H. B. 4673
(By Delegate McGraw)
[Introduced February 27, 1998; referred to the
Committee on Banking and Insurance.]
A BILL to amend article six, chapter thirty-three of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
thirty-one-e, relating to adding additional drivers to
automobile insurance policies; authorizing owner to
designate which automobile the additional driver may drive;
and prohibiting the insurer from increasing rates charged,
canceling or nonrenewing other policies.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article six, chapter thirty-three of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
thirty-one-e, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 6. THE INSURANCE POLICY.
§33-6-31e. Limiting action by insurer when new driver is added to policy.
A person who has more than one automobile liability
insurance policy, contract or endorsement thereto, covering more
than one automobile may when an additional authorized driver, who
is a member of the person's household, is added to the policy or
contract, or endorsement thereto, designate which automobile or
automobiles the additional driver is authorized to drive.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the
contrary, the insurer may not increase the rate charged, cancel
or fail to renew any other policy, contract or endorsement
thereto, covering automobiles the additional driver has not been
designated as authorized to drive.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to permit an owner of a
motor vehicle, which is insured by any automobile liability
policy, to designate which vehicle a high-risk driver of the
household may drive. The insurer may not increase the rate
charged for, cancel or nonrenew other automobile liability
policies held by the owner.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.