Illinois lawmakers are weighing an auto glass claims and repair bill that would tighten rules around assignment of rights, set new standards for repair shops and address vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems.
House Bill 4373 would bar property/casualty policyholders from assigning, delegating or otherwise transferring duties, rights or benefits under their insurance policies. Any agreement that attempts to transfer those rights would be rendered void if the measure becomes law.
Rep. Thaddeus Jones (pictured above), a Democrat representing District 29, is sponsoring HB 4373.
The proposal also amends the state’s Motor Vehicle Glass Repair Act to address steering concerns. Under the bill, policyholders could not be required to use a specific repair facility for auto glass work, although insurers and related parties would still be allowed to recommend repair shops.
HB 4373 targets certain marketing and referral practices in the glass repair sector. The bill would prohibit repair shops, or anyone soliciting work on their behalf, from offering anything of value in exchange for a referral from a policyholder, insurance producer or other party connected to a claim.
The measure updates statutory definitions of repair and replacement to reflect current vehicle technology. Repair and replacement would explicitly include calibration or recalibration of advanced driver assistance systems.
For windshield claims involving vehicles with embedded ADAS, repair shops would have to inform policyholders in advance if calibration or recalibration is required. They would also need to disclose whether the shop can perform the work in-house or if a certified dealership or other qualified specialist must complete the job.
After the work is done, shops would be required to explain whether calibration was successful and outline next steps if the recalibration does not meet required specifications. Those communication duties are intended to give policyholders clearer information about the status of safety-related systems.
Other provisions in HB 4373 create conduct standards for repair facilities. The bill would bar shops from encouraging policyholders to make false statements in connection with a claim, from asserting without verification that a repair will be fully covered by insurance and from charging more than the customary fees and costs in Illinois.
The debate over HB 4373 comes as Illinois legislators examine wider issues of insurance fairness, including how rating factors are used in personal lines.
A separate measure, House Bill 1234, directs the secretary of state to study how ZIP codes, credit scores and age affect premiums and whether these criteria lead to higher rates for specific demographic groups.
