| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to the delivery of personal automobile and residential |
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| 8 | 6 | | property insurance policies; adding provisions that may be subject |
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| 9 | 7 | | to a criminal penalty. |
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| 10 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 5, Insurance Code, is amended |
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| 12 | 10 | | by adding Chapter 525 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 11 | | CHAPTER 525. DELIVERY OF INSURANCE POLICIES |
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| 14 | 12 | | Sec. 525.001. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. This chapter |
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| 15 | 13 | | applies to: |
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| 16 | 14 | | (1) an insurer, as defined by Section 2301.051, |
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| 17 | 15 | | writing personal automobile insurance or residential property |
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| 18 | 16 | | insurance, as defined by Section 2301.051, in this state; |
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| 19 | 17 | | (2) the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association; |
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| 20 | 18 | | (3) the FAIR Plan Association; and |
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| 21 | 19 | | (4) the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association. |
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| 22 | 20 | | Sec. 525.002. DELIVERY OF INSURANCE POLICIES. (a) Except |
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| 23 | 21 | | as provided by Subsection (b), an insurer to whom this chapter |
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| 24 | 22 | | applies shall deliver a policy issued by the insurer to the |
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| 25 | 23 | | policyholder, or to the insurer's agent for delivery to the |
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| 26 | 24 | | policyholder: |
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| 27 | 25 | | (1) not later than: |
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| 28 | 26 | | (A) the 30th day after the effective date of the |
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| 29 | 27 | | policy if the policy term is more than 30 days; or |
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| 30 | 28 | | (B) the 10th day after the effective date of the |
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| 31 | 29 | | policy if the policy term is more than 10 days and less than 31 days; |
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| 32 | 30 | | or |
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| 33 | 31 | | (2) within the policy period for a policy with a term |
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| 34 | 32 | | of 10 days or less. |
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| 35 | 33 | | (b) An insurer to whom this chapter applies shall deliver a |
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| 36 | 34 | | policy renewed or amended by the insurer to the policyholder, or to |
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| 37 | 35 | | the insurer's agent for delivery to the policyholder, not later |
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| 38 | 36 | | than the 15th day after the date the insurer or insurer's agent |
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| 39 | 37 | | receives a written request from the policyholder that the policy be |
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| 40 | 38 | | delivered to the policyholder. |
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| 41 | 39 | | Sec. 525.003. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. The commissioner may |
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| 42 | 40 | | adopt rules to implement this chapter. |
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| 43 | 41 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 525, Insurance Code, as added by this |
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| 44 | 42 | | Act, applies only to an insurance policy that is delivered, issued |
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| 45 | 43 | | for delivery, or renewed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 46 | 44 | | A policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed before the |
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| 47 | 45 | | effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed |
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| 48 | 46 | | immediately before that date, and that law is continued in effect |
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| 49 | 47 | | for that purpose. |
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| 50 | 48 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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| 49 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 50 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 51 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 956 passed the Senate on |
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| 52 | + | April 30, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 53 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 54 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 55 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 956 passed the House on |
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| 56 | + | May 19, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 2, two |
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| 57 | + | present not voting. |
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| 58 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 59 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 60 | + | Approved: |
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| 61 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 62 | + | Date |
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| 63 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 64 | + | Governor |
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