Bill Text: NJ A1113 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires automobile insurers to maintain sales representation in urban rating territories.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee [A1113 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A1113-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANGEL FUENTES
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Requires automobile insurers to maintain sales representation in urban rating territories.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning automobile insurance sales representation in urban rating territories.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. For purposes of this act:
"Insurer" means an insurance company authorized or admitted to transact private passenger automobile insurance in this State and which write private passenger automobile insurance on a Statewide basis.
"Urban rating territory" means a private passenger automobile insurance rating territory in which at least one municipality is located that:
(1) has a population density of 9,000 or more persons per square mile, according to the latest published federal decennial census report; and
(2) has been designated as an "urban center" under the State Development and Redevelopment Plan adopted by the State Planning Commission in June of 1992.
2. a. Every insurer shall have in each urban rating territory no less than three employees or producers licensed pursuant to P.L.2001, c.210 (C.17:22A-26 et seq.) with authority to act as its agent to solicit, negotiate or effect private passenger automobile insurance contracts on its behalf, including the authority to countersign private passenger automobile insurance contracts on its behalf.
b. The employees or producers of the insurer shall be available to transact business pursuant to subsection a. of this section during normal business hours in an office or offices located in geographic area within the urban rating territory and readily accessible to the public.
3. The Commissioner of Banking and Insurance shall, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), promulgate rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
4. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after enactment, but the commissioner may take anticipatory action necessary to effectuate the purposes of the act prior to that date.
STATEMENT
This bill requires automobile insurers to have no less than three employees or producers available in each urban rating territory to transact business during normal business hours. The bill requires the offices of the employees or producers to be located in a geographic area, within the urban rating territory, and readily available to the public.
The bill defines "urban rating territory" as a rating territory in which at least one municipality is located which has a population density of 9,000 or more persons per square mile and which has been designated as an "urban center" under the State Development and Redevelopment Plan adopted by the State Planning Commission in June of 1992.
