The use of non-original equipment manufacturer auto parts may be in greater jeopardy as a result of proposed state legislative bills and multimillion-dollar lawsuits.
In the 2001 state legislative sessions, over a dozen bills are under consideration addressing the use of these parts. Some would prohibit insurers from requiring the use of such parts and others deal with policy disclosures about their use that are confusing or misleading.
There are currently 13 active bills across the nation, including bills in the states of Connecticut, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
"All are bad along the board," said Robert Hurns, counsel for the National Association of Independent Insurers. But Iowa has "one of the worst bills anywhere," he said in a written memorandum.
