Landry to testify on insurance bill as rates remain highest in US

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Gov. Jeff Landry will testify before state lawmakers Wednesday morning as part of his ongoing push to overhaul Louisiana’s insurance system and bring down the highest car and home insurance rates in the nation.

Landry is supporting House Bill 576, sponsored by Rep. Robby Carter (D-Amite), which would make sweeping changes to how insurance rates are regulated in Louisiana. The bill would strip the state’s insurance commissioner of the power to reject rates in competitive markets—even if they’re considered excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory. It would also prohibit the commissioner from rejecting any rate that is actuarially justified.

The proposed legislation repeals current rules that distinguish between “competitive” and “noncompetitive” markets, replacing them with a uniform standard. Under the bill, a rate could only be disapproved if it fails to meet the general standards of fairness and actuarial support.

Car and homeowners insurance in Louisiana have been identified as the most expensive in the country. According to Bankrate, the average cost of full-coverage car insurance is $3,994—more than double the national average. Insurify estimates the state’s average annual home insurance premium will rise to $13,937 in 2025, the highest in the U.S.

The changes come amid growing public frustration over soaring premiums and limited insurance availability following several destructive storm seasons.

In a post to X last week, Landry appeared to take aim at Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, writing, “I’d remind him that we were not elected by insurance companies or trial lawyers, but instead were elected by the people who entrusted us to fix this mess.”

Temple has pushed back on criticism, arguing that companies are not profiting in Louisiana but are instead leaving the state because of unsustainable losses and legal risk. He has introduced his own package of insurance reform bills, setting up competing visions for how to stabilize the market.

Landry’s plan includes a ban on insurers passing along advertising costs to consumers and a proposal to hold both insurance companies and trial lawyers accountable for costs passed on to policyholders.

The regular legislative session continues through June 12. The full House Insurance Committee is expected to take up HB 576 at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 16. Landry’s testimony before the House Insurance Committee will be streamed live within this story.

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