Relating to property and casualty insurance policies

HB 3496 requires property and casualty insurers in West Virginia to provide written explanations for declining coverage, canceling policies, or refusing renewal. It specifically prohibits denying renewal for policies in force four years or longer solely due to: (1) a single weather-related claim within 36 months, or (2) two such claims within 12 months related to declared emergencies, unless the insured failed to maintain the property. The bill also allows insurers to use Intelligent Mail barcodes for mailings and permits electronic posting of policy notices on insurer websites for policyholder access. These changes directly affect insurers and policyholders by standardizing communication and limiting certain non-renewal practices.