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<section article="gin" article_name="Insurance" number="25-403" title_number="25" title_name="Alternative Market Mechanisms" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Maryland Property Insurance Availability Act">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>There is a Joint Insurance Association.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Association is an unincorporated association.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Association consists of all insurers that are licensed to write in the State, on a direct basis, essential property insurance or a component of essential property insurance in multi-peril policies.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>As a condition of its authority to transact essential property insurance business in the State, an insurer must be and remain an Association member.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Association may:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>establish a program of operation, subject to the approval of the Commissioner; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>cause policies to be issued and assume and cede reinsurance on risks written in conformity with the program of operation.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Each Association member shall participate in the Association’s expenses, profits, and losses in the proportion that the Association member’s premiums written bear to the aggregate premiums written by all Association members.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A Governing Committee shall administer the Association.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Governing Committee consists of nine Association members.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>All Association members annually shall elect the members of the Governing Committee.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Votes shall be weighted in accordance with the premiums written by each Association member.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>An Association member, the Association or its agents or employees, the Board of Directors, and the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s representatives shall have the immunity from liability described in § 5-411(a) of the Courts Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An Association member, the Association, the Governing Committee, their agents or employees, the Commissioner, and the Commissioner’s authorized representatives shall have the immunity from liability described in § 5-411(b) of the Courts Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
