June 21, 2011
By: Carrie Van Brunt-Wiley
A Senate subcommittee was unable to come to an agreement Monday regarding reform for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association.
The TWIA remains a primary source of Texas home insurance for families that live along the coast in the state, however lawmakers have been debating reform measures for the agency for some time now. On Monday, the Senate's Business and Commerce Committee considered a bill that passed the state House of Representatives last week. One of the bill's primary focuses limits how much homeowners can collect in damages related to lawsuits against the TWIA.
The bill's supporters say such lawsuits threaten the TWIA's solvency, but opponents say the bill is too strict. State Senator John Carona lamented that the legislation remained stalled largely because lobbyists on both sides of the debate have muddied discussions.
"We've had too many cooks in the kitchen," Carona said at the hearing, according to reports.
Last week, the Texas House passed the home insurance reform bill by a vote of 99-41. The legislature is already in a special session, and Carona said he hopes they won't need another 30-day session to come to a resolution on the TWIA issue.
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