HB 106 - Workers' compensation; voluntary service for ACOG; coverage

Georgia House of Representatives - 1995/1996 Sessions

HB 106 - Workers' compensation; voluntary service for ACOG; coverage

Page Numbers - 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5
Code Sections - 34-9-138
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1. Lane  146th            2. Coleman  142nd          3. Buck  135th
4. Parrish  144th         5. Channell  111th         6. Godbee  145th

House Comm: IndR / Senate Comm: I&L / House Vote: Yeas 116 Nays 4 Senate Vote: Yeas 50 Nays 0 ---------------------------------------- House Action Senate ---------------------------------------- 1/9/95 Read 1st Time 2/1/95 1/10/95 Read 2nd Time 2/10/95 1/26/95 Favorably Reported 2/9/95* Sub Committee Amend/Sub Recommitted 1/8/96 1/31/95 Read 3rd Time 1/8/96 1/31/95 Passed/Adopted 3/12/96 CS Comm/Floor Amend/Sub CS 3/14/96 Amend/Sub Agreed To 4/2/96 Sent to Governor 4/15/96 Signed by Governor 907 Act/Veto Number 4/15/96 Effective Date ---------------------------------------- Rules Suspended to Introduce Favorably Reported by Substitute 3/7/96 Code Sections amended: 34-9-138, 34-9-152, 34-9-155, 34-9-156, 34-9-163, 34-9-164, 34-9-167, 33-23-102
HB 106 HB 106/AP H. B. No. 106 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Lane of the 146th, Coleman of the 142nd, Buck of the 135th, Parrish of the 144th, Channell of the 111th and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1- 1 To amend Chapter 9 of Title 34 of the Official Code of 1- 2 Georgia Annotated, relating to workers' compensation, so as 1- 3 to provide for inclusion of a formerly self-insured 1- 4 employer's prior experience in determining an experience 1- 5 modifier; to change certain provisions relating to 1- 6 application for certificate of authority to create group 1- 7 self-insurance fund; to change certain provisions relating 1- 8 to admission of new members to group self-insurance fund; to 1- 9 change certain provisions relating to termination of 1-10 participation in group self-insurance fund; to change 1-11 certain provisions relating to maintenance of loss reserves; 1-12 to change certain provisions relating to payment of 1-13 operating expenses by members of fund; to change certain 1-14 provisions relating to bond of administrator; to amend Code 1-15 Section 33-23-102 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 1-16 relating to bond and surety of applicant for insurance 1-17 administrator's license, so as to provide for fidelity bond; 1-18 to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; 1-19 and for other purposes. 1-20 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. 1-21 Chapter 9 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia 1-22 Annotated, relating to workers' compensation, is amended by 1-23 adding a new Code Section 34-9-138 to read as follows: 1-24 "34-9-138. (Index) 1-25 Any insurance company which voluntarily writes a policy 1-26 for any employer which was self-insured under any 1-27 provision of this chapter shall include such employer's 1-28 prior experience while self-insured to determine or have 1-29 determined an experience modifier for such employer." SECTION 2. 1-30 Said chapter is further amended by striking subsection (d) 1-31 of Code Section 34-9-152, relating to application for H. B. No. 106 -1- (Index) HB 106/AP 2- 1 certificate of authority to create group self-insurance 2- 2 fund, and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 2- 3 "(d) Each application for a certificate of authority shall 2- 4 be accompanied by a filing fee of $300.00 in the amount 2- 5 required by subparagraph (CC) of paragraph (1) of Code 2- 6 Section 33-8-1, which fee shall not be refundable." SECTION 3. 2- 7 Said chapter is further amended by striking subsection (a) 2- 8 of Code Section 34-9-155, relating to admission of new 2- 9 members to group self-insurance fund, and inserting in lieu 2-10 thereof the following: 2-11 "(a) Any other provision of law to the contrary 2-12 notwithstanding, no No person other than a trustee, 2-13 officer, or administrator of the fund shall solicit 2-14 membership or participation in any fund unless such 2-15 person: 2-16 (1) Has a valid agent's license for property and 2-17 casualty insurance or a counselor's license issued 2-18 pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 23 of Title 33; or 2-19 (2) Is an officer, director, or employee of: 2-20 (A) A professional association or trade association; 2-21 or 2-22 (B) A corporation with its income exempt pursuant to 2-23 Section 115 of the United States Internal Revenue 2-24 Code." SECTION 4. 2-25 Said chapter is further amended by striking subsection (d) 2-26 of Code Section 34-9-156, relating to termination of 2-27 participation in group self-insurance fund, and inserting in 2-28 lieu thereof the following: 2-29 "(d) Any member who is voluntarily terminated or is 2-30 involuntarily terminated shall carry the same experience 2-31 modifier promulgated by the fund unless proof can be 2-32 provided to the Commissioner that either the formula for 2-33 determining the experience modifier is incorrect or the 2-34 data being used is incorrect be provided with the data 2-35 necessary for the replacement workers' compensation 2-36 insurer to determine or have determined an experience 2-37 modifier for such former member." H. B. No. 106 -2- (Index) HB 106/AP SECTION 5. 