HB321 Alabama 2016 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Joe Faust

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2016

Title

Insurance, Alabama Coastal Insurance Authority, create to provide affordable windstorm insurance in areas contiguous to Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay, Board of Directors, plan of operation and sale of bonds provided, commissioner authorized to require quarterly reports, authority authorized to assess policyholders of excess losses, Secs. 27-22B-1 to 27-22B-12, inclusive, added; Sec. 27-1-24 repealed

Description

Under existing law, all insurers authorized and writing property insurance in the State of Alabama are required to be members of the Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association, which was established to provide a method whereby essential property insurance coverage would be provided in any county contiguous to the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay.

This bill would create the Alabama Coastal Insurance Authority for the purpose of providing affordable windstorm insurance for owners of insurable property in any county contiguous to the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay.

This bill would provide for the selection of the board of directors of the authority.

This bill would provide for the adoption of the plan of operation of the authority, including the process for post-loss assessments of policyholders and assessable insurers.

This bill would authorize the sale of bonds and would require assessable insurers to purchase any bonds remaining unsold after 60 days based on the percentage of participation of each insurer.

This bill would authorize the Commissioner of Insurance to require the authority to submit quarterly and annual financial statements and to be subject to rate and form filing requirements.

This bill would exempt the authority from paying insurance premium taxes and other license and privilege taxes.

This bill would authorize the authority to assess policyholders in the event of excess losses; to record property liens to secure payments; and to negotiate with local tax assessors, tax collectors, or revenue commissioners for the collection of assessments.

This bill would authorize assessable insurers to recoup authority assessments from their policyholders.

This bill would require the authority to use licensed insurance producers.

This bill would exempt bonds, properties, and income of the authority from taxation.

This bill would declare the debt assumed and created by the authority and all bonds issued by the authority to be solely and exclusively obligations of the authority and not debts of the state.

This bill would authorize the Commissioner of Insurance to discontinue the Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association to permit an orderly transition for policyholders from the association to the authority.

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Subjects

Property Insurance