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8 Document(s) [ Subject: Homeowners%20insurance ]

Committee:	Senate Business and Commerce
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Alternative energy | Broadband infrastructure | Building codes | Consumer credit and debt | Consumer Credit Commissioner, Office of | Credit service organizations | Droughts | Electric meters | Electric power plants | Electric Reliability Council of Texas | Electric utilities | Electric utility deregulation | Electricity supplies | Electricity transmission and distribution | Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. | Homeowners insurance | Insurance, Texas Department of | Job training programs | Lifeline | Municipally-owned utilities | Occupational licenses | Rural areas | Subprime lending | Telecommunications | Telecommunications deregulation | Texas Windstorm Insurance Association | Universal Service Fund | Water and wastewater utility rates and charges | Workforce |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 B963
Session:	82nd R.S. (2011)
Online version:	View report [222 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the impact of drought, regulatory changes proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, and changing market conditions on Texas' electrical market. Make recommendations, if needed to ensure continued access to reliable and affordable electricity. *
2.	Assess the impact of extreme drought conditions on electric generation capacity.
3.	Identify those regions of Texas that will be most affected by a lack of capacity.
4.	Analyze response plans and make recommendations to improve and expedite those plans.
5.	Study and make recommendations for workforce training programs in Texas to ensure that such programs meet business and worker needs. Specifically, study whether such programs target economic growth areas and future workforce needs of the health care, skilled trades, construction, manufacturing, aerospace, and information technology industries and help retain workers in those trades and fields.
6.	Study the state's approach to licensing and regulation of occupations to ensure protection of public welfare, trust, health, and safety and eliminate unnecessary, overly restrictive, or anti-competitive regulation. Review guidelines and other states' approaches for determining when regulation is necessary and make recommendations for improving Texas' regulatory system.
7.	Conduct a broad review of the Texas homeowners insurance market and make recommendations to improve transparency and consumer education, ensure fair practices, and lower rates. Specifically, consider the following: Compare Texas' homeowners insurance premiums with those of other states and identify the factors underlying Texas' premium levels and recommend steps that the Legislature may take to reduce homeowners' rates, if appropriate; Study strategies that increase awareness of state insurance resources to help consumers compare rates and coverage among various insurance providers Study the relationship between insurance premiums and construction costs, especially as associated with recovery from natural disasters, to ensure that consumers are treated fairly; Review the use by insurers, in rating and underwriting decisions, of customer inquiries regarding the general terms or conditions of, or coverage offered under, an insurance policy.
8.	Study the relationship between city governments and municipally-owned utilities, including any duplicative or redundant functions, the amounts and justifications required for transfer payments between the entities, and the benefits and disadvantages of alternative governance structures.
9.	Analyze the state of the telecommunications market in Texas, including the costs and benefits of full deregulation of the market; the impact and viability of the Texas Universal Service Fund and Provider of Last Resort requirements; the impact of SB 980, Regular Session, 82nd Legislature, relating to telecommunications regulation and rulemaking; the availability of broadband; telecommunications service discounts; and rights-­of-way charges. Make recommendations to enhance services, support the industry, and ensure adequate and affordable access for consumers.
10.	Review current and pending ERCOT protocols as they apply to all generation technology, and identify those protocols that may provide operational, administrative, or competitive advantages to any specific generation by fuel type. Consider the impact any revisions to the protocols may have on grid reliability and electricity rates. Make recommendations for revisions or statutory changes to limit distortions in the Texas electrical market.
11.	Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce, 82nd Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. Specifically, review the implementation of HB 2592 and HB 2594 relating to payday lending, and make recommendations relating to consistency and coordination with local ordinances and federal law.
12.	Study whether advanced meters, or smart meters, that have been, and will be, installed in Texas have harmful effects on health. Report findings on whether an independent testing company perform an analysis on the safety of advanced meters should be commissioned and the appropriate organization to conduct such a study.
Committee:	Senate Business and Commerce
Title:	Interim Report
Library Catalog Title:	Report to the 82nd Legislature
Subjects:	Alternative energy | Career preparedness | Electric Reliability Council of Texas | Electric utilities | Electric utility rates and charges | Electricity transmission and distribution | Energy conservation | Homeowners insurance | Job training programs | Liens | Mortgages | Municipally-owned utilities | Natural disasters | Texas Windstorm Insurance Association | Unemployment benefits | Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund | Wind energy | Workforce |
Library Call Number:	L1836.81 B963
Session:	81st R.S. (2009)
Online version:	View report [84 pages  File size: 2,897 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the implementation of H.B. 4409 enacted by the 81st Legislature pertaining to the financing of insured losses in excess of premium and other revenue of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). Assess the coverage and affordability of TWIA policies. Review the claims and payments processes and make recommendations to improve the stability of TWIA while enhancing services to clients.
