A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to allow insurance companies writing private automobile insurance in north carolina to offer optional program enhancements.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 36 of Chapter 58 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 58‑36‑43.  Optional program enhancements authorized not altering coverage under Rate Bureau jurisdiction.
(a)	Member companies writing private passenger automobile or homeowners' insurance under this Article may incorporate optional enhancements to their automobile and homeowners' programs as an endorsement to an automobile or homeowners' policy issued under this Article if the insurer has filed the proposed enhancement with the Commissioner and if the proposed enhancement is approved by the Commissioner. Any approved optional enhancements shall be considered outside the authority of the Rate Bureau. If the proposed enhancement will include an additional premium charge, the proposed premium charge shall be included with the proposed program enhancements filed with the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall review the proposed premium charges and approve them if the Commissioner finds that they are based on sound actuarial principles. Amendments to private passenger automobile or homeowners' program enhancements are subject to the same requirements as initial filings. Neither the acceptance, renewal of a policy, nor any underwriting rating criteria shall be conditioned by a company upon the acceptance by the policyholder of any optional automobile or homeowners' enhancements. A rate amendment authorized by this section is not a rate deviation and is not subject to the requirements for rate deviations set forth in G.S. 58‑36‑30(a).
(b)	Insurers shall utilize statistical codes outlined by their statistical organization in reporting premiums and losses resulting from program enhancements filed under this section. Those statistical codes shall be substantially different than the codes utilized for data collected for rate‑making purposes in order to avoid commingling of the data."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2015, and applies to optional enhancements filed and approved on or after that date.