La. Admin. Code tit. 37 § XIII-18917

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section XIII-18917 - Award and Allocation of Grants

A. Subject to the requirements of this Section, to carry out the purpose and intent of the Incentive Program, the commissioner shall award and allocate grants as the commissioner deems appropriate among qualified property insurers who have applied for grants. The commissioner has the discretion to create an advisory committee to assist in the analysis of grant applications. If created, the advisory committee will be composed of up to five members, designated to serve thereon by the commissioner.

B. The factors considered in awarding grants shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. the financial strength and satisfactory prior experience of the applicant;

2. the ability of the applicant to invest new capital and to comply with the other requirements of the grant;

3. the potential of the applicant for providing property insurance as required by the Incentive Program at reasonable and competitive rates, particularly for property owners in the following Louisiana parishes: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana;

4. the marketing and claims handling capability and experience of the applicant, and particularly its ability to market property insurance in the parishes listed in §18917.B.3 and to handle future claims that may arise;

5. the applicant's longevity in the Incentive Program, including a statement or plan of operation by the applicant demonstrating its intent to remain in this state following the completion of the Incentive Program;

6. the current licensure of the applicant where preference and priority will be given to those admitted property insurers that are currently licensed to do business in this state for the line or lines of business that are the subject of the grant; and

7. any other factors that the commissioner deems applicable, relevant and appropriate in carrying out the purpose and intent of the Incentive Program.

C. For grant applications in response to the initial invitation, the commissioner shall not allocate individual grants of less than $2,000,000 nor in excess of $10,000,000.

D. For the initial allocation of grants only, the commissioner shall allocate at least 20 percent of the total amount available for grants to domestic property insurers unless the commissioner has not received sufficient applications from qualified domestic property insurers to allocate such sum.

E. If the commissioner issues a second invitation for grant application, the commissioner shall not allocate individual grants of less than $2,000,000 nor in excess of $10,000,000. Property insurers who have been allocated a grant in response to the first invitation may apply for and receive an additional grant, provided the total of the grants to a property insurer does not exceed $10,000,000.

F. If the commissioner issues a third invitation for grant application, the commissioner shall not allocate individual grants of less than $2,000,000 nor in excess of $10,000,000. Property insurers who have been allocated a grant in response to the first or second invitations may apply for and receive an additional grant, provided the total of the grants to a property insurer does not exceed $10,000,000.

1. Grants made pursuant to a third invitation may be made to property insurers providing coverage against damage to an existing dwelling. Such grant shall be made only as to those policies transferred from an existing dwelling to a new dwelling, provided the risk of catastrophe associated with the new dwelling is the same as or no greater than the level of risk of catastrophe associated with the existing dwelling.

2. Grants shall also be made under the provisions of this Subsection to any property insurer that was forced to reduce coverage, or drop coverage entirely, on existing dwellings in order that the property insurer maintain its financial stability or solvency. A grant made pursuant to this Paragraph shall be contingent on the property insurer reinstating such former coverage or better coverage on the existing dwellings.

G. In no event shall the total amount of the grant to a property insurer exceed 20 percent of that property insurer's capital and surplus as reported to and verified by the department.

H. Prior to the award of any grant pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter, the grant shall be subject to the review and approval of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. The commissioner shall provide written notice to the committee of the grant awards that have been approved. Upon written approval by the committee, the commissioner will be authorized to award the grant and deliver the amount of the grant to the grantee from monies in the Incentive Program Fund.

I. In the event that monies remain in the Incentive Program Fund after allocations pursuant to the third invitation, the commissioner shall cause all remaining monies to be returned to the state general fund.

La. Admin. Code tit. 37, § XIII-18917

Promulgated by the Department of Insurance, Office of the Commissioner, LR 49272 (2/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 22:11, 22:2361 et seq., and the Administrative Procedure Act, R.S. 49:950 et seq.