(a) Four members of the public, two representing organized labor and two representing insured employers, appointed pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 11751.3, shall be entitled to serve on the managing or governing committee of a rating organization licensed under this article. A public member shall be entitled to vote on all issues involving pure premium rates, classifications, rating plans, rating systems, manual rules and policy, and endorsement forms which are properly brought before the committee. A public member shall be removed by the commissioner only for cause.

(b) In the event a public member is unable or unwilling to complete his or her term, after consultation with the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, other statewide organized labor organizations, and statewide organizations representing business, as the case may be, the commissioner shall appoint a successor from organized labor or an insured employer to complete the unexpired term.

Terms Used In California Insurance Code 11751.35

  • Commissioner: means the Insurance Commissioner of this State. See California Insurance Code 20
  • Insurer: means every insurer authorized to transact workers' compensation insurance and employer's liability insurance incidental thereto and written in connection therewith in this state, including the State Compensation Insurance Fund. See California Insurance Code 11750.1
  • Rating organization: means any organization which has as its primary object or purpose the collecting of loss and expense statistics and other statistical information and data, the making of pure premium rates and those rating plans authorized by Section 11734 for workers' compensation insurance and employer's liability insurance incidental thereto and written in connection therewith and presenting them to the commissioner for approval. See California Insurance Code 11750.1

(c) The public members who serve on the governing committee of a rating organization licensed under this article together may, by a majority vote, retain experts who shall include a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, to advise them on any matter specified in subdivision (a). The actuary hired may participate in all proceedings of the actuarial committee of the rating organization. The reasonable expense of retaining these experts shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per year and shall be paid from the budget of the department. The commissioner shall increase this amount annually to reflect any needed cost-of-living adjustments. The public members may submit information obtained from these experts, as well as any other information they deem appropriate, to the commissioner for his or her consideration in approving a change of any matter specified in subdivision (a).

(d) In addition to the expenses authorized pursuant to subdivision (c), the public members who serve on the governing committee of a rating organization licensed under this article may expend up to an additional one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per year, which shall be paid by insurer members of the rating organization. Those funds shall be used to retain staff, who shall be hired by a majority vote of the public members.

(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 375, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1996.)