Revision: Jan. 26, 2009, midnight
HB 659-FN – AS INTRODUCED
2009 SESSION
01/10
HOUSE BILL 659-FN
AN ACT relative to insurance fraud.
SPONSORS: Rep. DeStefano, Merr 13
COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs
This bill modifies certain laws relative to insurance fraud and forgery.
This bill is a request of the insurance department.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
09-0725
01/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nine
AN ACT relative to insurance fraud.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Insurance Companies; Fraud. Amend RSA 402:78, I to read as follows:
I. Any law enforcement investigator may request an insurance company to release any information in its possession relative to the disappearance, theft or loss of any motor vehicle, or other personal property or relative to a violation of RSA 260:10, RSA 261:30, RSA 261:46, RSA 261:52, RSA 261:178, RSA 262:1, I(d), RSA 263:5-a, VI, RSA 263:5-e or RSA 263:12, V. The insurance company shall release the information and cooperate with any official authorized to request such information pursuant to this section. The information may include but not be limited to:
(a) Any relevant insurance policy;
(b) Policy premium payments records;
(c) History of previous claims made by the insured for the theft, loss or disappearance of any motor vehicle or other personal property;
(d) Any other material relating to the investigation of the theft, loss or disappearance, or violation of the RSA provisions listed in paragraph I.
2 Fraud; Forgery. Amend RSA 638:1, I-III to read as follows:
I. A person is guilty of forgery if, with purpose to defraud anyone, or with knowledge that he or she is facilitating a fraud to be perpetrated by anyone, he or she:
(a) Alters any writing of another without his or her authority or utters any such altered writing; or
(b) Makes, completes, executes, authenticates, issues, transfers, publishes or otherwise utters any writing so that it purports to be the act of another, or purports to have been executed at a time or place or in a numbered sequence other than was in fact the case, or to be a copy of an original when no such original existed or that purports to be a valid insurance document when it is not.
II. [As used] In this section[,]:
(a) “Insurance document” means an insurance application or any supporting documentation, an insurance policy or contract or any supporting documentation, a policy amendment or change form, an illustration, a delivery receipt, a declaration page, or a certificate, or any other document related to a contract for insurance or that demonstrates the existence of an insurance policy.
(b) “Writing” includes printing or any other method of recording information, checks, tokens, stamps, seals, credit cards, badges, trademarks, and other symbols of value, right, privilege, or identification.
III. Forgery is a class B felony if the writing is or purports to be:
(a) A security, revenue stamp, or any other instrument issued by a government, or any agency thereof; [or]
(b) A check, an issue of stocks, bonds, or any other instrument representing an interest in or a claim against property, or a pecuniary interest in or claim against any person or enterprise; or
(c) An insurance document.
3 Insurance Fraud. Amend RSA 638:20, I-a-IV to read as follows:
I-a. For purposes of this section, “insurer” includes any insurance company, health maintenance organization, or reinsurance company, or [broker or agent] producer thereof, or insurance claims adjuster, or other person or entity regulated under title XXXVII.
II. A person is guilty of insurance fraud, if, such person knowingly and with [intent] a purpose to injure, defraud or deceive any insurer, conceals or causes to be concealed from any insurer a material statement or fact, or presents or causes to be presented to any insurer, or prepares with knowledge or belief that it will be so presented, any written or oral statement including computer-generated documents, knowing that such statement contains any false, incomplete or misleading information which is material to:
(a) An application for the issuance, renewal, or reinstatement of any insurance policy.
(b) The rating of any insurance policy.
(c) A claim for payment or benefit pursuant to any insurance policy.
(d) Premiums on any insurance policy.
(e) Payments made in accordance with the terms of any insurance policy.
(f) Any investigation conducted relative to any claim for payment or benefit pursuant to any insurance policy.
III. A person is guilty as an accomplice to insurance fraud, if, with a purpose to injure, defraud or deceive any insurer, the person assists, abets, solicits or conspires with another to commit insurance fraud, as defined in paragraph II of this section.
IV.(a) Insurance fraud is:
(1) A class A felony;
(A) If the value of the fraudulent portion of the claim for payment or other benefit pursuant to an insurance policy is more than $1,000[.];
(B) If the difference between the premium actually charged and the premium amount that would have been charged if accurate information had been provided is more than $1,000; or
(C) If the violation involves subparagraph II(a).
(2) A class B felony:
(A) If the value of the fraudulent portion of the claim for payment or other benefit pursuant to an insurance policy is more than $500, but not more than $1,000.
(B) If the difference between the premium actually charged and the premium amount that would have been charged if accurate information had been provided is more than $500 but not more than $1,000.
(3) A misdemeanor in all other cases.
(b) The value shall be determined according to the provisions of RSA 637:2, V.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
LBAO
09-0725
01/23/09
HB 659-FN - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to insurance fraud.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Due to time constraints, the Office of Legislative Budget Assistant is unable to provide a fiscal note for this bill at this time. When completed, the fiscal note will be forwarded to the House Clerk's Office.