A. If the Commission finds in any class, line, or subdivision of insurance, or in any rating class or rating territory or for insurance as defined in § 38.2-119 that (i) competition is not an effective regulator of the rates charged, (ii) Virginia loss experience and other factors specifically applicable to the Commonwealth have not been properly used to determine the rate, (iii) a substantial number of insurers are competing irresponsibly through the rates charged, or (iv) there are widespread violations of this chapter, it shall promulgate a rule requiring that any subsequent changes in the rates or supplementary rate information for that class, line, subdivision, rating class or rating territory shall be filed with the Commission at least sixty days before they become effective. The Commission may extend the waiting period for thirty additional days by written notice to the filer before the first sixty-day period expires. Upon filing any rate to which this section is applicable, the insurer shall give notice to the Division of Consumer Counsel of the Office of the Attorney General that such rate has been filed with the Commission and such insurer shall so certify to the Commission in its rate filing.

B. By this rule, the Commission may require the filing of supporting data for any classes, lines or subdivisions of insurance, or classes of risks or combinations thereof it deems necessary for the proper functioning of the rate monitoring and regulating process.

C. A rule promulgated under this section shall expire no later than twenty-seven months after issue. The Commission may renew the rule after a hearing and appropriate findings under this section.

D. If a filing is not accompanied by the information the Commission has required under subsection B of this section, the Commission shall within thirty days of the initial filing inform the insurer that the filing is not complete, and the filing shall be deemed to be made when the information is furnished.

E. If an insurer files for a rate reduction pursuant to a rule promulgated under this section, the Commission may order the provisional use of the requested rate reduction for such period as the Commission may require to evaluate the insurer's rate filing and supplementary rate information. The implementation of such a provisional rate reduction shall not relieve an insurer of its obligation to submit such information as deemed necessary by the Commission for its consideration of the rate filing, nor shall it interfere with the Commission's authority to suspend use of the provisional rate, reimpose the previous rate, consider and approve a revised rate request, or otherwise exercise its authority under § 38.2-1910.

F. Each insurer shall so certify in a rate filing if coverage to which the rate filing applies is reinsured by another company (i) under common management, (ii) under common controlling ownership, or (iii) under other common effective legal control as defined in § 38.2-1322.

1973, c. 504, § 38.1-279.40; 1986, c. 562; 1987, c. 697; 1990, cc. 487, 597; 1993, c. 985.