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Amend CSSB 14, committee substitute, by striking from page
12, line 12-14 through page 13, line 13-8, and substituting the
following:
ARTICLE 4. RATE ROLLBACK; RATE FILINGS
SECTION 4.01. Subchapter C, Chapter 5, Insurance Code, is
amended by adding Article 5.26-1 to read as follows:
Article 5.26-1. Temporary Rate Rollback for Residential
Property Insurance
Sec. 1. The legislature finds that:
(1) in 1999, prior to the recent rate increases,
average homeowners policy premiums in Texas were already the
highest in the nation and almost twice the national average;
(2) in 2000, paid losses in the residential property
insurance market in Texas increased significantly, due primarily to
water and mold losses, leading insurers in that market to raise
their rates even higher on policies issued, delivered or renewed
after January 1, 2001;
(3) in fact, there has been an average statewide rate
increase of 45 percent for Texas homeowners since 2000;
(4) this 45 percent increase in rates occurred
despite the fact that coverage has decreased during this same
period by 15 percent to nearly 45 percent (water and mold coverage
has been significantly reduced, and insurers have adopted changed
forms);
(5) the effect of this 45 percent increase in premium
for reduced coverage was exacerbated for many Texans by the
increased use of age of home and credit scoring discounts, which
caused premiums to more than double for some policyholders who did
not fit into the insurer's preferred credit scoring classification;
(6) Texas homeowners are paying more today for less
coverage than they did three years ago, as present insurance rates
have not yet decreased despite the reduction of coverage of up to
nearly 45 percent, and even though rates increased 45 percent in
response to risks and losses that are no longer insured;
(7) Today, insurance companies continue to target
rates of return which are much higher than is reasonably expected,
in part due to the use of unreasonable profit provisions being
loaded in the rate, and resulting in excessive rates being charged
policy holders;
(8) although rates should be returned to levels at or
below those in effect on January 1, 2001, insurers have failed to
account for the water and mold losses that will no longer be covered
from the historical loss data on which they base their rates and are
inappropriately selecting loss trends and underwriting profit
provisions in the double digits as they project into the future;
(9) while the monetary effect of coverage changes
combined with declining losses can be actuarily determined within a
reasonable degree of certainty, insurers will delay implementation
of further rate reductions until they have data evidencing actual
loss experience;
(10) the delay in adjusting rates to reflect
reductions in coverage will result in a windfall for the insurers,
and this benefit should be passed on immediately to their policy
holders; and
(11) legislative action in the public interest and
within the police power of the state is required to eliminate
unnecessary delays to pass these benefits on to the insured public
of this state.
Sec. 2. Notwithstanding Article 5.26 of this subchapter or
Article 5.142 of this code, and subject to Sec. 3 of this article,
for any form of insurance subject to this Subchapter issued or
renewed between October 1, 2003, and September 30, 2004, each
insurer shall reduce its rates to levels which are no greater than
the insurer's rates for the same type of coverage which were in
effect on January 1, 2001. For purposes of this section, and not
withstanding the reduced coverage, a replacement value policy is
the same type of coverage an HO-B policy and an actual cash value
policy is the same type of coverage an HO-A policy.
Sec. 3. Between October 1, 2003, and September, 2004, rates
and premiums reduced pursuant to Section 2 of this article may be
increased only if the commissioner finds, after affording due
process and a hearing open to the public, that higher rates are
required by the Texas or United States Constitution. In that event,
the commissioner shall permit the insurer to increase rates only to
the minimum level required to comply with the Texas and United
States Constitutions.
Sec. 4. This article applies to all insurers, including a
reciprocal or interinsurance exchange, mutual, capital stock
company, fraternal benefit society, farm mutual, local mutual aid
association, county mutual insurance company, association, Lloyd's
plan company, or other entity writing insurance covered by this
subchapter.