§ 27-30-7. Filing, approval, and withdrawal of forms.
(a) All policies, certificates of insurance, notices of proposed insurance, disclosure notices, applications for insurance, endorsements, and riders delivered or issued for delivery in this state and the schedules of premium rates pertaining thereto shall be filed with the commissioner before being used.
(b) The commissioner shall, within thirty (30) days after the filing of any such policies, certificates of insurance, notices of proposed insurance, disclosure notices, applications for insurance, endorsements, and riders, disapprove any such form if the benefits provided are not reasonable in relation to the premium charged, or if it contains provisions that are unjust, unfair, inequitable, misleading, deceptive or encourage misrepresentation of the coverage, or are contrary to any provision of the general laws or public laws of this state relating to insurance or of any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder. If the commissioner does not disapprove a filing within thirty (30) days, it may be deemed approved.
(c) If the commissioner notifies the insurer that the form is disapproved, it is unlawful thereafter for the insurer to issue or use the form. In such notice, the commissioner shall specify the reason for disapproval and state that a hearing will be granted within twenty (20) days after request in writing by the insurer. No such policy, certificate of insurance, notice of proposed insurance, disclosure notices, nor any application, endorsement, or rider, shall be issued or used until the expiration of thirty (30) days after it has been so filed, unless the commissioner shall give prior written approval.
(d) The commissioner may, at any time after a hearing, held not less than twenty (20) days after written notice to the insurer, withdraw approval of any such form on any ground set forth in subsection (b) of this section. The written notice of the hearing shall state the reasons for the proposed withdrawal.
(e) It is not lawful for the insurer to issue forms or use them after the effective date of the withdrawal.
(f) If a group policy of consumer credit insurance:
(1) Has been delivered in this state before the effective date of this chapter; or
(2) Has been or will be delivered in another state before or after the effective date of this chapter then the insurer shall be required to file only the group certificate and notice of proposed insurance delivered or issued for delivery in this state as specified in § 27-30-6(c) and (e) and such forms shall be approved by the commissioner if they conform with the requirements specified in these subsections and if the schedules of premium rates applicable to the insurance evidenced by such certificate or notice are not in excess of the insurer’s schedules of premium rates filed with the commissioner; provided, however the premium rate in effect on existing group policies may be continued until the first policy anniversary date following the date this chapter becomes operative as provided in § 27-30-12. However, all other forms specified in subsection (a) of this section shall also be filed as specified in this section unless the group policy has been or is delivered in another state that has adopted statutes, regulations, or other provisions similar to this statute. In that event, the forms should be filed for informational purposes. However, the insurer shall be prohibited from using any form filed for informational purposes if the commissioner subsequently determines that the form is not in substantive compliance with the requirements of this statute.
(g) Any order or final determination of the commissioner under the provisions of this section shall be subject to judicial review in accordance with chapter 35 of title 42.
History of Section.
P.L. 1959, ch. 91, § 7; P.L. 2009, ch. 292, § 3; P.L. 2009, ch. 293, § 3.