HB5685 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 19085 RPM 34476 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB5685

Introduced 2/9/2010, by Rep. David R. Leitch

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

215 ILCS 5/803.1

Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that the Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund may coordinate with the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) to integrate mine subsidence claim information with corresponding maps on the ISGS website. Provides that neither the Fund nor ISGS shall be liable for the disclosure of any claim information on the ISGS website.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning insurance.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Insurance Code is amended by changing Section 803.1 as follows:

(215 ILCS 5/803.1)

Sec. 803.1. Establishment of Fund.

(a) There is established a fund to be known as the "Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund". The Fund shall operate pursuant to this Article. The Fund is authorized to transact business, provide services, enter into contracts and sue or be sued in its own name.

(b) The Fund shall provide reinsurance for mine subsidence losses to all insurers writing mine subsidence insurance pursuant to this Article.

(c) The monies in the Fund shall be derived from premiums for mine subsidence insurance collected on behalf of the Fund pursuant to this Article, from investment income and from receipt of Federal or State funds. No insurer shall have any liability to the Fund or to any creditor of the Fund, except as may be set forth in this Article, in the Articles of Governance which may be adopted by the Fund, in a reinsurance agreement executed pursuant to Section 810.1, in the Plan of Operation established by the Fund, or in the rules and procedures adopted by the Fund as authorized by the reinsurance agreement.

(d) The Fund shall establish its rates, rating schedules, deductibles and retentions, minimum premiums, classifications, and the maximum amount of reinsurance available per residence, commercial building, and living unit for mine subsidence insurance which the Fund shall file with the Director. The Director shall have 30 days from the date of receipt to approve or disapprove a rate filing. If no action is taken by the Director within 30 days, the rate is deemed to be approved. The Director may, in writing, extend the period for an additional 30 days if the Director determines that additional time is needed.

(e) The Fund shall establish its rates, rating schedules, deductibles and retentions, minimum premiums, classifications, and the maximum amount of reinsurance available per residence, commercial building, and living unit in such a manner as to satisfy all reasonably foreseeable claims and expenses the Fund is likely to incur. The Fund shall give due consideration to loss experience and relevant trends, premium and other income and reasonable reserves established for contingencies in establishing the mine subsidence rates.

(f) The Fund shall compile and publish an annual operating report.

(g) The Fund shall develop at least 2 consumer information publications to aid the public in understanding mine subsidence and mine subsidence insurance and shall establish a schedule for the distribution of the publications pursuant to the reinsurance agreement. Topics that shall be addressed shall include but are not limited to:

(1) Descriptive information about mine subsidence, and what benefits mine subsidence insurance provides to the property owner.

(2) Information that will be useful to a policyholder who has filed a mine subsidence claim, such as information that explains the claim investigation process and claim handling procedures.

(h) The Fund shall be empowered to conduct research programs in an effort to improve the administration of the mine subsidence insurance program and help reduce and mitigate mine subsidence losses consistent with the public interest.

(i) The Fund may enter into reinsurance agreements with any intergovernmental cooperative that provides joint self-insurance for mine subsidence losses of its members. These reinsurance agreements shall be substantially similar to reinsurance agreements described in Section 810.1.

(j) The Fund may coordinate with the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) to integrate mine subsidence claim information with corresponding maps on the ISGS website. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, neither the Fund nor ISGS shall be liable for the disclosure of any claim information on the ISGS website.

(Source: P.A. 95-92, eff. 1-1-08; 95-334, eff. 1-1-08.)