On March 4, 2026, the Florida Senate approved Senate Bill 1028 (SB 1028), introduced by Senator Joe Gruters, which would establish both an admitted and a surplus lines clearinghouse for Citizens Property Insurance commercial policies. SB 1028, and its companion House Bill 943, were introduced on December 30, 2025, and have quickly made their way through both houses of the legislature. The Florida Legislature created Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens), a nonprofit windstorm and general property insurer of last resort, in 2002.[1]Read More Florida Clears the Way for Commercial Surplus Lines Placements
When Surplus Lines Brokers Are Off the Hook: Connecticut Department Issues Bulletin on New Diligent Effort Exception
On October 10, 2025, the Connecticut Department of Insurance (the Department) issued Bulletin SL-6 (the Bulletin) to restate the requirements generally applicable to surplus lines placements, and to advise that the diligent effort exception established by Public Act 25-87, effective October 1, 2025, only applies to surplus lines brokers when they procure insurance coverage through an unaffiliated wholesale broker. The Bulletin additionally supersedes and rescinds Connecticut Bulletins SL-3 and SL-5.Read More When Surplus Lines Brokers Are Off the Hook: Connecticut Department Issues Bulletin on New Diligent Effort Exception
New York Amends Voidable Transactions Law for Application to Federal Home Loan Banks
On September 26, 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York signed into law AB 5600 (the Bill), which amends N.Y. Ins. Law §7425 to address the treatment of voidable transfers involving Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs), as well as the conduct of parties to delinquency proceedings against New York domiciled insurer-members of an FHLB. FHLBs are government-sponsored entities that lend to members on a fully secured basis at a low interest rate. According to the legislative findings accompanying the Bill (the Legislative Findings), FHLBs were created during the Great Depression to provide easy liquidity for banks and insurance companies and to provide a stabilizing mechanism in times of economic uncertainty.[1] Insurance companies and depository institutions must apply for membership, subject to approval by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and purchase a certain amount of stock in the FHLB to avail themselves of member benefits.[2]Read More New York Amends Voidable Transactions Law for Application to Federal Home Loan Banks