| 1 | 1 | | 84R3190 PMO-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Meyer H.B. No. 3940 |
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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 extending claim-handling deadlines after certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | emergency declarations. |
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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. Section 542.059, Insurance Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as |
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| 12 | 12 | | follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (b) Claim-handling [In the event of a weather-related |
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| 14 | 14 | | catastrophe or major natural disaster, as defined by the |
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| 15 | 15 | | commissioner, the claim-handling] deadlines imposed under this |
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| 16 | 16 | | subchapter are extended for an additional 15 days on the date that: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) the governor declares a state of natural disaster |
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| 18 | 18 | | under Section 418.014, Government Code; or |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) if the governor does not declare a state of natural |
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| 20 | 20 | | disaster under Section 418.014, Government Code, the commissioner |
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| 21 | 21 | | declares a weather-related catastrophe under Subsection (c). |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) The commissioner shall declare a weather-related |
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| 23 | 23 | | catastrophe if the commissioner determines that, for all insurers |
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| 24 | 24 | | writing insurance in an area designated by the commissioner and |
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| 25 | 25 | | defined by reasonable boundaries, as of the date of the declaration |
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| 26 | 26 | | a weather-related event resulted in, or may reasonably be expected |
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| 27 | 27 | | to result in: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) $50 million or more in aggregate insured losses; |
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| 29 | 29 | | or |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) 3,000 or more claims. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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