(a) An advisory organization may prepare and distribute insurance policy or bond forms, and manuals, including policy writing rules, rating plans, classification codes and descriptions, territory codes and descriptions, prospective loss costs, and rules that include factors and relativities such as increased limits factors, classification relativities, or similar factors, if, prior to being used by insurers, they are submitted in writing to the commissioner for his or her consideration and approval, together with any information the commissioner may reasonably require. All of these documents shall be available for public inspection at the office of the commissioner. The commissioner shall approve advisory organization policy forms or bond forms, or manuals, that are not found by him or her to be unfair, unreasonable, or violate the provisions of this code, including Sections 1861.02 and 1861.05.

(b) Upon submission of any advisory organization policy forms or bond forms, or manuals, the commissioner may review them, and if after a hearing, at which representatives of consumers and other interested parties may participate, upon not less than 10 days’ notice to an advisory organization he or she finds that the contents of policy forms or bond forms, or manuals, are unfair or unreasonable, or violate the provisions of this code, he or she may issue a written order to the advisory organization specifying in what respect the contents of the policy forms, bond forms, or manuals, are unfair or unreasonable or violate the provisions of this code and disapprove the use of the forms or manuals.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, if the commissioner fails to act within 90 days of the submission of a proposed policy or bond form, or manual by an advisory organization, the policy or bond form, or manual, shall be deemed approved.

(d) For good cause, and after a hearing, at which representatives of consumers and other interested parties may participate, upon not less than 10 days’ notice to the advisory organization, the commissioner may revoke approval of any policy form or bond form or manual only upon his or her finding grounds that would permit disapproval of the policy or bond form, or manual, if submitted for approval at the time of the revocation hearing.

(e) Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted to allow an advisory organization to set or establish rates or to issue any manual that contains final rates for any insurance coverage, policy endorsement, or bond.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1002, Sec. 2. Effective September 29, 1996. [)