Ginny Cross
VP, Government & Community Affairs
Coastal property owners received encouraging news this week from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). On July 14, the Association’s Actuarial & Underwriting Committee voted to recommend that TWIA staff submit a rate filing to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) requesting no change in either residential or commercial windstorm insurance rates for 2025.
The full TWIA Board of Directors will consider the Committee’s recommendation during its upcoming meeting on August 5, along with the actuarial analysis and public feedback. Under Texas law, TWIA is required to make an annual rate filing with TDI by August 15; however, there are important safeguards in place:
The Committee’s 5–2 vote came after a detailed review of TWIA’s 2025 Rate Adequacy Analysis, which showed rates remain slightly below actuarially sound levels: 3 percent for residential policies and 5 percent for commercial. Yet this marks a notable improvement in TWIA’s long-standing rate adequacy challenges, largely thanks to recent legislative reforms that reduced the Association’s projected costs for reinsurance and premium-related taxes. “Because of the new TWIA legislation, Coastal residents and businesses will have a financially secure windstorm program. There is no need for any rate hike,” said State Representative Todd Hunter.
This is a significant milestone for policyholders and coastal communities who have long advocated for a more balanced and transparent rate structure. The decision reflects not only improved financial conditions at TWIA but also a responsiveness to public input.
The full TWIA Board of Directors will consider the Committee’s recommendation during its upcoming meeting on August 5, along with the actuarial analysis and public feedback. Under Texas law, TWIA is required to make an annual rate filing with TDI by August 15; however, there are important safeguards in place:
• The Board cannot vote on a rate increase if there’s been a vacancy on the Board for more than 60 days. (As of now, one seat, for a Non-Seacoast Territory Representative, remains unfilled.)
• Any rate increase proposal must receive two-thirds approval from the full Board.
• All proposed rate increases must be reviewed and approved by the Texas Insurance Commissioner.
For now, the Committee’s recommendation is a positive signal for thousands of coastal residents and business owners who rely on TWIA coverage. It suggests that for the first time in years, policyholders may be spared another rate hike, thanks in large part to strategic legislative changes and strong public engagement.
More information about the August 5th Board meeting and how to submit public comment will be released by TWIA later this month. Individuals interested in making their voices heard can email: PublicComment@twia.org.
To follow the latest updates, including the full timeline for the annual rate filing process, visit: www.twia.org
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