1098                           LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 553

(5) No manual, minimum, class rate, rating schedule, rating plan,
rating rule, or any modification of any of the foregoing which has
been filed pursuant to the requirements of subsection (c) shall be dis-
approved if the rates thereby produced meet the requirements of
this section.

(e) Rating organizations.

(1)  Any person, whether located within or outside this State, may
make application to the Commissioner for license as a rating organi-
zation for such kinds of insurance, or subdivision or class of risk or a
part or combination thereof as are specified in its application and
shall file therewith (i) a copy of its constitution, its articles of agree-
ment or association or its certificate of incorporation, and of its by-
laws, rules and regulations governing the conduct of its business, (ii)
a list of its members and subscribers, (iii) the name and address of
a resident of this State upon whom notices or orders of the Commis-
sioner or process affecting such rating organization may be served
and (iv) a statement of its qualifications as a rating organiza-
tion. If the Commissioner finds that the applicant is competent,
trustworthy and otherwise qualified to act as a rating organiza-
tion and that its constitution, articles of agreement or association
or certificate of incorporation, and its bylaws, rules and regula-
tions governing the conduct of its business, conform to the re-
quirements of law, he shall issue a license specifying the kinds of
insurance, or subdivision or class of risk or part or combination
thereof for which the applicant is authorized to act as a rating or-
ganization. Every such application shall be granted or denied in
whole or in part by the Commissioner within sixty days of the date
of its filing with him. Licenses issued pursuant to this subsection
shall remain in effect for three years unless sooner suspended or
revoked by the Commissioner. The fee for said license shall be twen-
ty-five dollars. Licenses issued pursuant to this subsection may be
suspended or revoked by the Commissioner, after hearing upon
notice, in the event the rating organization ceases to meet the re-
quirements of this paragraph. Every rating organization shall notify
the Commissioner promptly of every change in (i) its constitution,
its articles of agreement or association, or its certificate of incorpora-
tion, and its bylaws, rules and regulations governing the conduct of
its business, (ii) its list of members and subscribers and (iii) the
name and address of the resident of this State designated by it upon
whom notices or orders of the Commissioner or process affecting such
rating organization may be served.

(2)   Subject to rules and regulations which have been approved by
the Commissioner as reasonable, each rating organization shall per-
mit any insurer, not a member, to be a subscriber to its rating serv-
ices for any kind of insurance, subdivision, or class of risk or a part
or combination thereof for which it is authorized to act as a rating
organization. Notice of proposed changes in such rules and regula-
tions shall be given to subscribers. Each rating organization shall
furnish its rating services without discrimination to its members and
subscribers. The reasonableness of any rule or regulation in its appli-
cation to subscribers, or the refusal of any rating organization to
admit an insurer as a subscriber, shall, at the request of any sub-
scriber or any such insurer, be reviewed by the Commissioner at a
hearing held upon at least ten days' written notice to such rating or-
ganization and to such subscriber or insurer. If the Commissioner