2.	Study options for reducing demand for electricity, including innovative pricing options relating to the use of smart meters, programmable thermostats, and other demand side management and behavioral response strategies. Review current consumer education programs to reduce demand, decrease energy prices, and improve air quality. Consider benefits and costs of alternative energy sources such as geothermal and solar, and current incentives for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The study should include recommendations on improving consumer knowledge and usage of these strategies in lowering overall electric usage, promoting energy efficiency, and improving the reliability of the ERCOT grid.
3.	Study and make recommendations relating to the development and implementation of wind energy. Assess the total impact of wind energy, including additional costs to consumers, if any, buy-back provisions and pricing, the need for alternative energy sources at times when wind does not generate electricity, impact on the ERCOT grid, development of battery storage and other storage methods, and economic development impacts.
4.	Study the generation costs of municipally owned electric utilities' planned generation portfolios. Consider the impact of planned generation costs on electric rates for residential and commercial customers. Solicit input on the impact of future electric rates on charitable and non-profit organizations, and the impact on such organizations' cash assistance programs to indigent customers. Consider the merits of a justifiable planned generation cost standard, and whether a deviation above the standard should be subject to approval by a vote of all customers of a municipally owned utility's service area.
5.	Study and make recommendations relating to the Texas Unemployment Compensation Insurance system, including, but not limited to, the following: The capacity and efficiency of the claims filing and benefits delivery system as well as the ability of the agency to meet the needs of the clients it serves given the transition to call centers and web based filing; The current financing scheme for the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, and any options to improve the long term financial health and stability of the Fund; The use of debit cards for delivery of UI benefits, including ways to limit user fees to access payments; and Improving public access to local and statewide data on current and historical UI claims.
6.	Study and make recommendations regarding career-focused education and workforce training programs in Texas to insure that such programs meet business and worker needs. Specifically, study whether such programs: meet the current and future workforce needs of health care, skilled trades, construction, manufacturing, aerospace, information technology and green jobs; help retain workers in such trades and fields; retrain and update the skills and education of workers in such trades and fields; and foster and encourage collaboration between the State, education, labor and business to provide education and training.
7.	Study the effectiveness of Chapter 557 of the Insurance Code, relating to insured property subject to a security interest, in setting forth the obligations of a lender and a residential real property insured resulting from an insurer's payment of a claim for damage to the residential real property caused by a natural disaster. Consider the legislation's requirements for release of the insurance proceeds, lienholder's approval of payment of the insurance proceeds, accrual and payment of interest on such proceeds and penalties provided by the statute. Make recommendations for any needed refinements of the legislation.
8.	Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce, 81st Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation.
Committee:	Senate Business and Commerce
Title:	Interim Report - Homeowners Insurance and Reinsurance following a natural disaster
Library Catalog Title:	Homeowner's insurance and industry reinsurance following a natural disaster in Texas
Subjects:	Homeowners insurance | Insurance industry | Natural disasters |
Library Call Number:	L1836.80 B963h
Session:	80th R.S. (2007)
Online version:	View report [16 pages  File size: 4,749 kb]
Charge:	This report should address the charge below.
1.	Examine statutory changes needed to maintain affordable and available homeowner’s insurance and industry reinsurance following a natural disaster in Texas. Estimate the potential impact on the Texas insurance market.
Committee:	Senate Business and Commerce
Title:	Interim Report - Insurance
Library Catalog Title:	Property and casualty and automobile insurance : interim report to the 79th Texas Legislature / Senate Committee on Business and Commerce.
Subjects:	Automobile insurance | Homeowners insurance | Insurance reform | Mold remediation |
Library Call Number:	L1836.78 B963i
Session:	78th R.S. (2003)
Online version:	View report [61 pages  File size: 832 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the implementation of SB 14, 78th R.S., SB 127, 78th R.S., and HB 329, 78th R.S., the property and casualty insurance reform and mold remediation measures passed by the 78th Legislature, to determine whether the legislation meets the Legislature's goals of reducing homeowners' insurance costs and stabilizing the market. If not, make recommendations for reducing homeowners' insurance costs. Examine implementation of new policies relating to the use of credit scoring and its impact on consumers and the market. Coordinate activities with the Joint Property and Casualty Insurance Legislative Oversight Committee.
2.	Study the implementation of SB 14, 78th R.S., as it relates to the automobile insurance market to ensure that the legislation meets the Legislature's goals of ensuring a stable market. Make recommendations for improving consumer satisfaction and expanding the market. Coordinate activities with the Joint Property and Casualty Insurance Legislative Oversight Committee.
Committee:	Joint Property and Casualty Insurance, Legislative Oversight
Title:	Interim Report
Library Catalog Title:	Property and Casualty Insurance Legislative Oversight Committee interim report to the 79th Texas Legislature
Subjects:	Automobile insurance | File and use insurance regulation system | Homeowners insurance | Insurance reform |
Library Call Number:	L1836.78 p945c
Session:	78th R.S. (2003)
Online version:	View report [59 pages  File size: 597 kb]
Charge:	This report should address the charge below.
1.	Monitor the progress of property and casualty insurance regulation reform, including the fairness of rates, underwriting guidelines, and rating manuals, the availability of coverage, the effect of rate rollbacks, credit scoring, and regulation of homeowners and automobile insurance markets.
