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The Independent Glass Association (IGA) is a community of people - independent glass shops, industry representatives, educators and technicians - committed to safety and proper repair or replacement. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach, we strive to advance the automotive glass repair and replacement industry and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of quality service to positively change people's lives.

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The Independent Glass Association is taking action!

California SB 988:
What You Need to Know and Why You Should Care

IGA Advocacy in Action

The Independent Glass Association (IGA) is actively monitoring and opposing California SB 988, a bill based on a national legislative template promoted by large insurance-aligned interests, including Safelite AutoGlass and its partners. While the bill is being framed as a consumer-protection and anti-fraud measure, its current language would harm independent auto glass shops and limit consumer choice without evidence of the widespread fraud being claimed.

The IGA supports fair, transparent auto glass claims practices, but not at the expense of competition, consumer rights, or small businesses.

Why This Matters to Independent Glass Shops

For independent auto glass shops, SB 988 is not an abstract policy debate, it directly affects whether a shop can operate efficiently, get paid fairly, and continue serving customers without interference.

Independent shops do not have call centers, national claims contracts, or vertically integrated insurance relationships. They rely on straightforward, lawful processes that allow them to perform repairs, submit claims, and receive payment without forcing consumers into the middle of disputes with their insurer. SB 988 disrupts that balance.

If SB 988 passes as written, independent shops will be placed at a significant disadvantage. Shops may be required to collect full payment from the customer up front, wait weeks or months for reimbursement, or chase down insurers for payment that should have been handled directly. Larger, insurer-aligned networks are insulated from these impacts, independent shops are not.

Key concerns for shops include:
  • Elimination or severe restriction of Assignment of Benefits (AOB)
  • Increased steering power for insurers and their affiliated networks
  • Administrative burdens that disproportionately impact small businesses.
  • Reduced payment certainty and delayed reimbursements.

 

What Consumers Should Know

IGA supports transparency and safety. Consumers deserve clear information about their vehicle repairs, especially when advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are involved. Reduced payment certainty and delayed reimbursements

Consumers should understand that:
  • Less freedom to choose your repair shop
  • More out-of-pocket hassle.
  • More insurer control over repairs.
  • Calibration may be required after windshield replacement, but you choose who performs that service.
  • No proven benefit to consumers.
Consumers deserve transparency, choice, and convenience, not a system designed to benefit insurance-aligned repair networks.

Support IGA Advocacy

Defend Independent Glass: Amend SB 988 and Support the Future of Auto Glass in California

Step 1: Join the IGA Today

Step 1: Membership strengthens our collective voice and directly supports the fight to protect independent glass shops with the work the IGA is doing on these bills.

Join the Independent Glass Association

 

Step 2: Donate to the Advocacy Program

The IGA cannot support SB 988 as written

While we support reasonable measures that promote transparency and accountability, this bill must be amended before it can be considered fair.

At a minimum, SB 988 must be amended to:
  • Preserve lawful Assignment of Benefits (AOB) when voluntarily executed by the consumer.
  • Prevent insurer steering and coercive referral practices.
  • Ensure prompt, fair payment to repairers without added consumer burden.
  • Maintain a level playing field between independent shops and insurer-owned or affiliated networks.
  • Rely on verified data, not unsubstantiated fraud claims.
The IGA is actively challenging the false and misleading claims of widespread auto glass fraud being used to justify this legislation.

What Happens Next

SB 988 is moving through the legislative process and is expected to be scheduled for a formal committee hearing in the coming weeks. When that happens, the Independent Glass Association intends to be present and on the record. We will testify, submit written opposition, and clearly explain to lawmakers how this bill, as written, would harm independent auto glass shops and restrict consumer choice.

Between now and that hearing, however, decisions are being shaped behind the scenes. Legislators are hearing from bill sponsors and well-funded interests that are promoting this legislation as a necessary response to alleged fraud in the auto glass market. Without direct input from the independent shops that actually perform these repairs every day, that narrative goes unchallenged.

 

The IGA will continue to engage lawmakers, regulators, and enforcement agencies to counter false claims of widespread auto glass fraud and to advocate for meaningful amendments that protect consumers and small businesses. We will provide updates, talking points, and action alerts as the bill advances.
SB 988 is not settled law, and it is not inevitable. What happens next depends on whether independent shops speak up, stay engaged, and make it clear that this legislation needs to be fixed or stopped. The IGA is fighting, but success depends on collective action.

This page will be updated as these bills move through the legislative process. Check back frequently for hearing dates, testimony resources, and action alerts.