H-1945              _______________________________________________

                                            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 41

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance (originally sponsored by Representatives Lux, Winsley, Zellinsky, Prince, Schoon, Wang, Miller and Tanner)

Read first time 2/18/85 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to insurance; and amending RCW 48.18.120.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section .18.12, chapter 79, Laws of 1947 as amended by section 10, chapter 193, Laws of 1957 and RCW 48.18.120 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) The commissioner shall, after hearing, from time to time promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to define and effect reasonable uniformity in all basic contracts of fire insurance which are commonly known as the standard form fire policies and may be so referred to in this code, and the usual supplemental coverages, riders, or endorsements thereon or thereto, to the end that such definitions shall be applied in the construction of the various sections of this code wherein such terms are used and that there be a reasonable concurrency of contract where two or more insurers insure the same subject and risk.  All such forms heretofore approved by the commissioner and for use as of immediately prior to the effective date of this code, may continue to be so used until the further order of the commissioner made pursuant to this subsection or pursuant to any other provision of this code.

          (2) The commissioner may from time to time, after hearing, promulgate such rules and regulations as he deems necessary to establish reasonable minimum standard conditions and terminology for basic benefits to be provided by disability insurance contracts which are subject to chapters 48.20 and 48.21 RCW, for the purpose of expediting his approval of such contracts pursuant to this code.  No such promulgation shall be inconsistent with standard provisions as required pursuant to RCW 48.18.130, nor contain requirements inconsistent with requirements relative to the same benefit provision as formulated or approved by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

(3) The commissioner may issue regulations to establish definitions of terms commonly found in dwelling fire, homeowners and vehicle insurance policies, including but not limited to the following:  Insured person, vehicle, trailer, residence, actual cash value, replacement cost, bodily injury, property damage, occurrence, loss, loss of use, accident, arbitration, appraisal and other insurance.