Bill Text: NJ A2981 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Changes composition of Automobile Insurance Territorial Rating Plan Advisory Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2014-09-11 - Withdrawn from Consideration [A2981 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A2981-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JASON O'DONNELL
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Changes composition of Automobile Insurance Territorial Rating Plan Advisory Commission.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the membership of the Automobile Insurance Territorial Rating Plan Advisory Commission and amending P.L.1998, c.21.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 28 of P.L.1998, c.21 (C.17:29A-50) is amended to read as follows:
28. a. There is established the Automobile Insurance Territorial Rating Plan Advisory Commission to review insurer data and establish a common territorial rating plan for use by insurers not filing a territorial rating plan pursuant to section 27 of [this amendatory and supplementary act] P.L.1998, c.21 (C.17:29A-49). The territorial rating plan established by the commission shall be established according to the criteria and standards provided in section 26 of [this amendatory and supplementary act] P.L.1998, c.21 (C.17:29A-48) and in accordance with regulations established by the commissioner. The common territorial rating plan shall be subject to the prior approval of the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, and shall be reviewed by the commissioner from time to time but not less than once every five years.
b. The commission shall consist of fifteen members: nine representatives of insurers writing private passenger automobile insurance in this State and one representative of a rating bureau filing rates on behalf of its members in this State, who shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; four public members, of whom one shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, one by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one by the Minority Leader of the Senate and one by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; and the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, who shall serve ex-officio. Of the insurer members appointed by the Governor, at least [two] four members shall be selected from member companies of the [Alliance of American Insurers, and two members selected from member companies of the National Association of Independent Insurers] Property Casualty Insurers Association of America or [their] its successor [organizations] organization. The remaining insurer members shall be selected from insurers writing automobile insurance in this State, but no insurer or group of insurers under common control shall have more than one representative appointed to serve on the commission.
c. The members of the commission shall serve for two-year terms and until their successors are appointed and qualified.
d. The commission shall elect a chairman and a vice chairman from among the insurer members.
e. After its initial territorial rating plan has been approved, the commissioner may convene the commission at any time to review the plan and to gather data from insurers. The commissioner may, if he finds that the common territorial rating plan does not meet the standards established pursuant to section 26 of [this act] P.L.1998, c.21 (C.17:29A-48), order that the plan be revised.
(cf: P.L.1998, c.21, s.28)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
The bill eliminates an existing statutory reference to two organizations that are now defunct - the Alliance of American Insurers and the National Association of Independent Insurers - and replaces them with references to the Property Casualty Insurance Association of America. The Property Casualty Insurance Association of America (PCI) is the successor trade association to the two different groups, which merged to create PCI.
Through this change, the bill revises the process for the selection of insurer members to be appointed by the Governor to the Automobile Insurance Territorial Rating Plan Advisory Commission. The bill provides that four commission members are to be selected from member companies of PCI, instead of two from each of the two defunct organizations.
The bill also makes technical changes to update certain other references in the law.
