If at first you don't succeed, TRIA, TRIA again.
That's been the Congressional modus operandi in regards to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, which is a temporary, government-sponsored program that limits the amount of risk that insurance companies would have to bear in the event of a terrorist attack. The current act expires at the end of this year, but a new replacement version is gaining wide-ranging support from insurance associations.
TRIA was first implemented following 9/11, when there was a fear that another orchestrated terrorist attack could bankrupt the insurance industry. Since terrorist attacks cannot be predicted or modeled for rating purposes, most insurers began excluding the attacks from commercial and residential policies. In response, the government passed the first version of TRIA in 2002, and extended it another two years in Dec. 2005, just days before it was set to expire.
TRIA 3.0 features significant changes if approved in its current state. Firstly, the act would be extended for 10 years, making it less likely to be viewed as a temporary solution and giving some assurances to companies writing policies. Secondly, the threshold of insurer responsibility would drop from $100 million to $50 million, allowing for more competition between small and large insurance writers. Lastly, the distinction between a domestic and foreign terrorist attack would be dropped, assuring protection no matter the source of an attack.
The bill, HR 2761, is expected to be settled before Congress takes recess this month.
