Bill > H1079

This bill aims to provide relief to small businesses in Massachusetts with 50 or fewer employees that have business interruption insurance policies. The key provisions include: 1. A rebuttable presumption that COVID-19 caused physical loss or damage to the insured's property, resulting in business interruption losses, and that a public health emergency declaration means there was physical loss or damage to the insured's property or adjacent property, prohibiting access. 2. Protections against insurers denying coverage based on policy exclusions for viruses, bacteria, or microorganisms, or the property being considered "vacant" or "abandoned" due to reduced occupancy during the public health emergency. 3. Allowing partial reopenings and closures within the same policy period to be considered continuous, and ensuring deadlines and compliance periods are adjusted to account for the suspension of operations. 4. Requiring insurers to automatically renew policies that expire during the COVID-19 state of emergency, and prohibiting them from denying claims due to non-compliance with notice or reporting provisions unless they can prove prejudice. 5. Directing the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development to issue rules and regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.

Business and Industry

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1079