On Tuesday (April 18), an Illinois Senate committee will consider a bill that would prohibit homeowners and renters insurance providers from refusing or cancelling coverage or increasing premiums based solely on the breed of dog owned by the policy holder.
All responsible dog owners and breeders in Illinois are encouraged to visit the Senate Insurance Committee hearing page and click on the “Create Witness Slip” icon next to HB 1049 to express your support for House Bill 1049.
Summary:
House Bill 1049 prohibits insurers from refusing to issue, renew, or cancel, or raise premiums, for homeowner’s insurance based solely on breed of dog (or mixed-breed) owned by the policyholder for policies changed, renewed, or issued after the law goes into effect. The bill does allow for insurance companies to take these actions if any dog (regardless of breed) has been declared dangerous based on current law, so long as these actions are based on “sound underwriting and actuarial principles” that are reasonably related to actual or anticipated loss.
Illinois state law already expressly prohibits municipalities from passing laws that target specific breeds of dogs. The American Kennel Club (AKC) supports House Bill 1049, which is a good first step in extending these protections to homeowners and renters who are responsible dog owners, while still holding all dog owners accountable, regardless of the breed they choose to own.
Visit the Breed-Specific Legislation key issue page in the AKC Legislative Action Center for more talking points on this issue.
AKC Government Relations will continue to closely follow this bill and all legislation impacting dog owners in Illinois. For questions or more information, contact the AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.