“This is Commissioner Troy Downing. Last week, Governor Gianforte signed multiple pieces of legislation sponsored by our agency into law. 

Among them was House bill 379, allowing insurance companies to use gender and marital status when pricing policies. Since 1985, Montana was the only state in the Nation that prohibited this practice in all lines of insurance. Not allowing the consideration of gender in rate-making artificially inflated insurance premiums for women, particularly in life and auto insurance.

This new law helps consumers who will now be priced more accurately according to risk. This helps Main Street businesses–as agents were losing business to more competitive states, it increases competition as we expect more companies to write insurance business in Montana. This law brings business home, where it belongs.”