OLYMPIA, Wash. — Substitute Senate Bill 5331, which would have authorized the state insurance commissioner to order an insurance company or person under OIC jurisdiction that violates state insurance laws to pay consumers back their money, failed to pass out of the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee on Wednesday. The bill also would have created fine enforcement parity among those same entities.
The bill was requested by Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer and prime sponsored by Senator Adrian Cortes (D - Battle Ground).
“The Senate passed a strong consumer protection bill,” said Kuderer. “Unfortunately, an anti-consumer amendment to cap total fines caused members who would have otherwise supported the bill to vote against it.”
