Washington State Passes Anti-Steering Legislation

Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire signed the Washington Independent Glass Association's anti-steering bill into law last Wednesday, April 18.

The new law requires that a third-party administrator (TPA) inform customers that they have the right to choose a retail glass shop. It also mandates that call center representatives tell customers that the TPA is a separate entity from their insurer with an arrangement to process automobile glass claims on the insurance company's behalf. In addition, under the new law, any glass retailer owned by an insurer or TPA will have to inform the consumer of that relationship through a written notice posted at the facility.

Tom Grim, general manager of All Star Auto Glass, led the charge for passage of the bill. (See the upcoming March-April-May issue of AGRR for an in-depth look at how Grim and his fellow Washington cohorts drafted the legislation.) Despite some disappointment that the final bill was adapted from the original (the original bill would not have allowed a company to serve as both a TPA and an auto glass retailer), Grim says he's still pleased with the outcome.

"A lot of people worked on it, and for everyone here in the state and everyone who worked on it and everyone who put their money into it, yes, it's definitely a nice feeling to get it passed," Grim says.

As for the future, Grim says it is likely that this isn't the end of his political involvement.

"We have to wait and see whether [the law] changes anything or affects change, but we're definitely going to continue to fight," he says.