§ 58-36-5.  Membership as a prerequisite for writing insurance; governing committee; rules and regulations; expenses.

(a) Before the Commissioner shall grant permission to any stock, nonstock, or reciprocal insurance company or any other insurance organization to write in this State insurance against loss to residential real property with not more than four housing units located in this State or any contents thereof or valuable interest therein or other insurance coverages written in connection with the sale of such property insurance; or insurance against theft of or physical damage to private passenger (nonfleet) motor vehicles; or liability insurance for such motor vehicles, automobile medical payments insurance, uninsured motorists coverage or other insurance coverage written in connection with the sale of such liability insurance; or workers' compensation and employers' liability insurance written in connection therewith; except for insurance excluded from the Bureau's jurisdiction in G.S. 58-36-1(3); it shall be a requisite that they shall subscribe to and become members of the Bureau.

(b) Each member of the Bureau writing any one or more of the above lines of insurance in North Carolina shall, as a requisite thereto, be represented in the Bureau and shall be entitled to one representative and one vote in the administration of the affairs of the Bureau.  They shall, upon organization, elect a governing committee which governing committee shall be composed of equal representation by stock and nonstock members.  The governing committee of the Bureau shall also have as nonvoting members two persons who are not employed by or affiliated with any insurance company or the Department and who are appointed by the Governor to serve at his pleasure.

(c) The Bureau, when created, shall adopt such rules and regulations for its orderly procedure as shall be necessary for its maintenance and operation.  No such rules and regulations shall discriminate against any type of insurer because of its plan of operation, nor shall any insurer be prevented from returning any unused or unabsorbed premium, deposit, savings or earnings to its policyholders or subscribers.  The expense of such Bureau shall be borne by its members by quarterly contributions to be made in advance, such contributions to be made in advance by prorating such expense among the members in accordance with the amount of gross premiums derived from the above lines of insurance in North Carolina during the preceding year and members entering the Bureau since that date to advance an amount to be fixed by the governing committee.  After the first fiscal year of operation of the Bureau the necessary expense of the Bureau shall be advanced by the members in accordance with rules and regulations to be established and adopted by the governing committee.  The Bureau shall be empowered to subscribe for or purchase any necessary service, and employ and fix the salaries of such personnel and assistants as are necessary.

(d) The Commissioner is hereby authorized to compel the production of all books, data, papers and records and any other data necessary to compile statistics for the purpose of determining the underwriting experience of lines of insurance referred to in this Article, and this information shall be available and for the use of the Bureau for the capitulation and promulgation of rates on lines of insurance as are subject to the ratemaking authority of the Bureau. (1977, c. 828, s. 6; 1981, c. 888, s. 4; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 1027, s. 6; 1991, c. 720, s. 4.)