IGA Warns That SB988 Threatens California Consumer Rights

The Independent Glass Association, joined by independent automotive glass shops and concerned consumers across California, strongly opposes Senate Bill 988, introduced by Senator Tim Grayson (D-9).

In a news release, the IGA said that SB 988 mirrors a national legislative template adopted by the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) and promoted across the country by Safelite AutoGlass and aligned insurance interests. The IGA warns that this approach is not consumer-driven reform, but a coordinated, multi-state effort to reshape auto glass laws in favor of vertically integrated corporate repair networks and insurers, at the expense of California consumers and locally owned businesses.

“This legislation is being presented as consumer protection, but in practice it is a market-control bill,” said Gary Hart, Executive Director of the Independent Glass Association. “SB 988 follows the same NCOIL template we've seen pushed in multiple states by Safelite and its insurance partners. Wherever this agenda appears, the IGA is there, educating lawmakers, mobilizing shops, and standing up for consumers. And our advocacy is working.” 

Across the country, IGA-led advocacy efforts have slowed, amended, or stopped similar proposals once legislators were made aware of the real-world impact. In several states, these one-sided bills have been withdrawn or significantly revised after independent repairers and consumers spoke out. 

“At the foundation of SB 988 is a claim of widespread fraud that simply does not exist,” Hart said. “There is no credible data justifying the removal of assignment of benefits or the erosion of long-standing consumer rights. What does exist is a clear financial incentive for large corporate players to eliminate competition and steer claims back into their own controlled network of retail stores.” 
 
Independent auto glass shops across California warn that SB 988 would: 

• Reduce consumer choice at the point of claim 

• Undermine thousands of small, locally owned auto glass businesses 

• Encourage insurer-directed steering and market consolidation 

• Weaken competition that keeps prices fair and service quality high 

The IGA says that California consumers deserve transparency, choice, and a competitive repair marketplace; not legislation drafted outside the state to benefit a narrow set of corporate interests. 

“The momentum is undeniable,” Hart said. “When lawmakers hear directly from the small businesses serving their communities and the consumers who rely on them, this one-sided agenda falls apart. California should not become the next testing ground for legislation that benefits insurers and corporate glass chains while harming consumers and independent shops.”

The IGA remains open to working with lawmakers on balanced, evidence-based reforms that protect consumers and preserve fair competition. However, without substantial changes, the IGA and its members must oppose SB 988 in its current form. For more information, visit the IGA website here.