N.Y. Bill Would Create Disaster Recovery Insurance Liaison

(TNS) — Staten Islanders are no strangers to the devastation brought by natural disasters and the plethora of insurance-related issues that can arise in their aftermath.

The borough has been hit hard in the past by devastating storms, most notably Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which washed away hundreds of homes on the borough’s East Shore.

These storms often bring with them a host of issues for those looking to file insurance claims, something that one of the borough’s state legislators is hoping to improve.

On Monday, State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn) announced that Senate Bill 2069, which she sponsored, has passed the State Senate.

The bill would establish the position of an insurance liaison on the state’s Disaster Preparedness Commission to clarify insurance-related issues, assist with filing claims and help streamline the recovery process.

“During Hurricane Ida, I witnessed firsthand the difficulties my constituents faced while trying to navigate their flood insurance coverage,” said Scarcella-Spanton. “It is clear that we need an insurance liaison to provide guidance and support to those affected by these increasingly prevalent natural disasters.”

The bill had passed in both the Senate and Assembly last year, but was vetoed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, preventing it from becoming law.

When asked why Hochul had vetoed the bill last year, a representative from the governor’s office pointed to the veto memo provided to the state legislature.

“Since the DPC is not directly involved in matters related to insurance, it is not appropriate or necessary to add a non-governmental, non-emergency response representative to the DPC. Therefore, I am constrained to veto this bill,” Hochul wrote in the veto memo.

The representative gave no indication as to whether the governor intends to veto the bill again this year, simply stating that Hochul will review the legislation should it pass both chambers. It has yet to pass in the Assembly.

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