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JOINT RESOLUTIONS

competitive structure of the insurance industry, and from
the regulation of the industry by the states; and

WHEREAS, It is becoming increasingly clear that the
establishment of federal regulation increases the cost of

government, often increases the cost of products and

services to the consumer, often adds confusion and delay,
without providing offsetting benefits to the public: and

WHEREAS, It has not been shown that the states cannot
continue to effectively regulate the insurance industry; and

WHEREAS, It has not been shown that federal regulation
of the insurance industry, by limiting state regulation and
permitting the application of the federal antitrust laws,
will have a salutory effect upon the industry or otherwise
benefit the public; and

WHEREAS, It is often necessary, subject to state
regulations, to pool the resources of several insurance
companies in order to provide for coordinated actions to
provide effective insurance coverage of certain risks and to
provide the public with reasonable prices, efficiency in
which the services are rendered at reasonable cost, and
innovation in which new products and services are made
available; and

WHEREAS, Officials of the federal government have
publicly, although unofficially, recommended amending the
McCarran—Ferguson Act so as to limit state regulation of the
business of insurance; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
Congress of the United States is urged to reject any
legislation amending the McCarran—Ferguson Act (15 U.S.C. §§
1011-1015, 59 Stat. 33 (1945)); and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the
Maryland Congressional Delegation: Senators Charles McC.
Mathias, Jr. and Paul S. Sarbanes, Senate Office Building,
Washington, D.C. 20510; and Representatives Robert E.
Bauman, Clarence D. Long, Barbara A. Mikulski, Marjorie S.
Holt, Gladys N. Spellman, Beverly B. Byron, Parren J.
Mitchell, and Michael D. Barnes, House Office Building,
Washington, D.C. 20515.

Signed April 10, 1979.

No. 9
(Senate Joint Resolution No. 61)
A Senate Joint Resolution concerning