BOSTON, Mass. (SHNS)–Massachusetts residents and businesses would secure stronger protections if their property and casualty insurance carriers end up going bankrupt, under a bill gaining late-session momentum on Beacon Hill.

Without debate, the House last week quietly passed a bill (H 4772) that aims to update parameters for an insurance social safety net fund, created by the Legislature in 1970, and raise the caps on property and casualty claims that have not been revised in decades. The Senate sent the redrafted bill, originally sponsored by Rep. Daniel Cahill, to the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday.

The bill would ensure that the Massachusetts Insurers Insolvency Fund aligns with a framework promoted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2009, said Barbara Law, who administers MIIF and is the CEO of Guaranty Fund Management Services. The bill also clarifies that MIIF covers cybersecurity insurance claims.

“The Massachusetts version of the statute was one of the oldest in the country — it has not been updated from time to time over the years,” Law told the News Service. “So there are a lot of opportunities to bring current best practices from other states to Massachusetts, plus an opportunity to increase the cap for coverages. So individuals, particularly on the property side, we would be able to ensure that there was enough coverage allowed by the law so they would have a greater likelihood of having the entirety of their claims covered.”

Weather-related events in recent years have caused property insurance insolvencies in Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina, she said.

“We wanted to be prepared if those insolvencies started to have a greater effect on Massachusetts, and we also wanted to make sure that if we start to experience that type of weather up here, that we were prepared,” Law said. “So it really is about preparedness. We wanted to make sure that our law was in shape to make sure that it afforded enough coverage for the residents in Massachusetts.”

The bill would boost the existing claims cap, such as for car accidents and environmental cases, from $300,000 to $500,000, a level already enacted in Connecticut and Rhode Island, according to testimony Law sent to the Financial Services Committee co-chairs last fall. The new limit would not apply to workers’ compensation claims, which do not have a cap and are paid by the fund for life, Law said.

Aiming to provide a safety net for Massachusetts home and property owners, the bill also proposes a $1 million cap for residential or commercial property, a policy that Law said was implemented in California after a wildfire caused an insurer to go bankrupt.

“We do recognize that Massachusetts has high reconstruction values for property, so we recommend a $1 million limit for property claims just to ensure that we keep pace with the time,” she said.

All insurance companies that are licensed to provide property and casualty coverage in the commonwealth are members of MIIF, and they contribute to the fund to help pay out claims, according to GFMS.

The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents supports the bill, particularly the special real property cap provision due to the “increased severity and frequency of these claims,” said CEO Nick Fyntrilakis. In written testimony, Fyntrilakis warned Massachusetts is “currently disadvantaged compared to other states” that have embraced updated insurance policies.

“This bill would enhance benefits to Massachusetts residents affected by insurer insolvencies and reduce costs to the property and casualty insurance guaranty fund framework in the Commonwealth with no tax increases or increased appropriations if enacted,” Fyntrilakis said. He added, “These updates are much-needed and, in some instances, long-overdue.”

Law said MIIF, which is regulated by the Division of Insurance, has paid roughly half a billion dollars in claims to policyholders throughout its history when small and large insurance companies were insolvent. Workers’ compensation claims have largely driven activity in the fund, though Law said MIIF has also seen bursts of activity tied to insolvencies from asbestos-related claims in the late ’80s and early ’90s and the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Michael Scott Davis, born 1972, of Concord was arrested on a bench warrant at 8:04 p.m. on June 7 on receiving stolen property-less than $1,000 and credit card fraud-less than $1,000 charges after an incident or investigation at 12 Loudon Road.

Melissa Lee Moscaritolo, born 1977, of Contoocook was arrested at 12:59 p.m. on June 7 on a warrant after an incident or investigation on Horseshoe Pond Lane.

Angela M. Spataro, born 1992, of Concord was arrested at 6:05 p.m. on June 7 on a bench warrant after an incident or investigation on Loudon Road.

Jesse L. Cleasby, born 1985, of Concord received a summons at 1 a.m. on June 7 on a bench warrant after an incident or investigation in Bicentennial Square.

Katrina Lynn Gilbert, born 1985, of Northfield was arrested at 1:55 p.m. on June 6 on felony receiving stolen property, false statement-resident tax, two unsworn falsification, and two anti-theft laws; possess altered title charges. She was arrested after an incident or investigation on Elm Street.

Grant Boyd Gentzel, 20, of Concord received a summons at 12:05 p.m. on June 6 on a criminal mischief charge after an incident or investigation at Concord Hospital at 250 Pleasant St.

Scott N. Schmid, 38, of Concord was arrested at 12:24 p.m. on June 6 on a bench warrant after an incident or investigation at the Royal Gardens apartment complex.

Dalton J. Stendor, 22, of Frasiers Way in Tilton was arrested on stalking and violation of protective order charges at 11:17 a.m. on June 6. An officer sitting in their cruiser on Sheep Davis Road saw a blue Ford Fusion with an expired inspection sticker near Autumn Drive, an affidavit said. The vehicle was pulled over on the Interstate 393 westbound onramp. A woman who was driving was checked while the officer noticed a man in the passenger front seat. The check found the driver to have protective orders in the computer involving Stendor, the officer wrote. The car was registered to him, too, the report stated. When the officer returned to the car, they accused the man, later identified as Stendor, to be “slumped over with his face partially covered and his hands in his sweatshirt pockets … clearly attempting to hid from my view of him,” the affidavit stated. The officer accused Stendor of “pretending to be asleep” and then waking up and looking at the officer. The officer said Stendor matched his license photo but when asked his name, “Jonathan Burns,” the affidavit said. When asked his birthdate, he said, “I don’t remember, it’s been a really long day,” the officer wrote. Later, the officer accused him of saying, “OK, I’m Dalton,” and after checking his license and confirming the protection order out of Franklin District Court, he was arrested, and taken straight to the county jail.

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FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online gaming dispute made its way to the real world when a New Jersey man flew to Florida to attack another player with a hammer, authorities said.

Edward Kang, 20, is charged with attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary with a mask, according to Nassau County court records. He was arrested early Sunday morning.

“I just want to let you know, this is a weird one,” Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said during a news conference on Monday. “Some things you just can’t make up.”

Kang and the victim, another young man around the same age as Kang, had never met in real life, but they both played ArcheAge, a medieval fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Leeper said. The game’s publisher announced in April that it would be shutting down servers in Europe and North America on June 27, citing a declining number of active players.

Kang flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Jacksonville, Florida, last Thursday after telling his mother that he was going to visit a friend that he had met while playing a video game, officials said. Officials didn’t say how Kang learned where the victim lives. Upon arrival, Kang took an Uber to a hotel in Fernandina Beach, about 35 miles north of Jacksonville, and then bought a hammer at a local hardware store, deputies said.

Kang went to the victim’s Fernandina Beach home, which was unlocked, around 2 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. The victim was walking out of his bedroom when he was confronted by Kang, who hit him on the head with the hammer, officials said. The two struggled as the victim called for help. His stepfather responded and helped to restrain Kang until police arrived.

The victim suffered several head wounds that were not considered life-threatening, officials said. He received staples at the hospital.

Once in custody, Kang told investigators that the victim is a “bad person online,” officials said. He also asked deputies how much jail time people got for breaking and entering and assault.

“I would say Mr. Kang, it’s going to be a long time before you play video games again,” Leeper said.

Online court records didn’t list an attorney for Kang. He was being held without bond.