Dog breed to have no affect on insurance rates under Assembly bill, NJ

[Rene Allegrini]

Bill would bar insurance rate based on dog's breed

http://www.courierpostonline.com/app...EWS01/60622044

Thursday, June 22, 2006


By LAUREN O. KIDD
GANNETT STATE BUREAU

TRENTON - Insurance companies could not raise homeowners' insurance bills or deny coverage based on the breed of dog they own, under a bill the Assembly passed today by a vote of 65 to 10 with six abstentions.

"All this says is you cannot terminate or nonrenew or cancel simply because this animal is part of a larger breed of animals," said Assemblyman Neil Cohen, D-Union, the bill's sponsor.

"The alternative to that is to kill your dog," Cohen said. "If you have to sell your house to move somewhere else and you can't get coverage elsewhere, you have to kill your dog or put the animal up for adoption - and if no one picks up the dog, they kill your dog."

Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, R-Monmouth, who has a German shepherd, voted against the bill. The legislation "assumes that all dogs are created equal, which they are not."

The bill forbids insurers from considering "a real, actual, documented risk of loss," said Assemblyman Richard Merkt, R-Morris.

There is "a slight difference between a Yorkie and a mastiff, a slight difference between a dachshund and a rottweiler, especially when you consider the amount of damage they can inflict," said Merkt, who also voted against the bill.

The bill does not prohibit an insurance company from raising the price of a homeowner's policy if an individual dog has a history of dangerous behavior, Cohen said.

The bill was one of the few debated as the Senate and Assembly moved quickly through lists of bills today. More than 50 bills were approved, including nine that gained final approval and now head to Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

One of those nine imposes prison time on people convicted of leading shoplifting rings. Another requires window guards on the lower opening of double-hung windows in condominiums, cooperative housing and rental housing.

Another bill passed today by both houses amends a law enacted in January that guarantees children of fallen firefighters get a hiring preference for firefighting jobs.

A quirk in that law made people on hiring lists before March 1 - like Michael D'heron, whose father, New Brunswick Deputy Fire Chief James D'heron, was killed while fighting a fire in 2004 - ineligible for preferred status.

Bill that passed Senate and now only require Assembly approval would:

- Require state, county and local offices of emergency management to include pets while devising response plans. S1681/A1929, approved 40-0. The Assembly approved this in March but must concur with an amendment.

- Create a registry that would list pharmacies' retail prices for the 150 medicines most often prescribed by doctors, to enable people to comparison shop. S1396/A2537, approved 40-0. The Assembly approved it two weeks ago but must concur with a change.

- Increase the number of voting members on the board of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey from 11 to 19. S1221/A2900, approved 21-18. Republicans said the board would get too big. Assembly supported a 23-member board in March.

Bills that passed the Assembly and head to Senate committees would:

- Create a Teenage Driver Safety Commission. S1962/A617, approved 80-0.

- Permit school districts to conduct background checks of unpaid volunteers, at district expense, and also allow the school district to begin reimbursing paid staff for such checks. S60/A515, approved 80-0.

- Upgrade the penalties for leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash resulting in death to five to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $150,000. Fleeing a serious injury would be subject to five years and $15,000. S1418/A1038, approved 78-1 with one voting to abstain.

Bills approved in the Senate now sent to Assembly committees would:

- Create an Office of Medicaid Inspector General to root out fraud and provides $3 million to get the office started. A sponsor, Sen. Wayne Bryant, D-Camden, said Medicaid fraud costs the state $900 million a year. S1852, approved 38-0.

- Provide $113 million for farmland preservation around New Jersey. Four bills, scheduled for consideration today by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

- Establish involuntary outpatient commitment to mental health treatment. S1093/A2304, approved 38-0.

- Upgrade the penalties for failure to register as a sex offender under "Megan's Law" to three to five years in prison and a fine up to $15,000. S716/A2380, approved 39-0.

Also, both the Senate and Assembly passed resolutions honoring Katharine "Kerry" Close, the sixth-grader from Spring Lake who was the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She and her family came to Trenton, where lawmakers paused to congratulate her.

[KateH]

Oh geesh, I'm living in the wrong state. I just got sent away from a realtor's office the other day. I'm in Florida and was trying to rent a house, but rotties are on a list with 10 other breeds that homeowner's insurance will not cover. Now I'm in a jam trying to figure out where to move, because apartments are not an option around here either.

[Karyn]

After so many embarassing events - NJ finally did something intelligent. Thanks for the info.

[LavenderRott]

Originally Posted by KateH

Oh geesh, I'm living in the wrong state. I just got sent away from a realtor's office the other day. I'm in Florida and was trying to rent a house, but rotties are on a list with 10 other breeds that homeowner's insurance will not cover. Now I'm in a jam trying to figure out where to move, because apartments are not an option around here either.

If memory serves - State Farm is usually pretty good about not having a dog black list. Check with different agents, too.

[Ninasmom]

Originally Posted by KateH

Oh geesh, I'm living in the wrong state. I just got sent away from a realtor's office the other day. I'm in Florida and was trying to rent a house, but rotties are on a list with 10 other breeds that homeowner's insurance will not cover. Now I'm in a jam trying to figure out where to move, because apartments are not an option around here either.

Florida is a beast when it comes to insurance. You can try State Farm, but they will more than likely say that they've signed all they will take this year. Citizens has to insure you, but they will make you either a. sign a waiver eliminating your dogs from your coverage or b. take on a huge rider policy.

[Rene Allegrini]

Originally Posted by LavenderRott

If memory serves - State Farm is usually pretty good about not having a dog black list. Check with different agents, too.

State Farm differs from state to state and agent to agent. To the best of my knowledge, they won't insure most of the dogs on the "black" list in my area.

[warrior1]

This is good to hear! 10 years ago, I had called around for insurance rates and I will never forget one specific agency who had interviewed me on the phone asking millions of questions; so polite and sweet,until her last question;"any dogs...?" needless to say, she was not happy with the answer and scolded me for wasting her time. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I recently decided to change homeowner insurance companies, called my auto insurance company and they were surprised I even asked about breed discrimination....because they don't discriminate, there was nothing even about dogs on their form. Looks like Nj has come a long way!