A 10-day window opens Monday for applications for a new state program that offers grants to Minnesota-owned small businesses that suffered economic hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Tag: Minnesota
$64 Million in COVID-19 Grants Available for Minnesota Small Businesses
Minnesota Bill Prohibits Insurance Denial of Spec Repairs
A bill has been introduced in the Minnesota House prohibiting insurers from denying payment on a motor vehicle repair performed in accordance with manufacturer’s repair specifications. Under the bill, the insurer would be required for providing coverage for reasonable repair costs associated with meeting manufacturer’s specifications.
The text of HB 4155 is available here.
Bill to Address Shop Choice Introduced in Minnesota House
A bill has introduced in the Minnesota House that aims to “prohibit an adjuster or insurer from certain actions relating to motor vehicle repairs and claims.”
The current law requires an insurer to provide the following advisory to the insured at the time a claim is reported:
“You have the legal right to choose a repair shop to fix your vehicle. Your policy will cover the reasonable costs of repairing your vehicle to its pre-accident condition no matter where you have repairs made. Have you selected a repair shop or would you like a referral?”
The bill, H 2919, aims to remove the portion of this advisory that asks, “Have you selected a repair shop or would you like a referral?”
The bill goes on to add the following proposed wording to the law: “An insurer is prohibited from attempting to influence the insured’s or claimant’s choice of repair shop.”
H 2919 also would prohibit insurers from:
- “[specifying] a price for a part or other materials necessary for the satisfactory repair of the vehicle; or [requiring] a vehicle to be repaired with a specific part or product solely because it is the least expensive part or product available;”
- “[requiring] a vehicle to be repaired with a part that costs less than the reasonable and necessary amount of the part. For purposes of this section ‘reasonable and necessary amount’ means the amount determined by the original equipment manufacturer and estimating systems required to repair a vehicle to the condition before the damage to the vehicle occurred;” and
- “[disregarding] a repair operation or cost identified by an estimating system, including the system’s procedural pages and any repair, process, or procedure recommended by the original equipment manufacturer of a part or product.”
The bill was introduced on May 20 and referred to the House Commerce Committee.
Click here for the full text of H 2919.
Minnesota Bill Addresses Insurance Payments, OEM Specs
A bill is under review in Minnesota that aims to amend the state’s law related to post-accident, insurance-funded repair of motor vehicles.
In its current form, the bill, H 2234, aims to add language to the law that would identify the following as an “unfair settlement practice” on the part of insurers: “conditioning payment to settle a claim on the use of a repair procedure or specification that conflicts with the repair procedures and specifications recommended by the original equipment manufacturer of the vehicle.”
The bill was introduced on March 7 and referred to the House Commerce Committee.
Click here for the full text of H 2234.
Minnesota Senate Reviews Bill Related to Window Film, Medical Exceptions
A bill is under review in the Minnesota Senate that aims to “amend [the] window glazing exception related to prescription or medical needs.”
The bill, S 401, was introduced on January 24 and referred to the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.
Click here for the full text of S 401.
Minnesota Bill Could Amend Window Tint Law for Those with Medical Needs
The Minnesota House of Representatives is considering a bill that aims to “amend [the] window glazing exception related to prescription or medical needs.”
The bill, HF 145, was introduced on January 17 and referred to the Transportation Finance and Policy Division.
Click here for the full text of HF 145.
Auto Glass Bill Introduced at End of Minnesota Legislative Session
A bill that was under review in the Minnesota legislature and had implications for doing business in the state has failed to move forward before the legislative session was adjourned on May 20.
The bill was introduced in the Senate as S4112 and in the House as H4538 and sought to amend a “window glazing exception related to prescription or medical needs.”
The bill was introduced in the Senate on May 19 and referred to the Transportation Finance and Policy Committee. The bill was introduced in the House on May 19 and referred to the Transportation and Regional Governance Policy Committee. Both failed to move forward before the legislative session was adjourned on May 20.
Click here for the full text of the Senate version of the bill that failed.
Minnesota House Reviews Vehicle Service Contract Bill
The Minnesota House of Representatives currently is reviewing a bill related to motor vehicle service contract requirements.
The bill changes the state’s motor vehicle service contract requirements description to include a number of services. Among the new listed services is “the repair of chips or cracks in a motor vehicle windshield or the replacement of a motor vehicle windshield as a result of damage caused by a road hazard.”
The bill, HF 3418, was introduced to the Minnesota House of Representatives on March 8 by Rep. Tim O’Driscoll and Rep. Joe Hoppe. The bill passed both the House and Senate and was signed by the Minnesota governor on May 8.
Click here for the full text of the bill.
Minnesota Senate Reviews Bill Related to Vehicle Service Contract Requirements
Two Minnesota Senators have introduced a companion bill to a House bill that aims to change the state’s motor vehicle service contract requirements description to include a number of services. Among the new listed services is “the repair of chips or cracks in a motor vehicle windshield or the replacement of a motor vehicle windshield as a result of damage caused by a road hazard.”
The Senate bill was introduced on March 19 and referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy Committee. Sen. Mark Koran and Sen. Dan Sparks introduced the Senate version of the bill.
The original bill was introduced to the Minnesota House of Representatives on March 8 by Rep. Tim O’Driscoll and Rep. Joe Hoppe.
Click here for the full text of the House bill.
Click here for the full text of the Senate bill.
Minnesota Bill Aims to Change State’s Service Contract Requirements
A bill is under review in Minnesota that aims to change the state’s motor vehicle service contract requirements description to include a number of services. Among the new listed services is “the repair of chips or cracks in a motor vehicle windshield or the replacement of a motor vehicle windshield as a result of damage caused by a road hazard.”
The bill, HF 3418, was introduced to the Minnesota House of Representatives on March 8 by Rep. Tim O’Driscoll and Rep. Joe Hoppe.
Click here for the full text of the bill.