HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 70

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 18 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FEES AND CHARGES COLLECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE (Three-fifths of all members elected to each house thereof concurring therein):

Section 1. Amend § 701, Title 18, of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strikethrough and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 701. Fee Schedule.

(38) Requests for expedited service of documents listed in subsections (14), (18), (19) and (20) of this section shall be subject to the following schedule of fees:

a. Same Day Service -- $200.00

b. Next Day Service -- $100.00

c. 2 ^nd Business Day Service -- $50.00

d. The Commissioner shall establish by regulation the timeframes during which such requests must be received in order to receive expedited service.

Section 2. Effective Date.

This Act shall take effect ninety (90) days after enactment.

SYNOPSIS

This Act would add a fee schedule specific to requests made by insurance companies to the Department of Insurance for expedited service of charter documents, copies of documents on file in the Department, certification and affixing of official seals, and certified copies of insurer certificates of authority or of any license issued under Title 18. This Act also requires the Insurance Commissioner to promulgate a rule to establish the timeframe during which requests must be received in order to receive expedited service.

The Department of Insurance’s Bureau of Examination, Rehabilitation and Guaranty routinely processes expedited requests to satisfy insurers’ timelines. Currently, the Department of Insurance receives approximately 20 such requests per month. Implementing this fee schedule would help prioritize these kinds of requests, while adding an additional revenue to the General Fund.