By:  Van de Putte                                                 S.B. No. 115
	(In the Senate - Filed November 14, 2002; January 29, 2003, 
read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce; 
March 19, 2003, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 9, 
Nays 0; March 19, 2003, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to notice of certain changes in residential and farm and ranch property insurance coverage on renewal. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 5, Insurance Code, is amended by adding Article 5.45 to read as follows: Art. 5.45. NOTICE ON RENEWAL OF CERTAIN POLICIES. (a) An insurer, including a farm mutual insurance company, county mutual insurance company, Lloyd's plan, or reciprocal or interinsurance exchange, that renews a policy of homeowners insurance, fire and residential allied lines insurance, farm and ranch owners insurance, or farm and ranch insurance must provide the policy holder with written notice of any difference in each form of the policy offered to the policy holder on renewal and the form of the policy held immediately before renewal. (b) A notice provided under this article must be written in plain language. (c) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to implement this article. SECTION 2. This Act applies only to an insurance policy renewed on or after the 30th day after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2003.
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