§33-47-16 Binding effect of compact and other laws. - West Virginia Statutes

§33-47-16. Binding effect of compact and other laws.
(a) Other laws. --

(1) Nothing herein prevents the enforcement of any other law of a compacting state, except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection.

(2) For any product approved or certified to the commission, the rules, uniform standards and any other requirements of the commission shall constitute the exclusive provisions applicable to the content, approval and certification of such products. For advertisements that are subject to the commission's authority, any rule, uniform standard or other requirement of the commission which governs the content of the advertisements shall constitute the exclusive provision that a commissioner may apply to the content of the advertisement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no action taken by the commission shall abrogate or restrict: (i) The access of any person to state courts; (ii) remedies available under state law related to breach of contract, tort or other laws not specifically directed to the content of the product; (iii) state law relating to the construction of insurance contracts; or (iv) the authority of the attorney general of the state, including, but not limited to, maintaining any actions or proceedings, as authorized by law.

(3) All insurance products filed with individual states shall be subject to the laws of those states.

(b) Binding effect of this compact. --

(1) All lawful actions of the commission, including all rules and operating procedures promulgated by the commission, are binding upon the compacting states.

(2) All agreements between the commission and the compacting states are binding in accordance with their terms.

(3) Upon the request of a party to a conflict over the meaning or interpretation of commission actions and upon a majority vote of the compacting states, the commission may issue advisory opinions regarding the meaning or interpretation in dispute.

(4) In the event any provision of this compact exceeds the constitutional limits imposed on the legislature of any compacting state, the obligations, duties, powers or jurisdiction sought to be conferred by that provision upon the commission shall be ineffective as to that compacting state and those obligations, duties, powers or jurisdiction shall remain in the compacting state and shall be exercised by the agency thereof to which those obligations, duties, powers or jurisdiction are delegated by law in effect at the time this compact becomes effective.