3- 1 Said chapter is further amended by striking subsection (b) 3- 2 of Code Section 34-9-163, relating to maintenance of loss 3- 3 reserves, and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 3- 4 "(b) For all claims under policies written in the three 3- 5 years immediately preceding the date as of which the 3- 6 statement is made, a fund shall maintain: 3- 7 (1) Actual loss reserves, incurred but not reported loss 3- 8 reserves, and reserves for aggregate excess insurance 3- 9 which, combined with actual loss and loss expense 3-10 payments, shall be in an amount at least equal to the 3-11 loss fund percentage as stated in the fund's excess 3-12 insurance policy or such higher amounts as required by 3-13 the Commissioner; or 3-14 (2) With the approval of the Commissioner, loss reserves 3-15 in an amount equal to the greater of the amount 3-16 established by an independent casualty actuary in 3-17 accordance with actuarial standards or 40 45 percent of 3-18 earned premiums written in each of the three years prior 3-19 to the date on which the report or statement is to be 3-20 made, less all loss and loss expense payments made in 3-21 connection with the claims under policies written in 3-22 those three years. For the purposes of this paragraph, 3-23 the term 'actuarial standards' means the standards 3-24 adopted by the Casualty Actuarial Society in its 3-25 Statement of Principles Regarding Property and Casualty 3-26 Insurance Ratemaking Loss and Loss Adjustment Expense 3-27 Reserves and the Standards of Practice adopted by the 3-28 Actuarial Standards Board." SECTION 6. 3-29 Said chapter is further amended by striking subsection (a) 3-30 of Code Section 34-9-164, relating to payment of operating 3-31 expenses by members of fund, and inserting in lieu thereof 3-32 the following: 3-33 "(a) Each member shall pay into the fund its share of the 3-34 fund's projected obligation for workers' compensation 3-35 liability, administrative expenses, and other costs 3-36 incurred by the fund as may be determined by the board of 3-37 the fund or by an the fund's administrator and approved by 3-38 the board of the fund, all in accordance with this 3-39 article. The share shall be adjusted by the board of the 3-40 fund according to the claims experience of each H. B. No. 106 -3- (Index) HB 106/AP 4- 1 participating member in accordance with criteria set forth 4- 2 in the bylaws of the fund; provided, however, that no 4- 3 member of a fund shall be charged a basic rate which is in 4- 4 excess of 108 percent of the basic rate charged to any 4- 5 other member of the fund. The premium for each year shall 4- 6 be paid by each member at the beginning of each fund year 4- 7 unless otherwise provided for under the intrastate 4- 8 agreement or under a payment plan developed by the board 4- 9 of the fund and submitted to and approved by the 4-10 Commissioner. The board of the fund shall make payments to 4-11 the employees of the members out of the fund for workers' 4-12 compensation benefits pursuant to and in accordance with 4-13 the claims procedures set forth in this chapter; and the 4-14 board of the fund shall determine what, if any, dividends 4-15 or assessments shall be paid to or levied against the 4-16 participating members of the fund." SECTION 7. 4-17 Said chapter is further amended by striking subsection (a) 4-18 of Code Section 34-9-167, relating to bond of administrator, 4-19 and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 4-20 "(a) The Commissioner shall require each administrator to 4-21 have and maintain a fidelity bond in an amount which the 4-22 Commissioner deems appropriate but which is not less than 4-23 $100,000.00 pursuant to Code Section 33-23-102." SECTION 8. 4-24 Code Section 33-23-102 of the Official Code of Georgia 4-25 Annotated, relating to bond and surety of applicant for 4-26 insurance administrator's license, is amended by striking 4-27 subsection (a) and inserting in lieu thereof the following; 4-28 "(a) Every applicant for an administrator's license shall 4-29 file with the application and shall thereafter maintain in 4-30 force while so licensed a fidelity bond in favor of the 4-31 Commissioner executed by a corporate surety insurer 4-32 authorized to transact insurance in this state. The terms 4-33 and type of the bond, including, but not limited to, total 4-34 aggregate liability on the bond shall be established by 4-35 the rule or regulation of the Commissioner." SECTION 9. 4-36 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the 4-37 Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval. H. B. No. 106 -4- (Index) HB 106/AP SECTION 10. 5- 1 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 5- 2 repealed. H. B. No. 106 -5- (Index)

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