Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts S785: An Act relative to insurance claims
Status: Signed into law, August 7, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
SECTION 1. Chapter 175 of General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2B the following section:- Section 2C. It shall be unlawful for a company as defined in section 1 of chapter 175 and any non-admitted or surplus lines insurer to include in a policy of property and casualty insurance any language, form or endorsement, which prohibits any insured from hiring, retaining, engaging, utilizing, consulting or contracting with a public insurance adjuster, as defined in section 162 of said chapter 175,as a condition to recovery under such policy of insurance. Any such language, form or endorsement shall be unenforceable and shall be excised from the policy of insurance with all remaining policy language, forms and endorsements unaffected. SECTION 2. Clause (9) of the first paragraph of section 3 of chapter 176D of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subclause:- (o) A policy provision in any policy of property or casualty insurance that prohibits an insured from hiring a public adjuster for services provided pursuant to this chapter.
Sponsors
- Joan Lovely (D, Second Essex) · primary sponsor
- Dylan Fernandes (D)
- Paul Mark (D)
- Paul Donato (D, 35th Middlesex)
- Adrianne Ramos (D)
- Michael Moore (D, Second Worcester)
- John Keenan (D, Norfolk and Plymouth)
- Donald Wong (R, 9th Essex)
- Michael Brady (D, Second Plymouth and Norfolk)
- John Velis (D, Hampden and Hampshire)
- Barry Finegold (D)
- Lydia Edwards (D, Third Suffolk)
Latest actions
- : Signed by the Governor, Chapter 187 of the Acts of 2026
- : Enacted and laid before the Governor
- : Enacted
- : Read third and passed to be engrossed
- : Rules suspended
- : Read second and ordered to a third reading
- : Rules suspended
- : Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting
- : Read; and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
- : Read second, ordered to a third reading, read third (title changed) and passed to be engrossed
Votes
- Committee Vote - Senate Committee on Rules (July 8, 2026): 5 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Financial Services (November 3, 2025): 6 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is S785?
- S785 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act relative to insurance claims.
- What is the status of S785?
- Signed into law as of August 7, 2026. Latest action: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 187 of the Acts of 2026 (August 7, 2026).
- Who sponsored S785?
- Joan Lovely (D, Second Essex), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for S785?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S785
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.