a. The “New Jersey Surplus Lines Insurance Guaranty Fund Act,” P.L.1984, c.101 (C. 17:22-6.70 et seq.), enacted 18 years ago in the face of an imminent threat of declaration of insolvency of Ambassador Insurance Company of Vermont, has provided valuable benefits by covering claims of certain claimants against insolvent property and casualty insurers selling insurance in New Jersey as surplus lines.

b. That act was amended 15 years ago to include, as covered claims, those claims arising from the declared insolvency of Northeastern Fire Insurance Company of Pennsylvania.

c. Claims covered by the New Jersey Surplus Lines Insurance Guaranty Fund included claims by New Jersey residents or claims arising from property permanently located in New Jersey, in an amount up to the lesser of the policy limit or $300,000, subject to policy deductibles, thereby redistributing some of the economic burden of surplus lines insurer failures.

d. The New Jersey Surplus Lines Insurance Guaranty Fund currently contains a balance of approximately $80,000,000 and $40,000,000 is sufficient to satisfy existing covered claims.

e. The Legislature believes that, beyond the payment of existing covered claims, it is good public policy to maintain surplus lines insurance guaranty benefits for certain lines of insurance in the future.

L.2002,c.30,s.1.