HB493 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mike Hill

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Insurance policies, posting of on website of insurer without personal information, paper copy available without charge to policyholder

Summary

HB493 would let insurers post property and casualty policies online without personal information and require free paper copies on request, with rules on accessibility and record retention.

What This Bill Does

The bill allows standard property and casualty policies and endorsements that do not contain personally identifiable information to be mailed, delivered, or posted on the insurer's website. If posted online, the policy must be easily accessible, stay available for as long as the policy is in force, and be archived for five years after expiration with availability on request. Online postings must be printable and savable with widely available free internet tools. The declarations page at issuance and renewals must describe the exact forms, explain how to obtain a free paper copy, and provide the internet address where copies are posted; the insurer must furnish a paper copy within 30 days of a request. The act applies to policies issued or renewed after the act’s effective date, with immediate effect upon governor approval.

Who It Affects

• Policyholders/insureds: will be able to access online versions of their policies (without personal information) and request free paper copies within 30 days, with online access retained for the policy term and archived after expiration for five years.
• Insurance companies/insurers: must implement online posting, ensure accessibility and archiving, ensure print/save functionality, and include required information on declarations pages plus fulfill free paper copy requests within 30 days.

Key Provisions

• Policies/endorsements without personally identifiable information may be mailed, delivered, or posted on the insurer's website; online postings must be easily accessible and remain available for as long as the policy is in force.
• Expired policies/endorsements must be archived for five years and made available upon request.
• Posted policies must be in a format that allows insured individuals to print and save using widely available free internet tools.
• Declarations pages must include a description of the exact policy/endorsement forms, how to obtain a free paper copy, and the internet address where the policies are posted; paper copies must be provided within 30 days of the request.
• Paper copies of policies and endorsements must be provided to the policyholder at no charge upon request.
• Section 2 makes the act effective for policies issued or renewed after the act’s effective date; Section 3 states the act becomes effective immediately after governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Insurance