17:30E-10. Assignment of association business

a. Association business shall be serviced by producers selected by the board, in accordance with selection procedures and eligibility standards established by the plan of operation. The selection procedures shall include an affirmative action program and the establishment of a producer-to-population ratio which shall ensure adequate service on a regional basis. The plan of operation shall also establish procedures to facilitate the transition from the procedures governing producers, which are in effect as of the effective date of this act, to the selection procedures established by the association pursuant to this subsection.

b. Producers who are exclusive representatives of a company which is a servicing carrier shall be assigned to that carrier for the servicing of association policies. Producers who are not exclusive representatives of a servicing carrier may, at the election of the producer and with the consent of the servicing carrier, contract with the association to do business through any servicing carrier. Producers who are not exclusive representatives of a company which is a servicing carrier, or who have not otherwise established a contractual relationship with a servicing carrier pursuant to this section, shall be assigned to all servicing carriers on an equitable basis by the association, pursuant to the plan of operation. The assignments shall be in proportion to the percentage of association business which each servicing carrier has contracted with the association to accept and shall be balanced among territories. The assignments shall be reviewed at least annually and upon the request of a servicing carrier or producer. Pursuant to the plan of operation, the assignments shall be reallocated if it is found that the allocations are demonstrably inequitable. Reallocations shall be made in a manner to minimize the shifting of producers.

c. Every producer shall be assigned two alternate servicing carriers, pursuant to the plan of operation. In the event that any servicing carrier normally assigned to any producer ceases, as may be provided in the plan of operation, to accept applications temporarily, such applications shall be redistributed by the association to each producer's alternate servicing carrier.

d. In order to minimize disruption of association operations in cases in which a servicing carrier withdraws or will be withdrawing from the service of association business, the association, with the approval of the commissioner, shall be authorized to reallocate all, or any part, of the withdrawing servicing carrier's producers to one or more of the remaining servicing carriers.

L. 1983, c. 65, s. 22; amended 1986,c.211,s.4; 1988,c.119,s.41.