HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	105
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting property and casualty insurers to temporarily discount premiums for small businesses to assist those businesses in recovering from the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

 

 

 

        WHEREAS, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to endanger the health, safety, welfare, and economic well-being of the people of Hawaii; and

 

        WHEREAS, in this State, more than one in three workers has filed an unemployment claim during the pandemic, incomes in nearly half of all households have declined, and one in four households have been delinquent in paying for at least some of their expenses; and

 

WHEREAS, there are approximately 125,000 small businesses in Hawaii, which collectively employ more than 250,000 individuals; and

 

        WHEREAS, nationwide, eighty percent of small business owners polled expressed that the COVID-19 pandemic had negatively impacted their business; and

 

        WHEREAS, while the Paycheck Protection Program and other programs have assisted small businesses in retaining employees and remaining in operation, many small businesses continue to struggle financially; and

 

        WHEREAS, small businesses experiencing a reduction in business levels, including reduced transportation activities, lower foot traffic, decreased sales, and reduced employee hours, have reduced liability exposure levels, leading to a reduction in insurance claims; and

 

        WHEREAS, stay-at-home orders across the nation have caused people to drive less, which has resulted in fewer motor vehicle accidents, saving insurance companies billions of dollars in insurance claims; now, therefore,

 

        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the Senate concurring, that property and casualty insurers are requested to temporarily discount premiums for businesses employing ten or fewer employees to assist those businesses in recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that property and casualty insurers are requested to keep the premiums discounted for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic or for one year, whichever is longer; and

       

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Insurance Commissioner who is requested to provide copies to all insurance companies that transacted property and casualty insurance in Hawaii during 2019.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:  

COVID-19; Insurance; Small Business; Rate Reduction