Hartford, CT, April 26, 2005 ... The Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee applauds the Connecticut state legislature for passing and Governor M. Jodi Rell for signing into law Public Act 06-5, "An Act Prohibiting Discrimination in Life Insurance Based on Lawful Travel Destinations."  The legislation was passed on consent in the state Senate and by a vote of 144 to 0 in the state House of Representatives, and was signed into law by Governor Rell on April 21, 2006.

Major life insurance companies have been denying new or renewed life insurance policies to anyone who has recently traveled or who has plans to go to any country about which the U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning.  More than two dozen countries are on the list now, including Pakistan and Israel.  Once denied life insurance, applicants have sometimes found it extremely difficult or expensive to get life insurance anywhere.  Dr. Saud Anwar, President, of Connecticut Chapter of PAKPAC and President Elect of the National PAKPAC, noted "We heard from people in Connecticut whose applications for life insurance have been denied simply because of past or future travel to Pakistan. This was occurring without any evidence of increased risk. This practice impacts everyone from tourists and business leaders traveling abroad."

Public Act 06-5 prohibits life insurance companies from using a person's travel history or current travel plans as a reason to deny life insurance coverage unless the rejection is based on sound actuarial principles or is related to actual or reasonably anticipated experience. Similar laws have been passed in Maryland, New York, Washington, Illinois and California.

Anwar added "Public Act 06-5 is an important milestone in ceasing discrimination in the issuance and renewal of life insurance policies based on applicants' lawful travel destinations.  It balances the need of Connecticut residents to travel abroad with the insurance industry's need to assess risk in connection with its coverage decisions.  The law allows insurance companies to do what they do best, assess risk based on bona fide statistical data, and not simply presume risk without any basis in statistics or experience."

Anwar further stated, “The passage of this law is important as this has allowed the Pakistani American community in Connecticut, to understand that it is important to identify problems and challenges in practices and then identify legislative solutions to those challenges. The success of this effort is because of the Pakistani American community’s ability to coordinate the efforts with others who were being impacted with these practices including the Jewish Americans in Connecticut.  This is an example where we have learnt that working together helps us have a larger impact and when used appropriately would benefit our collective futures.” He further urged all communities beyond the state of Connecticut to plan to have similar laws enacted to prevent such and similar practices.

The Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC) is a nationwide, membership based, non-profit lobbying organization registered with the United States Federal Government. PAKPAC’s mission includes advancement and strengthening of U.S.-Pakistan relations. It is organized to be a unified voice on issues and concerns common to the Pakistani American community
 

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Dr. Saud Anwar testifying to support The Bill at the Senate Committee

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Substitute Senate Bill No. 259

Public Act No. 06-5

AN ACT PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION IN LIFE INSURANCE BASED ON LAWFUL TRAVEL DESTINATIONS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) No life insurance company doing business in this state may deny or refuse to accept an application for life insurance, refuse to renew, cancel, restrict or otherwise terminate a policy of life insurance, or make any distinction or discrimination between persons as to the premiums or rates charged for policies of life insurance, on the basis of any past or future lawful travel destination of the applicant or insured, except that such company may deny such application or charge a different premium or rate for coverage under such policy based on a specific lawful travel destination where the denial or rate differential is based on sound actuarial principles or is related to actual or reasonably anticipated experience.

Approved April 21,