HBA-NRS H.B. 2019 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2019 By: Dunnam Insurance 4/22/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, personal automobile insurance providers are not required to inform policy holders of the consumer bill of rights or to provide information about how to obtain the bill of rights. Obtaining the consumer bill of rights can sometimes be difficult or confusing for policy holders. House Bill 2019 requires an insurer to provide a statement that refers to the availability of the consumer bill of rights and provides information about how to obtain a copy. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the commissioner of insurance in SECTION 1 (Article 5.06, Insurance Code), SECTION 2 (Article 21.60, Insurance Code), and SECTION 3. ANALYSIS House Bill 2019 amends the Insurance Code to require the commissioner of insurance (commissioner) by rule to require an insurer to provide, at the time a personal automobile insurance policy is issued, a statement that refers to the availability of the consumer bill of rights for personal automobile insurance policy holders adopted by the Texas Department of Insurance (department) and provides information about how to obtain the consumer bill of rights from the department. The bill requires the commissioner by rule to prescribe a statement to be provided with the damage estimate of the cost to repair a motor vehicle provided in connection with settlement of a claim under a personal automobile insurance policy that refers to the availability of the consumer bill of rights and how to obtain the consumer bill of rights from the department. The bill requires the commissioner to adopt such rules not later than November 1, 2001. The bill provides that a statement included with a damage estimate applies only to a written damage estimate provided on or after January 1, 2002. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.