HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1078
As Reported by House Committee On:
Consumer Protection & Business
Title: An act relating to pet insurance.
Brief Description: Concerning pet insurance.
Sponsors: Representatives Walen, Ryu, Leavitt, Callan, Farivar, Berg and Donaghy.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Consumer Protection & Business: 1/17/25, 1/30/26 [DPS].
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Prohibits a pet insurer from canceling or refusing to renew a pet insurance policy based on a pet's age, the detection or development of a health condition, or the detection of a preexisting condition.
  • Requires pet insurance companies to maintain coverage for current policy holders and not impose new waiting periods or examinations when a policyholder is moved to a different affiliated company.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION & BUSINESS
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by 15 members:Representatives Walen, Chair; Hackney, Vice Chair; McClintock, Ranking Minority Member; Dufault, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Abbarno, Berry, Corry, Donaghy, Kloba, Morgan, Reeves, Ryu, Santos, Steele and Volz.
Staff: Megan Mulvihill (786-7304).
Background:

Pet insurance provides health care coverage for family owned pets, primarily dogs and cats.  Since pets are legally considered personal property, pet insurance is classified and regulated as property and casualty insurance.  However, it bears many similarities to human health insurance with annual coverage offered at an actuarially determined rate subject to various conditions and exclusions, such as preexisting conditions and chronic conditions.  Typically, pet insurance works on a reimbursement basis, meaning policyholders will be required to submit veterinarian bills to the insurance company for reimbursement.  Pet insurance policies help cover unexpected veterinarian visits and may cover accidents, illnesses, emergencies, surgeries, and prescriptions, but many do not include routine and preventive care.  Instead, pet wellness plans cover routine care, such as annual examinations, vaccinations, and dental care.

 

In 2023 legislation was enacted that set certain standards for pet insurance in the insurance code.  Pet insurance requirements include certain consumer disclosures, universal definitions to be used in policies, requirements around waiting periods and medical examinations, and licensing and training for insurance producers selling pet insurance policies.
Summary of Substitute Bill:

A pet insurer may not cancel or refuse to renew a pet insurance policy based on:

  • the covered pet's age; or 
  • the detection or development of a health condition during a covered policy period including, but not limited to, a chronic condition, an orthopedic condition, a congenital anomaly, or a hereditary disorder; or 
  • the detection of a preexisting condition.

 

If an insurer moves a policyholder from one affiliated company to another affiliated company, current policyholders' existing policies must be honored through their expiration dates.  Current policyholders must receive an offer of insurance from the replacement affiliated company.  The replacement affiliated company may not:

  • impose a waiting period on the new policy;
  • require a veterinary examination of the covered pet in order to issue or renew the policy; or
  • cancel, refuse to issue, or refuse to renew the new pet insurance policy due to the pet's age, the detection or development of a health condition, or the detection of a preexisting condition.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The substitute bill requires a pet insurer that moves a policyholder from one affiliated company to another, versus an insurer who ceases writing pet insurance, to continue to honor existing policies through expiration dates and provide policyholders with an offer of insurance from the replacement affiliated company.  In addition, language around preexisting conditions was modified to state "detection of a preexisting condition" rather than "the detection or development of a health condition during the covered policy period, including any health condition that might otherwise constitute a preexisting condition."
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

See Committee Records from the 2025 Legislative Session.
Persons Testifying:

See Committee Records from the 2025 Legislative Session.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying:

See Committee Records from the 2025 Legislative Session.