H-4333              _______________________________________________

                                          SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 2089

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance (originally sponsored by Representative Lux)

Read first time 2/7/86 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to insurance; and amending RCW 48.30.320.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 133, Laws of 1979 and RCW 48.30.320 are each amended to read as follows:

          Every authorized insurer, upon canceling, denying, or refusing to renew any individual ((life, individual disability, homeowner, dwelling fire, or private passenger automobile)) insurance policy, shall, upon written request, directly notify in writing the applicant or insured, as the case may be, of the reasons for the action by the insurer.  Any benefits, terms, rates, or conditions of such an insurance contract which are restricted, excluded, modified, increased, or reduced because of the presence of a sensory, mental, or physical handicap shall, upon written request, be set forth in writing and supplied to the insured.  The written communications required by this section shall be phrased in simple language which is readily understandable to a person of average intelligence, education, and reading ability.