Rhode Island: Session Ends with No Changes on Auto Body Issues

A troubling trend of regular passage of detrimental legislation relating to auto body repair issues was halted in the recently concluded Rhode Island legislative session.

During the past five years, auto body shops, represented by the Auto Body Association of Rhode Island, were able to secure passage of 14 bills that were opposed by the insurance industry.

This year, however, an industry coalition in which NAMIC participated took a proactive stance, retaining a lobbyist to focus on communicating the industry’s message to legislative leadership and filing bills that would reverse some of the measures that auto body shops have been able to get passed while also putting the auto body shops on the defensive.

“The coalition strategy was effective,” noted Paul Tetrault, NAMIC state affairs manager for the Northeast. “The shops were forced to fight against bills they did not want to see passed, and they were not able to move their bills as they had hoped.”

ABARI’s legislative agenda this year included bills that would eliminate certain claims services, require insurers to appraise all vehicles with damage more than $1,500, and prohibit insurers from owning auto body repair shops. The insurance industry coalition introduced bills to repeal a labor rate survey requirement, prohibit the dismantling of vehicles without advance notice to insurers, and prohibiting deductible rebates.

Direct questions to NAMIC State Affairs Manager Paul Tetrault.

Posted: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 12:00:00 AM. Modified: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 12:19:58 PM.

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We are 1,400 property/casualty insurance companies serving more than 135 million auto, home and business policyholders, with more than $196 billion in premiums accounting for 50 percent of the automobile/homeowners market and 31 percent of the business insurance market. We are the largest and most diverse property/casualty trade association in the country, with regional and local mutual insurance companies on main streets across America joining many of the country’s largest national insurers who also call NAMIC their home. More than 200,000 people are employed by NAMIC members.