Driving costs down: Hochul says new proposals will lower car insurance rates in New York while fighting fraud

The wheels turned during Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the State on Tuesday when she announced a slate of new proposals aimed at lowering car insurance rates in New York while putting the brakes on fraud. 

The proposals included reviving a state fraud prevention board, giving insurance companies more leeway in reporting and alleging fraud, and limiting damages for drivers engaged in unlawful behavior — or those who are “mostly” at fault — in a collision.