The Election Ends Tuesday. The Insurance Debate Starts in January.

daniel33876

Oct 28

2 min read

If your feed has been full of campaign ads this month, you have probably noticed that Texas property insurance reform has become one of the issues candidates are talking about. That is not surprising. In a Texas 2036 voter poll, 79 percent of Texas voters said their property insurance costs had risen over the past five years, and the same share said they would support a candidate who lowers homeowners insurance costs. Early voting ends Friday, October 30, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

Whatever happens at the polls, much of the work that will shape your policy is already underway, and it will continue long after the yard signs come down. In August, Governor Abbott directed the Texas Department of Insurance to factor FORTIFIED roof status into rates, to bar insurers from refusing to write or renew a policy based solely on the age of a home or its roof, to ban price optimization, to form an insurance fraud task force, and to study inflated claim costs. He also asked TDI to recommend statutory changes for the 2027 session. Since then, TDI has issued bulletins on price optimization and on loss-mitigation discounts, and the House Insurance Committee held interim hearings on property and casualty insurance in early October. Candidates in both parties have talked about insurance costs this fall, and the Texas Tribune's voter guide compares their positions for readers who want the detail.

Bill prefiling for the 90th Legislature begins November 9, and the session opens January 12, 2027. Proposals about rates and discounts will get most of the headlines, but the rules that matter most when you actually have a claim tend to be quieter. They govern how quickly a carrier must respond and pay, how appraisal works, what notice is required before a lawsuit, how roof damage is valued, and how public adjusters may serve policyholders. A change to any of those affects every claim filed after it takes effect, whether or not your premium moves.

There are a few practical ways to stay informed without taking sides. After the election, look up who represents you in the Texas House and Senate and keep their office contact information handy, because legislators do hear from constituents about insurance. Keep an eye on TDI bulletins and on the House and Senate insurance committees as bills are heard. When a proposal sounds good, ask what it changes about how claims are investigated and paid, not only what it does to premiums. And keep reading your renewal each year, since your own policy terms will change on their own schedule regardless of what happens in Austin.

Pivotal Public Adjusters will follow Texas property insurance reform and track property insurance bills through the 2027 session, explaining what passes in plain language and what the changes could mean for policyholders navigating the claims process.