Terrorism Risk Insurance: An Overview (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Jan. 17, 2007 |
| Report Number |
RS21979 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Baird Webel, Government and Finance Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
After September 11, 2001, many businesses were no longer able to purchase insurance protecting against property losses that might occur in future terrorist attacks. Addressing this problem, Congress enacted the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 20021 (TRIA) to create a temporary program to share future insured terrorism losses with the property-casualty insurance industry and policyholders. The act requires insurers to offer terrorism insurance to their commercial policyholders, preserves state regulation of this type of insurance, and directs the Secretary of the Treasury to administer a program for sharing terrorism losses. The three-year program that TRIA created backs up commercial property and casualty insurance, covering up to $100 billion each year after set insurer deductibles. The government pays 90% of insured losses over the deductible, with the insurer paying 10%. Concern was expressed even before the enactment of TRIA that a three-year program would be too limited to allow the private sector to develop the capacity to insure terrorism risk. [...] This report provides an overview of the issues, including a summary of TRIA and the TRIA extension legislation. It will be updated as significant events occur.
