Insurance industry representatives are not in agreement as towhether legislative activity on insurance scoring is picking up inthe states or holding steady.

However, what is indisputable is that a number of bills are onthe table across the country that would stop carriers from usingthe tool to either underwrite and/or price auto or homeownersinsurance.

Alex Hageli, manager of personal lines for the Property CasualtyInsurers Association of America, listed the following bills thathave been introduced as of Feb. 29 to ban the use of credit scoringin insurance.

o Arizona (HB 2635)

o Colorado (HB 1143)

o Connecticut (HB5151)

o Kentucky (HB 237)

o Maryland (HB 1459 and SB 866)

o Mississippi (HB 1387)

o Nebraska (LB 900)

o New Jersey (A 747)

o Oklahoma (SB 2149)

o Tennessee (H2751/SB2860)

o Washington (H2802)

o West Virginia (HB 3061)

o Wisconsin (SB 259)

o Wyoming (HB 125)

Of these bills, Mr. Hageli said Colorado's failed to pass theHouse, Wisconsin's passed the Senate but is "DOA in the Assembly,"while Wyoming's did not make it out of committee.

Additionally, he said the bills in Kentucky, Mississippi,Nebraska, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Washington are eithernot moving, or not likely to get out of committee.

The bills in Maryland, he noted, are tied to a separate issue,and seek to ban the use of credit for rating. Maryland already bansits use for underwriting.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Mutual InsuranceCompanies reported last week that in Connecticut, legislation toprohibit the use of credit information in auto insurance rating wasnot approved before a procedural deadline by the Insurance and RealEstate Committee.