Proposed Action on Rules
The Commissioner of Insurance, at a public hearing under Docket Number
2448 on June 28, 2000 at 10:00 a.m., in Room 100 of the William P. Hobby Jr.
State Office Building, 333 Guadalupe Street in Austin, Texas, will consider
a proposal made in a staff petition. Staff's petition seeks amendments to
the Homeowners and Dwelling Sections of the Texas Personal Lines Manual (Manual)
relating to Homeowners and Dwelling policies. Staff's petition (Reference
Number P-0500-12-I), was filed on May 17, 2000.
Staff proposes adoption of amendments to the Manual rules, which would
provide a second category for an optional credit on Homeowners and Dwelling
policies for stovetop fire suppression devices. The proposed amendments: (1)
make Category 1 devices eligible for the current stovetop fire suppression
credits; (2) provide the amount of credits for Category 2 devices; and (3)
require that the suppression device or devices have been approved by the State
Fire Marshal in accordance with 28 TAC §§34.1001 - 34.1004.
Amendments to §34.1004 are being proposed concurrently with this amendment
concerning stovetop fire suppression device approval and are published in
a separate rule in this issue of the
Texas Register
. The amendments to §34.1004 are necessary to set forth the criteria
that will allow insurers to offer a second category of credits for a correctly
installed residential stovetop fire suppression device and to add requirements
for all categories of devices.
A copy of the petition, including exhibits with the full text of the proposed
amendments to the Manual, is available for review in the office of the Chief
Clerk of the Texas Department of Insurance, 333 Guadalupe Street, Austin,
Texas. For further information or to request copies of the petition, please
contact Angie Arizpe at (512) 463-6326; refer to (Reference Number P-0500-12-I).
Comments on the proposed changes must be submitted in writing within 30
days after publication of the proposal in the
Texas
Register
, to the Office of the Chief Clerk, Texas Department of Insurance,
P.O. Box 149104, MC 113-2A, Austin, Texas, 78714-9104. An additional copy
of the comments is to be submitted to Marilyn Hamilton, Deputy Commissioner,
Personal and Commercial Lines Division, Texas Department of Insurance, P.O.
Box 149104, MC 104-PC, Austin, Texas, 78714-9104.
This notification is made pursuant to the Insurance Code, Article 5.96,
which exempts it from the requirements of the Government Code, Chapter 2001
(Administrative Procedure Act).
TRD-200003428
Lynda Nesenholtz
General Counsel and Chief Clerk
Texas Department of Insurance
Filed: May 17, 2000