962                              Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 436

reason, that a copy of the company's reply will be made part of
the public records of the State Insurance Department; and to
provide that any insurer who violates these sections shall be liable
for coverage under certain circumstances.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Sections 240A, B, and C of Article 48A of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1968 Replacement Volume and 1970 Supplement),
title "Insurance Code," subtitle "'Unfair Trade Practices," be and
they are hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments; that
new Section 240D be and it is hereby added to said Article, title, and
subtitle; that Sections 240D and E of said Article, title, and subtitle
be and they are hereby renumbered, all to read as follows:

240A.

(a)  Whenever an insurer gives notice of its intention to cancel
or not to renew a policy OF INSURANCE OTHER THAN LIFE OR
HEALTH INSURANCE [of motor vehicle liability insurance] issued
in this State as hereinafter required in subsection [(d)] (c) hereof,
or before it cancels any such policy of insurance for a reason other
than for nonpayment of premium, the insurer shall notify the insured
of his possible right to replace such insurance through the Maryland
[automobile] Automobile [insurance] Insurance [plan] Plan, the
Maryland Property Insurance Availability Plan, or any other plan,
if there be such, and he may be eligible therefor.

(b)  [The notice shall be in substantially the following form:

"You have been notified that your insurance company does not
desire to carry automobile liability insurance for you any longer.
You should immediately contact an agent or broker for other insur-
ance or request insurance through the Maryland automobile insur-
ance plan. The plan affords eligible persons the right to obtain
liability insurance. In addition to contacting an insurance broker or
agent you may directly contact the office of the plan for an
explanation."

(c)] The notice shall contain the current address and telephone
number of the offices of [the] such [plan] plans. It shall be sent to
the insured in the same manner and at the same time as the first
written notice of cancellation or of intention not to renew given
or required by law, regulation or contract.

[(d)] (c) The insurer shall see that written notice of intention to
cancel for a reason other than nonpayment of premium or notice
of intention not to renew a policy [of motor vehicle liability insur-
ance] issued in this State is sent to the insured not less than 30 45
days prior to the date of the proposed cancellation or expiration of
the policy, as the case may be. Notice given the insured by an insur-
ance broker or agent on behalf of the insurer shall be deemed to
have been given by the insurer for the purposes of this subsection;
provided, however, that no such notices shall be required where the
agent or broker has replaced the insurance.

240B.

[If a policy or contract of motor vehicle liability insurance or fire
insurance which has been in effect for at least sixty days, is can-