17:33C-2. Automobile insurance urban enterprise zone program

20. a. The commissioner shall establish in a fair and equitable manner an automobile insurance urban enterprise zone program designed to encourage greater availability of automobile insurance in certain urban areas of this State as designated pursuant to subsection b. of this section. The program shall provide for incentives that the commissioner deems necessary to encourage qualified insurers to write automobile insurance business in those areas and that adequately safeguard the interests of policyholders and the public.

b. The commissioner shall undertake a review of the availability of automobile insurance in this State and shall identify and designate as automobile insurance urban enterprise zones those urban-based geographic areas in which consumers would benefit from increased access to automobile insurance. In making this determination, the commissioner shall consider, among other things, representation by automobile insurers in those rating territories historically deemed underserved. To assist in this review, the commissioner may appoint an advisory committee composed of representatives of automobile insurers and insurance producer associations and individuals who reside in urban areas of this State. Automobile insurance urban enterprise zones designated pursuant to this section shall be defined by regulations promulgated by the commissioner. The commissioner shall conduct periodic reviews of the availability of automobile insurance throughout the State and may amend the regulations to modify the composition of designated automobile insurance urban enterprise zones for the purpose of furthering the intent of this amendatory and supplementary act.

L.1997,c.151,s.20.