AASPMN Members Come to St. Paul to Advocate for Priority Legislation

by Sam Richie, AASPMN Lobbyist

AASPMN has been working closely with lawmakers in the Minnesota Senate and House on legislation to strengthen protections for insurance policy holders and repair shops in their dealings with the insurance industry.

Senate File 2209 (Senator Wesenberg – GOP – Little Falls) and House File 1322 (Representative Huot – DFL – Rosemount) seek to speed up the repair process by requiring quicker response times from insurers on repair supplements, ensures that repairs related to the safety or operation of a vehicle are not reduced in a settlement offer, requires detailed documentation of the claims process between the repair shop and the insurance company and prohibits insurers from repeatedly requesting the same information in an effort to drag out the repair negotiations. 

This important legislation would also establish a private right of action for automobile insurance claims which would allow for the recovery of attorney’s fees, witness fees, disbursements and reasonable costs associated with any litigation stemming from an unfair claims practice action. This provision would allow repair shops to take matters to court when there have been serious and egregious violations of state statute rather than relying on reports to the Department of Commerce, a practice that has not been productive in curtailing the behavior of bad actors. 

In an effort to support this legislation and further develop relationships with key lawmakers, AASPMN held a Day at the Capitol event in February. Shop owners from across the state came to St. Paul to advocate for AASPMN’s priority legislation and talk to elected officials about challenges facing the industry. We had a great turnout and had great meetings with Senators and Representatives throughout the day. We’d like to sincerely thank all the members who were able to join us and look forward to making the Day at the Capitol a yearly event on the AASPMN calendar. 

If you were unable to join us this year but would still like to get involved in supporting our legislative efforts, please reach out to AASPMN lobbyist Sam Richie at srichie@larkinhoffman.com for more information. 

Want more? Check out the April 2025 issue of AASP-MN News!