Basic property insurance: California FAIR Plan.

Under existing law, the California FAIR (fair access to insurance requirements) Plan Association is a joint reinsurance association of state insurers that is established to, among other things, assist persons in securing basic property insurance for qualified property for which insurance cannot be obtained through the normal insurance market. Existing law requires the association to establish and maintain a toll-free telephone number through which a person may receive assistance in applying for basic property insurance. Existing law requires an insurer member of the plan to provide to an applicant who is denied coverage the toll-free telephone number for the plan for information and assistance in obtaining basic property insurance. Existing law requires an agent or broker transacting basic property insurance to either assist a person in making an application for insurance through the plan or to provide the person with that toll-free telephone number. This bill would additionally require the association to establish and maintain an Internet Web site at which a person may receive information and assistance in applying for insurance through the plan and would require the association to include the toll-free telephone number and the Internet Web site address on all communications with an applicant or an insured. The bill, beginning March 1, 2017, would require an insurer member to provide an applicant denied coverage or a policyholder whose policy is canceled or not renewed both that Internet Web site address and toll-free telephone number. The bill would delete the provision permitting an agent or broker to provide the toll-free telephone number of the plan as an alternative to assisting a person in making an application for insurance through the plan, and would instead require an agent or broker to assist a person seeking his or her help in obtaining basic property insurance coverage by making an application for insurance through the plan by submitting an application at the person's request, by providing the person with the California FAIR Plan's Internet Web site address and the toll-free telephone number, or by making an application for insurance, at the person's request, and placing that person with or through an insurer that offers, or a surplus line broker that procures, basic property insurance coverage. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.