AN ACT Relating to authorizing insurers to offer customer satisfaction benefits; and adding a new section to chapter 48.18 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 48.18 RCW to read as follows:

(1) An insurer may include contractual benefits based on customer satisfaction as part of an insurance policy. The insurer must file the policy or endorsement for approval as required by RCW 48.18.100. The contractual benefits may include sums of money provided or credited to a policyholder if the policyholder is dissatisfied with the service provided by their insurer. A sum that is provided to or credited to a policyholder as part of an approved contractual benefit based on customer satisfaction is not "premium" for the purposes of RCW 48.18.170. A policy premium reduced by such a credit will be taxed on the full cost of the premium before application of the customer satisfaction credit.

(2) This section applies only to personal insurance as defined in RCW 48.18.545(1)(g).

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