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<section article="gin" article_name="Insurance" number="25-405" title_number="25" title_name="Alternative Market Mechanisms" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Maryland Property Insurance Availability Act">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Governing Committee shall adopt a program of operation in accordance with this subtitle.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The program of operation shall provide for economical, fair, and nondiscriminatory administration and for the prompt and efficient delivery of essential property insurance and homeowner’s insurance to promote orderly community development.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>With the approval of the Commissioner, the Association may amend the program of operation.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Association members shall vote on proposed amendments to the program of operation.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Votes shall be cast and counted on a weighted basis in accordance with the premiums written by each Association member.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>An amendment to the program of operation is not effective until approved by a majority of the votes cast by Association members.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The program of operation shall provide for:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>establishment of adequate service facilities and other necessary facilities;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>management of the Association;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>assessment of Association members to defray losses and expenses;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>commission arrangements;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>reasonable and objective underwriting standards;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>acceptance and cession of reinsurance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>procedures to determine amounts of insurance to be provided;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>immediate binding of eligible risks;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>a premium installment plan; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="10">
      <text>notwithstanding Title 27, Subtitle 6 of this article, underwriting guidelines and procedures that allow the Association to shorten the cancellation period for policies of essential property insurance and homeowner’s insurance for certain conditions that are determined to exist.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The program of operation shall provide that the Association may not appoint insurance producers to act on its behalf and shall do business directly with applicants or with licensed insurance producers that represent applicants.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The program of operation shall establish:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>a maximum limit of liability of $1,500,000 on real or personal property composed of or contained in a single building; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>appropriate sublimits of liability based on construction, protection, and class of occupancy.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The program of operation shall implement procedures to make homeowner’s insurance coverage available through the Association.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The homeowner’s insurance policies that the Association issues may be limited to basic market value, repair cost, or actual cash value contracts for owner-occupants of one- to four-family dwellings, as approved by the Commissioner.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The homeowner’s insurance shall be implemented through a program that entitles eligible applicants to immediate binding of coverage through the Association for a reasonable period of time pending underwriting and inspection of the premises to determine whether the premises meet the eligibility standards of the program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The program of operation shall provide a method of recoupment by which Association members may recover losses and expenses that have been incurred by the Association and assessed to Association members.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>To recoup loss and expense assessments, the program of operation shall provide for:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the calculation of the surcharge or rating factors to be added to direct premiums written for essential property insurance and homeowner’s insurance covering property located in the State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>an adjustment each year for over or under recoupment of assessment.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The program of operation shall develop a participation credit for dwellings as an offset to Association member assessment for voluntary writings in those areas of the State with a significant proportion of essential property insurance policies or homeowner’s insurance policies issued by or for the Association.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>After consultation with the Governing Committee, the Commissioner shall determine whether an area has a significant proportion of Association policies.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
