GA HB1344

Strengthens insurance fraud enforcement by requiring insurers to report suspected fraud to the Commissioner, prohibiting solicitation of motor vehicle accident information for financial gain, criminalizing "capper/runner/steerer" schemes to procure insurance clients, and authorizing the Commissioner to employ prosecuting attorneys for fraud cases

Creates the Georgia Storm Damage Mitigation Program to provide grants up to $7,500 for residential property owners to retrofit homes against hurricanes, tornadoes, and windstorms, funded through premium taxes and underwriting association assessments

Establishes catastrophic event claims processing requirements, including 15-day claim acknowledgment deadlines, 60-day liability determination limits, and 10-day payment timelines after coverage acceptance following presidentially or gubernatorially declared disasters

Increases penalties for driving without insurance coverage: lapse fees rise from $25 to $50-$150, restoration fees from $60 to $125-$500 depending on offense number, and creates new misdemeanor penalties for vehicle owners who knowingly allow excluded drivers to operate their vehicles

Broadly increases monetary penalties the Commissioner can impose for insurance code violations, generally doubling existing fines (e.g., unfair trade practice penalties increase from $1,000 to $5,000 per violation, insurance fraud penalties increase to up to $100,000 per act)