Governor calls special session on home insurance incentives

Gov. John Bel Edwards on Sunday issued a call for the Louisiana Legislature to convene an extraordinary session to appropriate funds to the Insure Louisiana Incentive Fund, a fund created in the 2022 legislative session with the goal of attracting more insurance companies to Louisiana.

The special session will convene at noon Jan. 30 adjourn no later than 6 p.m. Feb. 5.

In a statement, Edwards said, “Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon has stressed that funding the Insure Louisiana Incentive Fund cannot wait until the regular session in April.

"I am grateful for the cooperation of the Senate President and House Speaker and the legislature in calling this special session focused on this Fund," Edward said. "While Commissioner Donelon says we must do this now, this is just a first step in addressing Louisiana’s ongoing insurance issues after the devastating hurricane seasons of 2020 and 2021, a crisis worsened by hurricanes and wildfires in other states in 2022. We will continue to work on this issue during the regular session beginning in April.”

Senate President Page Cortez said, “Commissioner Donolen has stated that time is of the essence with regard to the legislature’s funding of the incentive program and thus the need to go into a special session. While we understand this will not completely solve the crisis we recognize the urgency.”

House Speaker Clay Schexnayder said, "While a special session to fund the Louisiana Incentive Fund is not going to solve the issue of availability and affordability of property insurance for our citizens, it is a short-term Band-Aid that can be a first step toward a more long term solution. The House will continue to work for a more permanent fix to this situation so that our businesses and property owners don't have to go through this continuous cycle. We have to attract more companies to write policies in our state."