Vermont Senate Holds Hearing on Auto Glass Insurance

The Vermont state Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing on Wednesday, called by the Department of Insurance on automobile glass insurance. It concerned the state's steering law, Title 8: Banking & Insurance. Chapter 129 Insurance Trade Practices. 8 VSA & 4724 Unfair methods of competition or unfair or deceptive acts or practices defined 21.

According to reports from attendees, the hearing was scheduled late in the afternoon and started later than its scheduled time. As a result, the members of the hearing committee seemed anxious to get through it and be finished by 5 p.m. However, they asked a lot of questions and stated that the situation was more complicated than they had thought and they would consider whether the attorney general should get involved in the process.

Members of the glass replacement and repair and collision repair industries, including Debbie and Karl Anderson of Anderson's Autoglass in Williston and Mike Parker of Parker's Classic Autoworks in Rutland, are trying to explain how steering is hurting the market and should be enforced as covered by the current statute.

One senator asked if the goal was to get a new law, and the industry members present said that this was not the objective but to enforce the policy currently in place, which is not being done now.

It is assumed that another meeting will be held in order for the insurance industry to present its side of the argument.