S-4853.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5177
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State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994 Regular Session
By Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce (originally sponsored by Senators Pelz, Prentice and Moore)
Read first time 02/04/94.
AN ACT Relating to automobile insurance; amending RCW 48.18.297; and adding new sections to chapter 48.18 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 48.18.297 and 1969 ex.s. c 241 s 24 are each amended to read as follows:
A private passenger automobile as used in ((RCW
48.18.291 through 48.18.297)) this chapter shall mean:
(1) An individually owned motor vehicle of the private passenger or station wagon type that is not used as a public or livery conveyance for passengers, nor rented to others.
(2) Any other individually owned four-wheel motor vehicle with a load capacity of fifteen hundred pounds or less which is not used in the occupation, profession, or business of the insured.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 48.18 RCW to read as follows:
No private passenger automobile liability insurer shall refuse to issue a private passenger liability insurance policy or increase the rate to be charged for the policy based solely on the grounds that the applicant has never purchased a policy or has not purchased or been covered by a policy during a specified time period immediately preceding the date of application.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 48.18 RCW to read as follows:
Notwithstanding RCW 48.18.290 through 48.18.292, an insurer may not cancel, fail to renew, increase premiums or deductibles, or reduce coverage or benefits under a private passenger automobile policy based solely upon the fact that the insured filed a covered claim under that policy when the event resulting in the claim was not primarily the fault of the insured.
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