Insurance: notice of lapse.

Existing law requires an insurance policy to specify certain information, including, but not limited to, the parties to the contract, the property or life insured, the risks insured against, premium, and the coverage period. This bill, commencing January 1, 2016, and with regard to private passenger automobile insurance that provides coverage for 6 months or longer, specified residential property insurance, and policies of individual disability income insurance that are issued and take effect or that are renewed on or after January 1, 2016, would require an insurer to maintain a verifiable process or adopt a procedure that allows an applicant or policyholder to designate one additional person to receive notice of lapse, termination, expiration, nonrenewal, or cancellation of a policy for nonpayment of premium, as specified. The bill would prohibit an insurance policy from lapsing or being terminated for nonpayment of premium unless the insurer, at least 10 days prior to the effective date of the lapse, termination, expiration, nonrenewal, or cancellation, gives notice, as provided, to the individual designated, if any, at the address provided by the policyholder for these purposes. The bill would specify that an individual designated by a policyholder does not have any rights, whether as an additional insured or otherwise, to any benefits under the policy, other than the right to receive the notice of lapse, termination, expiration, nonrenewal, or cancellation for nonpayment of premium.