Governor Abbott Directs the Texas Department of Insurance to Address Rising Property and Casualty Insurance Costs: What Insurers Need to Know Now - Foley & Lardner LLP

Abbott issued a formal directive on August 24, 2026, to Texas Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford, ordering the department to take immediate administrative action on rising property and casualty insurance costs. The directive points to insurer rating and underwriting practices, claims costs, and anti-fraud initiatives as the areas TDI should target. Abbott also cited recently passed insurance legislation and proposals already in the pipeline for the 2027 legislative session.

For people here in Lubbock, this hits close to home. West Texas homeowners have watched their premiums climb steadily, driven in part by hail seasons that leave rooflines across neighborhoods from Arnett Benson to Raintree looking like a war zone. Whether you own a house near 34th Street or rent a place off University, the cost of keeping it insured has become a real line item in the household budget.

The directive focuses on administrative moves TDI can make without waiting for the next legislative session. That matters because a 79 percent premium increase in six years outpaces inflation by a wide margin.