Notice is given that the Commissioner of Insurance will consider a petition filed by the staff of the Workers´ Compensation Division that requests amendments to Rule XVIII Group Purchase of Workers´ Compensation in the Texas Basic Manual of Rules, Classifications and Experience Rating Plan for Workers´ Compensation and Employers´ Liability Insuranc e (the Manual). The purpose of these amendments to the Manual is to amend Rule XVIII Group Purchase of Workers´ Compensation to implement Section 2 of HB 1865, which passed during the 78 th Legislature. This bill amended Article 5.57A of the Texas Labor Code by expanding the definition of "group" to include two or more members of a trade association of business entities that join together with the approval of the Commissioner to purchase individual workers´ compensation insurance policies covering each participating trade association member.
A public hearing on this matter will not be held unless a specific request for a hearing is submitted to the Office of the Chief Clerk during the comment period as defined herein.
The staff requests that the proposed amendments to the Manual as proposed herein be adopted effective 15 days after notice of adoption is published in the Texas Register.
A copy of the petition, including an exhibit with full text of the proposed amendments, is available for review in the Office of the Chief Clerk of the Texas Department of Insurance, 333 Guadalupe Street , Austin , Texas 78714-9104 . For further information or to request copies of the amendments, please contact Ms. Sylvia Gutierrez at 512-463-6327 (refer to Ref. No. W-1103-23-I).
The staff and the Commissioner request that written comments to these proposed amendments be submitted no later than 5:00 p. m. on January 5, 2004 to Gene Jarmon, General Counsel and Chief Clerk, Texas Department of Insurance, P. O. Box 149104 , MC 113-2A, Austin , Texas 78714-9014 . An additional copy of the comments should be submitted to Nancy Moore, Deputy Commissioner, Workers´ Compensation, Texas Department of Insurance, P. O. Box 149104 , MC 105-2A, Austin , Texas 78714-9104 .