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Senate Bill 852 |
Senate Author: Taylor |
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Effective: 9-1-13 |
House Sponsor: Smithee |
Senate Bill 852 amends the Insurance Code to authorize an insurer to elect to make a personal automobile, commercial automobile, inland marine, or residential property insurance policy available to an insured by posting a specimen policy on the insurer's Internet website instead of other authorized means. The bill requires the insurer to provide a copy of the specimen policy to an insured on request and at no cost to the insured.
Senate Bill 852 requires an insurer that posts a specimen policy on the insurer's Internet website to disclose certain information to an insured on issuance or renewal of a policy incorporating the specimen policy. An insurer is required to make similar disclosures if, during an insured's policy period, the insurer posts a specimen policy or amends a posted specimen policy incorporated into the insured's policy. The bill also requires an insurer that posts a specimen policy on the insurer's Internet website to provide to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and the office of public insurance counsel an electronic copy of the specimen policy that may be posted on the Internet website of TDI or the office of public insurance counsel. The bill sets out requirements relating to the accessibility, format, and retention of specimen policies posted on an insurer's Internet website.