HOUSE BILL No. 6128

 

 

June 7, 2018, Introduced by Rep. Kosowski and referred to the Committee on Insurance.

 

     A bill to amend 1956 PA 218, entitled

 

"The insurance code of 1956,"

 

by amending sections 2027 and 2151 (MCL 500.2027 and 500.2151),

 

section 2027 as amended by 1998 PA 26 and section 2151 as added by

 

2012 PA 165, and by adding section 2027a.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 2027. Unfair methods of competition and unfair or

 

deceptive acts or practices in the business of insurance include:

 

     (a) Refusing to insure, or refusing to continue to insure, or

 

limiting the amount of coverage available to an individual or risk

 

because of any of the following:

 

     (i) Race, color, creed, marital status, sex, or national

 

origin, except that marital status may be used to classify

 

individuals or risks for the purpose of insuring family units.

 

     (ii) The residence, age, disability, or lawful occupation of


the individual or the location of the risk, unless there is a

 

reasonable relationship between the residence, age, disability, or

 

lawful occupation of the individual or the location of the risk and

 

the extent of the risk or the coverage issued or to be issued, but

 

subject to subparagraph (iii) and section 2027a. This section shall

 

does not prohibit an insurer from specializing in or limiting its

 

transactions of insurance to certain occupational groups, types, or

 

risks as approved by the commissioner of insurance. director. The

 

commissioner director shall approve the specialization for an

 

insurer licensed to do business in this state and whose articles of

 

incorporation contained a provision on July 1, 1976, requiring that

 

specialization.

 

     (iii) For property insurance, the location of the risk, unless

 

there is a statistically significant relationship between the

 

location of the risk and a risk of loss due to fire within the area

 

in which the insured property is located. As used in this

 

subparagraph, "area" means a single zip code number under the

 

zoning improvement plan of the United States postal service.Postal

 

Service.

 

     (b) Refusing to insure or refusing to continue to insure an

 

individual or risk solely because the insured or applicant was

 

previously denied insurance coverage by an insurer.

 

     (c) Charging a different rate for the same coverage based on

 

sex, marital status, age, residence, location of risk, disability,

 

or lawful occupation of the risk unless the rate differential is

 

based on sound actuarial principles, a reasonable classification

 

system, and is related to the actual and credible loss statistics


or, for new coverages, reasonably anticipated experience, in the

 

case of new coverages. This but subject to section 2027a. Except as

 

provided in section 2027a, this subdivision shall does not apply if

 

the rate has previously been approved by the commissioner.director.

 

     Sec. 2027a. It is an unfair method of competition and an

 

unfair or deceptive act or practice in the business of insurance

 

for an automobile insurer to refuse to insure, refuse to continue

 

to insure, limit the amount of coverage available, or charge a

 

different rate or premium for the same coverage based on the credit

 

history or lack of credit history for an insured or applicant.

 

     Sec. 2151. As used in this chapter:

 

     (a) "Adverse action" means an increase in any charge for, or a

 

reduction or other adverse or unfavorable change in the terms of

 

coverage or amount of, any personal insurance, existing or applied

 

for.

 

     (b) "Consumer reporting agency" means any person which, that,

 

for monetary fees or dues or on a cooperative nonprofit basis,

 

regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembling

 

or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on

 

consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third

 

parties.

 

     (c) "Credit information" means any credit-related information

 

derived from a credit report, found on a credit report itself, or

 

provided on an application for personal insurance. Information that

 

is not credit-related shall is not be considered credit

 

information, regardless of whether it is contained in a credit

 

report or in an application, or is used to calculate an insurance


score.

 

     (d) "Credit report" means any written, oral, or other

 

communication of information by a consumer reporting agency bearing

 

on a consumer's credit worthiness, credit standing, or credit

 

capacity that is used or expected to be used or collected in whole

 

or in part for the purpose of serving as a factor in the rating of

 

personal insurance.

 

     (e) "Insurance score" means a number or rating that is derived

 

from an algorithm, computer application, model, or other process

 

that is based in whole or in part on credit information for the

 

purposes of predicting the future insurance loss exposure of an

 

individual applicant or insured.

 

     (f) "Personal insurance" means property/casualty insurance

 

written for personal, family, or household use, including

 

automobile, home, motorcycle, mobile home, noncommercial dwelling

 

fire, boat, personal watercraft, snowmobile, and recreational

 

vehicle, whether written on an individual, group, franchise,

 

blanket policy, or similar basis. Personal insurance does not

 

include automobile insurance.