Committee:	Senate Economic Development, Interim
Title:	Interim report - Telecommunications and insurance
Library Catalog Title:	Report on telecommunications and insurance.
Subjects:	Homeowners insurance | Insurance industry | Insurance, Texas Department of | Liability | Long distance telephone service | Managed care | Open records requests and decisions | Patients' rights | Public Information Act, Texas | Public Utility Commission of Texas | Public Utility Regulatory Act | Racial discrimination | Telecommunications infrastructure | Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund | Telephone deregulation | Telephone service |
Library Call Number:	L1836.75 ec74t
Session:	75th R.S. (1997)
Online version:	View report [308 pages  File size: 12,707 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Study the effect of property insurance form deregulation, as addressed in SB 1499, 75th R.S., passed by the Legislature during the 1997 regular session, on the affordability and availability of homeowners insurance.
2.	Monitor the implementation of SB 386, 75th R.S., passed by the Legislature during the 1997 regular session, regarding managed care liability, including the development of the rules and standards governing the certification, selection, and operation of independent review organizations.
3.	Study and assess the effectiveness of HB 2128, 74th R.S., passed by the Legislature during the 1995 regular session, including but not limited to: the deployment of an advanced telecommunications infrastructure in Texas; the development of competition in the local telecommunications market in Texas; and the use of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund in improving the capabilities of Texas schools, libraries and public hospitals. In its evaluation, the Committee should identify any remaining barriers to the development of full competition in the telecommunications market in Texas and make recommendations, if necessary, for any legislative or regulatory action.
4.	Review the process used by the Texas Department of Insurance and the Attorney General in making determinations regarding public disclosure of insurance data and, if necessary, make recommendations to streamline and standardize the process.
5.	Review and make recommendations, if needed, to clarify what insurance market-related data should be in the public domain and what information should be considered proprietary data to preserve competition. This review should consider both statistical data and underwriting guidelines.
Committee:	House Insurance
Title:	Interim report
Library Catalog Title:	House Committee on Insurance, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 1998 : a report to the House of Representatives, 76th Texas Legislature.
Subjects:	Automobile insurance | Banks and banking | Health insurance | Homeowners insurance | Insurance industry | Insurance rates | Insurance, Texas Department of | Prompt payment of insurance claims | State mandates |
Library Call Number:	L1836.76 IN7
Session:	75th R.S. (1997)
Online version:	View report [104 pages  File size: 3,310 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Conduct active oversight of the agencies under the committee's jurisdiction.
2.	Study the incremental costs of health insurance benefits mandated by the legislature. Explore ways for the legislature to obtain accurate information on the costs of mandates proposed by legislation. Evaluate the effects, if any, of currently mandated benefits on premium costs, the market, and access to coverage.
3.	Review issues related to insurance company claims handling and the laws relating to failure to handle claims in good faith.
4.	Conduct a review of the various lines of insurance and the extent to which the lines are regulated as to (1) premium rates, (2) policy forms, (3) financial integrity, (4) market conduct, and (5) other factors determined by the committee.
5.	Monitor federal banking reform initiatives to see that state interests in the regulation of financial institutions and insurance companies are protected. (Joint with the House Committee on Financial Institutions)
Committee:	Joint Rate and Policy Form Regulation, Select
Title:	Interim report
Library Catalog Title:	Report of the Select Committee on Rate and Policy Form Regulation to the 74th Texas Legislature : pursuant to House Bill 1461 of the 73rd Legislature, article 1.50, Texas Insurance Code.
Subjects:	Automobile insurance | Homeowners insurance | Insurance deregulation | Insurance industry | Insurance rates | Insurance regulation benchmark system | Uninsured motorists |
Library Call Number:	L1836.73 in7
Session:	73rd R.S. (1993)
Online version:	View report [386 pages  File size: 21,862 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	The committee shall study insurance rate and policy form regulation in this state. The committee shall assess: (1) the effects of changes made by the 72nd Legislature in insurance regulation to identify whether the purpose of the department should be further changed from insurance rate and policy form regulation and directed to: (A) regulation of the financial conditions of companies and market conduct; and (B) provision of consumer services; (2) the degree of competition in the insurance industry in this state; and (3) the availability of motor vehicle insurance, the number of uninsured drivers, and the number of drivers insured through the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association, on a geographic area basis, to assess if certain geographic areas of the state are underserved.
2.	The committee shall appoint an independent consulting firm to evaluate the activities of advisory organizations in this state, including their impact on competition in the insurance market, their use by insurers, and their impact on availability and affordability of coverage, and any other matters relevant to determining their continued authorization. The committee shall include in its report to the legislature a recommendation for the future role of the advisory organizations in this state.
3.	The committee shall appoint an independent consulting firm to evaluate the costs and benefits of each of the systems and include in its report to the legislature a recommendation for future data collection consistent with its recommendations on rates.

* This represents an abstract of the report contents. Charge text is incomplete or unavailable.

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