As used in this chapter:

(a) “Authority” means the California Earthquake Authority.

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Terms Used In California Insurance Code 10089.5

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Authority: means the California Earthquake Authority. See California Insurance Code 10089.5
  • Available capital: includes all interest or other income from the investment of money held in the California Earthquake Authority Fund. See California Insurance Code 10089.5
  • Basic residential earthquake insurance: means that policy of residential earthquake insurance described in Section 10089 except as follows:

    California Insurance Code 10089.5

  • Board: means the governing board of the authority. See California Insurance Code 10089.5
  • Bonds: means bonds, notes, commercial paper, variable rate and variable maturity securities, and any other evidence of indebtedness. See California Insurance Code 10089.5
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • Panel: means the advisory panel of the authority. See California Insurance Code 10089.5
  • Policy of residential property insurance: means those policies described in Section 10087. See California Insurance Code 10089.5
  • Unearned premium reserve: means an amount equal to the unearned portion of premiums due to, or received by, the authority on all of its policies of residential earthquake insurance, without deduction on account of reinsurance ceded. See California Insurance Code 10089.5
  • Variable Rate: Having a "variable" rate means that the APR changes from time to time based on fluctuations in an external rate, normally the Prime Rate. This external rate is known as the "index." If the index changes, the variable rate normally changes. Also see Fixed Rate.

(b) “Available capital” means the sum of all moneys and invested assets actually held in the California Earthquake Authority Fund, less loss reserves and loss adjustment expense reserves under all of the authority’s policies of residential earthquake insurance, and less the unearned premium reserve. “Available capital” includes all interest or other income from the investment of money held in the California Earthquake Authority Fund. “Available capital” does not include unearned premium, the proceeds of contracts of reinsurance procured by or in the name of the authority pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 10089.10, any funds realized on capital market contracts authorized by subdivision (b) of Section 10089.10, or the proceeds of bonds issued by or in the name of the authority.

(c) “Basic residential earthquake insurance” means that policy of residential earthquake insurance described in Section 10089 except as follows:

(1) (A) If one year after the authority commences operation the authority has available capital equal to or exceeding seven hundred million dollars ($700,000,000), any policy issued or renewed on or after that date shall provide, less any applicable deductible, not less than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) in coverage for additional living expenses.

(B) If the authority met the available capital requirements of subparagraph (A) and two years after the authority commences operation the authority has available capital equal to or exceeding seven hundred million dollars ($700,000,000), any policy issued or renewed on or after that date shall provide, less any applicable deductible, not less than three thousand dollars ($3,000) in coverage for additional living expenses.

(2) (A) If the authority did not meet the available capital requirement of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) but, two years after the authority commences operation the authority has available capital equal to or exceeding seven hundred million dollars ($700,000,000), any policy issued or renewed on or after that date shall provide, less any applicable deductible, not less than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) in coverage for additional living expenses.

(B) If the authority met the available capital requirements as provided by subparagraph (A) and three years after the authority commences operation the authority has available capital equal to or exceeding seven hundred million dollars ($700,000,000), any policy issued or renewed on or after that date shall provide, less any applicable deductible, not less than three thousand dollars ($3,000) in coverage for additional living expenses.

(d) “Board” means the governing board of the authority.

(e) “Bonds” means bonds, notes, commercial paper, variable rate and variable maturity securities, and any other evidence of indebtedness.

(f) “Capital market contract” means an agreement between the authority and a purchaser pursuant to which the purchaser agrees to purchase bonds of the authority.

(g) “Nonparticipating insurer” means an insurer that elects not to transfer or place any residential earthquake policies in the authority.

(h) “Panel” means the advisory panel of the authority.

(i) “Participating insurer” means an insurer that has elected to join the authority.

(j) “Policy of residential property insurance” means those policies described in Section 10087.

(k) “Private capital market” means one or more purchasers of bonds of the authority pursuant to a capital market contract.

(l) “Qualifying residential property” includes all those residential dwellings set forth in Section 10087.

(m) “Residential earthquake insurance market share” means an individual insurer’s total direct premium received for (1) residential earthquake policies and endorsements written or renewed by the insurer in California and (2) residential earthquake policies written or renewed by the authority for which the insurer has written or renewed an underlying policy of residential property insurance, divided by the total gross premiums received by all admitted insurers and the authority for their basic residential earthquake insurance in California.

(n) “Residential property insurance market share” means an individual insurer’s total gross premiums received for residential property insurance policies written or renewed by the insurer, divided by the total gross premiums received by all admitted insurers for residential property insurance in California.

(o) “Revenue” means all income and receipts of the authority, including, but not limited to, income and receipts derived from premiums, bond purchase agreements, capital contributions by insurers, assessments levied on insurers, surcharges applied to authority earthquake policyholders, and all interest or other income from investment of money in any fund or account of the authority established for the payment of principal or interest, or premiums on bonds, including reserve funds.

(p) “Unearned premium reserve” means an amount equal to the unearned portion of premiums due to, or received by, the authority on all of its policies of residential earthquake insurance, without deduction on account of reinsurance ceded. The unearned premium reserve shall be charged as a reserve liability in determining the authority’s financial condition. Because the unearned premium reserve is established and maintained to protect the interests of authority policyholders in their unexpired authority policies, authority assets in an amount equal to the unearned premium reserve shall not be subject to encumbrance by, or distribution to, creditors of or claimants against the authority unless and until the authority has paid in full all policyholder claims and policyholder liabilities.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 303, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2008. Operative July 1, 2008, by second Sec. 8 of Ch. 303.)