| 1 | 1 | | 84R12646 PMO-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Miller of Comal H.B. No. 3754 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to access to consumer information regarding roofing |
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| 8 | 8 | | contractors. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 5, Insurance Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | by adding Chapter 525 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | CHAPTER 525. CONSUMER GUIDE TO ROOFING CONTRACTORS |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 525.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "roofing |
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| 14 | 14 | | contractor" means an individual or entity that installs, |
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| 15 | 15 | | constructs, maintains, repairs, alters, or modifies a roofing |
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| 16 | 16 | | product for a commercial or residential roof. |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 525.002. CONSUMER GUIDE; ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The |
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| 18 | 18 | | department shall develop a consumer guide to post on the |
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| 19 | 19 | | department's Internet website that consumers may access to obtain |
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| 20 | 20 | | information about selecting a roofing contractor in connection with |
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| 21 | 21 | | an insurance claim. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) The commissioner shall appoint a committee to advise the |
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| 23 | 23 | | department regarding the information to include in the consumer |
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| 24 | 24 | | guide. The advisory committee shall be composed of an equal number |
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| 25 | 25 | | of members from each of the following groups of stakeholders: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) roofing contractors, including independent |
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| 27 | 27 | | roofing contractors; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) license holders under Chapters 4101 and 4102; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) property and casualty insurers; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) consumers. |
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| 31 | 31 | | Sec. 525.003. CONSUMER GUIDE INFORMATION FOR CLAIMANTS. |
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| 32 | 32 | | The commissioner by rule shall require, in consultation with the |
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| 33 | 33 | | advisory committee established under Section 525.002, an insurer to |
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| 34 | 34 | | include with the insurer's acknowledgment of receipt of the claim |
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| 35 | 35 | | under Section 542.055 for a loss related to a roof: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) notice that a consumer guide to selecting a |
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| 37 | 37 | | roofing contractor in connection with the claim is available on the |
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| 38 | 38 | | department's Internet website and the Internet address of the |
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| 39 | 39 | | department's website; or |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) the information included in the consumer guide |
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| 41 | 41 | | developed under Section 525.002. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. The commissioner of insurance shall ensure that |
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| 43 | 43 | | the consumer guide developed under Section 525.002, Insurance Code, |
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| 44 | 44 | | as added by this Act, is posted on the Internet website of the Texas |
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| 45 | 45 | | Department of Insurance and available to insurers for inclusion in |
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| 46 | 46 | | an acknowledgment of the receipt of a claim not later than January |
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| 47 | 47 | | 1, 2016. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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