Bill > HB1721

This bill, known as the "Additional Living Expense Fairness and Expedited Closure Adjudication Act," establishes a process administered by the Department of Insurance to ensure that insured individuals and small businesses receive timely and sufficient "ALE," which stands for additional living expense or loss of use benefits, when their property is damaged and they are displaced. The Act grants the Commissioner of Insurance exclusive authority to resolve disputes regarding ALE, allowing either the insurer or the insured to file a petition if certain conditions are met, such as delays in provisional ALE determinations or payment of undisputed amounts. The Commissioner is required to act quickly on these petitions, holding conferences within seven business days and issuing orders within five business days, and can issue interim orders to prevent hardship, including requiring insurers to advance minimum ALE funding to avoid interruption of shelter and essential needs. The Act also sets standards for adjudicating disputes, emphasizing reasonableness, necessity, and the use of the best available documentation for the first sixty days of displacement, and empowers the Commissioner to issue various orders to facilitate fair handling of ALE and expedite claim closure, with all orders being binding unless reheard or appealed to a court, and the Commissioner is authorized to create necessary rules and procedures for enforcement.

Business and Industry

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB1721.xml