HR0235 LRB096 12173 RPM 24548 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund was
3 created by the Illinois General Assembly in 1979; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The purpose of the Illinois Mine Subsidence
5 Insurance Fund is to ensure that financial resources are
6 available to owners of property damaged by mine subsidence so
7 that those damages can be repaired; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The Fund does this by providing reinsurance to
9 insurance companies, conducting geotechnical investigations to
10 determine if mine subsidence caused the damage, supporting
11 research to mitigate structural damage, and educating the
12 public about the use of insurance to lessen the risk of
13 financial loss resulting from mine subsidence; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Mine subsidence is lateral or vertical ground
15 movement caused by a failure initiated at the mine level that
16 can directly damage structures; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Illinois has approximately 5,000 abandoned mines
18 and an estimated 330,000 housing units with possible exposure
19 to mine subsidence; and
 
20     WHEREAS, All damage caused by a single mine subsidence

 

 

HR0235 - 2 - LRB096 12173 RPM 24548 r

1 event or several mine subsidence events that are continuous
2 shall constitute one occurrence; and
 
3     WHEREAS, The total amount of the loss reimbursable to an
4 insurer shall be limited to the amount of insurance reinsured
5 by the Fund in force at the time when the damage first became
6 reasonably observable; and
 
7     WHEREAS, An insurer may refuse to provide mine subsidence
8 coverage on a property evidencing unrepaired mine subsidence
9 damage until such damage has been repaired; and
 
10     WHEREAS, The General Assembly has grappled for years with
11 the public policy question of how to better educate, notify,
12 and protect the public regarding confirmed cases of mine
13 subsidence; and
 
14     WHEREAS, The Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund is
15 empowered to conduct research programs in an effort to improve
16 the administration of the mine subsidence insurance program and
17 help reduce and mitigate mine subsidence losses consistent with
18 the public interest; therefore, be it
 
19     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21 the Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund shall conduct a

 

 

HR0235 - 3 - LRB096 12173 RPM 24548 r

1 study to determine the cost and feasibility of disclosing to
2 the public the property location and other pertinent
3 information of all confirmed mine subsidence losses to
4 residential property; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That the Fund shall provide a written response to
6 the Illinois House of Representatives by December 15, 2009.