In some cases, according to Knox, insurers have refused to honor the claims outright. For example, insurers have required death certificates that they know were not issued by concentration camps and copies of written policies they know were lost during the war.
“The insurance companies are profiting from the most horrific tragedy of our time. We must put a stop to this injustice,” Knox said, calling the new law the “Holocaust Victims Legal Defense Act.”
Knox is authoring a related measure, AB 1715, which would require certain insurance companies doing business in California to disclose to the State Department of Insurance any information on policies written for those who are believed to have been Holocaust victims.
The information will be compiled on a new Holocaust Insurance Registry and will be made available to family members seeking payment on claims. The bill has passed the Assembly and will have a hearing in the Senate Insurance Committee on Wednesday, June 3.