Insurance bill advances amid debate over commissioner’s authority

Published: May 15, 2025

By:  Quinn Marceaux (LSU Manship School News Service)

BATON ROUGE–-A sweeping insurance bill advanced through the Senate Insurance Committee on Wednesday, though tensions flared over a controversial part that would expand the authority of Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple.

While most lawmakers and insurance representatives praised the bill’s consumer protections and transparency measures, such as requiring insurers to disclose previous premiums in sending out renewal notices, some warned that granting Temple more power to reject rate hikes could backfire.

But supporters of the bill, House Bill 148, argued that bolder changes are necessary to rein in Louisiana’s sky-high insurance premiums and restore public trust in the system.

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