State lawmakers passed a translation requirement leading the insurer to conduct business in English.
Allstate will be stopping all insurance sales conducted in Spanish and will do business exclusively in English in Colorado when a new law goes into effect in 2025.
House Bill 23-1004 requires insurers to provide consumers with policy documents in the same language as advertising.
The law will mean that policy documents provided to consumers will need to be written in the language in which the company advertises. Therefore, if a company advertises in Spanish, the application and all documentation relating to a policy must also be available in that language.
Allstate’s take on that law is to be entirely compliant by banning agents in the state from advertising or and insurance sales in any language other than English. The reason given is that the policy documentation provided by the insurer are all written in English. Therefore, to be entirely compliant when the bill goes into effect next year, all business will be conducted in English to match.
According to the bill’s sponsors, Allstate’s cessation of Spanish-language insurance sales wasn’t the point.
“Because Allstate policy documents are written in English, we will begin advertising, quoting and selling only in English to comply with this state law,” read an internal communication issued by the company and that has since been published by the media. “You are only authorized to advertise, prospect, quote or sell property and casualty policies on behalf of Allstate in English. This activity in any other language on behalf of Allstate is no longer authorized.”
Colorado consumers will no longer be able to use a Spanish version of the Allstate websites and phone calls will no longer offer automated Spanish options.
The bill’s sponsors have said that this halt in Spanish language insurance sales is the exact opposite of the intentions of the bill, which as intended as a language access policy.
“It’s infuriating. We’re telling them that there’s a gap, and their initial reaction is to make it worse,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco (D-Glenwood Springs), who developed the legislation. “The intent was that these documents get translated into the language of the community.”
