult Survivors Act, and specified civil sex trafficking-related provisions. Upon a written request from a claimant or the claimant’s attorney, an insurer would have to provide, within 30 days, a sworn statement identifying the insurer, all insureds and additional insureds, the liability limits, and any known coverage defenses. The insurer would also have to provide a complete copy of the policy, including excess or umbrella coverage if applicable.
The bill also requires an insured or the insured’s insurance agent, upon request, to disclose the names and coverage of all known insurers and forward the request to those insurers. If new information is discovered, the sworn statement must be amended immediately. In addition, the bill adds a new rule for civil claims brought by victims of certain sex offenses and trafficking-related crimes: no party may be compelled to provide sworn testimony about the legality of their immigration status during the action or proceeding.
The bill amends the Insurance Law and the Social Services Law. It creates a new disclosure obligation for insurers and insured parties in specified civil claims, expanding pre-litigation and litigation access to policy information that may be relevant to settlement, damages recovery, and identifying available coverage. It also limits inquiry into immigration status in certain civil actions involving victims of sex trafficking and related offenses, which affects how those cases may be litigated and what discovery can be compelled from claimants.
The available context suggests the bill is generally aimed at helping survivors and claimants pursue civil remedies more effectively by giving them early access to insurance information and by protecting vulnerable plaintiffs from immigration-status questioning. The bill’s caption and structure indicate a pro-victim, access-to-justice approach, and there is no recorded opposition, vote history, or committee transcript in the provided materials to suggest organized resistance. Overall, the measure appears to have been introduced as a claimant-protective bill with a focus on transparency and privacy.
The main policy issues likely concern the scope of insurer disclosure obligations and the immigration-status protection in sex trafficking-related civil cases. Insurers and defense interests may object to mandatory production of complete policies, sworn coverage statements, and rapid amendment requirements, particularly before a lawsuit is formally commenced. On the other side, advocates for survivors and trafficking victims would likely support the bill’s disclosure rules and the prohibition on compelled immigration-status testimony as necessary to reduce barriers to recovery and prevent intimidation or irrelevant discovery.