Yesterday, the Illinois Governor signed Senate Bill 1672, which will require companies offering liability insurance for renter’s or homeowner’s insurance to report dog-related claims to the state for the next two years.
This bill originally sought to prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against policyholders based on the breed of dog they own, however this met significant opposition. As a result, the bill as signed by the governor instead states that if there is a dog-related claim on a homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy, many items must be reported annually, including:
- The breed involved and how the breed was identified (and if it was a visual identification, who made the identification and a list of their qualifications), as well as the dog’s gender and whether it has been sterilized.
- Where the dog was sourced (a pet store, breeder, shelter, rescue, friend, stray, etc.)
- Whether the dog was being teased or harassed, or otherwise provoked
- Where the incident took place and the type of injury that occurred
- Any training, previous behavior issues, dangerous dog status, etc. applied to the dog.
The reporting period will begin on January 1, 2022, and the reports will be available via the Illinois Department of Insurance website. The information will be updated online each July through July 1, 2024.
AKC Government Relations will be closely monitoring this reporting and provide updates as they are available. For questions, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.