Insurance Law and Insurance Regulation

Washington State's WUCIOA will fundamentally transform insurance requirements for condominium and homeowners' associations starting January 1, 2028. Community associations will face new mandates including walls-in coverage, commercial general liability insurance, and fidelity insurance, representing significant departures from current statutory schemes. Understanding these changes and updating governing documents now may be critical to avoiding confusion about rights and responsibilities under the new law.

A recent Ninth Circuit opinion challenges the long-standing practice of title insurers terminating their obligations by simply paying policy limits, potentially exposing them to bad faith liability even when exercising contractual options. The case examines whether title insurance companies can prioritize their economic interests over their insureds' need for legal defense without facing extracontractual claims.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners intensified its regulatory focus on artificial intelligence governance, third-party data models, and cybersecurity oversight at its Summer 2026 meeting. Regulators are shifting from principles-based guidance to examination-ready supervisory tools, emphasizing that insurers remain accountable for the technologies and vendors they deploy. The meeting revealed how AI risk evaluation, vendor oversight frameworks, and privacy modernization efforts are convergin