S 9082: Prohibits public adjusters from initiating contact with, soliciting, or approaching owners, occupants, tenants, or other affected parties regarding commercial or residential property that has sustained damage from a damaging event within forty-eight hours following such damaging event; establishes reimbursement and written notice requirements for such adjusters.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9082  IN SENATE January 29, 2026 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to prohibiting public adjusters from contacting certain persons regarding a property that has sustained damage from a damaging event within seventy-two hours of such damaging event The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 2108 of the insurance law is amended by adding a 2 new subsection (t) to read as follows: 3 (t) (1) For the purposes of this subsection, "damaging event" shall 4 mean any natural or human-made occurrence that results in damage to 5 residential or commercial property, including but not limited to damage 6 or destruction caused by flood, high water, wave action, landslide, 7 mudslide, earthquake, fire, tornado, hurricane, cyclone, windstorm or 8 other storm, infestation, water contamination, explosion, structural 9 collapse, toxic release, or mechanical failure. 10 (2) No public adjuster, or any representative thereof, shall initiate 11 contact with, solicit, or approach any person known to be an owner, 12 occupant, tenant, or other affected party of a residential or commercial 13 property that has sustained damage from a damaging event within seven- 14 ty-two hours following such event. 15 (3) During such seventy-two-hour period, no public adjuster, or any 16 representative thereof, shall come within two hundred feet of the 17 affected property or premises, nor within such distance of any person 18 known to be an owner, occupant, or tenant thereof, except as expressly 19 authorized in writing by the insured or property owner. 20 (4) Any individual who is approached or solicited by a public adjus- 21 ter, or any representative thereof, within seventy-two hours after a 22 damaging event affecting their property shall not be liable for any fee, 23 commission, or charge related thereto. Any fees already paid under such 24 circumstances shall be subject to full reimbursement upon request by the 25 individual. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD14014-04-6 
 S. 9082 2 1 (5) Prior to engaging in any adjusting activity relating to a damaging 2 event affecting residential or commercial property, every public adjus- 3 ter, or any representative thereof, shall provide written notice to the 4 affected owners, occupants, or tenants informing them of: (A) the prohi- 5 bitions set forth in this subsection, including their right not to be 6 contacted within seventy-two hours following a damaging event; (B) their 7 right to reimbursement of any fees paid in violation thereof; and (C) on 8 a claim-specific basis, any limitations, restrictions, or changes to 9 communications with the insurer that may result from the insured's 10 retention of the public adjuster or any representative thereof. Such 11 notice shall be provided in clear and conspicuous language, in a form 12 prescribed by the superintendent, and shall require the insured to 13 acknowledge receipt of such notice in writing or electronically. 14 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 15 have become a law.