ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor                               H.B. 2

Counsel Division; establishing the People's Insurance Counsel Fund; requiring
the Maryland Insurance Commissioner to collect a certain assessment from
certain insurers and deposit the amounts collected into the People's Insurance
Counsel Fund; establishing the duties of the Division; establishing certain rights
of the Division in appearances before the Commissioner and courts on behalf of
insurance consumers; authorizing the Division to appear before any unit of State
or federal government to protect the interest of insurance consumers; providing
that the Division shall have full access to certain records under certain
circumstances; providing that the Division is entitled to the assistance of certain
staff under certain circumstances; authorizing the Division to recommend certain
legislation to the General Assembly; requiring the Division to report on its
activities to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before a certain date;
altering certain penalty provisions for failing to file certain reports with the State
Board of Physician Quality Assurance; requiring the Maryland Insurance
Administration to prepare annually a certain comparison guide of medical
professional liability insurance premiums for health care providers that includes
certain information; requiring insurers that issue or deliver medical professional
liability insurance policies in the State to offer certain policies with certain
deductibles; requiring the Legislative Auditor annually to conduct a fiscal and
compliance audit of the accounts and transactions of the Medical Mutual
Liability Insurance Society of Maryland; requiring the Society to pay the cost of a
certain audit; providing that a medical professional liability insurer that issues
or delivers a new policy is not subject to a certain provision of law; providing that
the Commissioner shall make a certain determination within 90 days of a request
to review a cancellation or refusal to renew a policy for medical professional
liability insurance; requiring a medical professional liability insurer, under
certain circumstances, to immediately reinstate a policy for medical professional
liability insurance that was terminated by the insurer; establishing a People's
Insurance Counsel Division in the Office of the Attorney General providing for
the appointment, qualifications, and compensation of the People's Insurance
Counsel; requiring the Attorney General's Office to provide money in its annual
budget for the People's Insurance Counsel Division; authorizing the Division to
retain or hire certain experts; requiring the People's Insurance Counsel to
administer and operate the People's Insurance Counsel Division; establishing
the People's Insurance Counsel Fund; requiring the Maryland Insurance
Commissioner to collect a certain assessment from certain insurers and deposit
the amounts collected into the People's Insurance Counsel Fund; establishing
the duties of the Division; establishing certain rights of the Division in
appearances before the Commissioner and courts on behalf of insurance
consumers; authorizing the Division to appear before any unit of State or federal
government to protect the interests of insurance consumers; providing that the
Division shall have full access to certain records under certain circumstances;
providing that the Division is entitled to the assistance of certain staff under
certain circumstances; authorizing the Division to recommend certain
legislation to the General Assembly; requiring the Division to report on its
activities to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before a certain date
each year; establishing the Maryland Medical Professional Liability Insurance
Rate Stabilization Fund; establishing the purposes of the Fund; requiring the

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