MEMBERSHIP
Requirements
3.1 Property and Liability Insurance Companies are eligible for membership. Companies with the sole mission of providing IT services to a related Property and Liability Insurance Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates and under common control or management with the Insurance Company are eligible for membership.
3.1.1 Any members may market their system or any parts of it. PLANS will not interfere with their efforts.
3.2 Application for Membership: Any company which meets the criteria for membership as explained in Section 3.1 above may apply for membership by submitting a completed copy of the approved membership application. This application will be accepted or rejected in the business meeting at a regularly scheduled general session.
3.3 Obligations of all Members:
3.3.1 All members are expected to abide by these bylaws and policies of PLANS. Members are expected to attend PLANS meetings and participate in the work of PLANS.
Members must meet any financial obligations associated with PLANS membership.
Members are expected to exchange information with other PLANS members (recognizing individual member company policy restrictions on sensitive information).
All member companies must contribute to PLANS by either participating at a general session at least once within a two-year period, or have a representative serve as a member of the Program Committee or a member of the Board of Directors.
Members are expected to maintain the information contained in their PLANS company profile by updating it at least once each year.
By participating as explained above, member companies will have access to the Members Only section of the PLANS website and the on-line discussion groups. If any member company has difficulty in meeting any aspect of the stated Obligations they should contact the Board.
3.3.2 Members shall hold PLANS, the officers of PLANS, and the members companies of PLANS blameless from any actions of the representatives of other members or speakers at PLANS meetings.
3.3.3 Antitrust Statement: There is no agreement, express or implied, regarding any activity pertaining to market share, rating or expenses, including but not limited to, agreement concerning coverage provided policyholders, policy forms, endorsements, or underwriting rules and manuals. There is no agreement, express or implied, concerning activities that could be construed as a boycott, coercion, intimidation or other anticompetitive act in violation of the public interest.
Representatives of PLANS member companies at PLANS meetings must remember that their respective companies are competitors in the marketplace outside of the PLANS organization and that
the insurance industry has only a limited immunity from federal antitrust scrutiny under the McCarran-Ferguson Act and under the laws of some states. Therefore, PLANS company representatives must exercise care in discussing subjects as even innocuous discussions about rates or underwriting policies might later be misinterpreted as evidence of collusion. PLANS member company representatives should adhere to the written agenda and not discuss, formally or informally, at committee meetings or in other events connected with them, any matters relating to rates, underwriting, coverages or marketing; or costs or profits of any aspect of these operations, of any particular company. Representatives are advised that there should also be no discussion of any individual company's market response to legislative or other developments.
3.4 Termination of Membership: Continuation of membership is contingent upon continuing to fulfill the qualifications of membership and abiding by these bylaws and policies.
3.5 Rights of Members:
3.5.1 Voting: Each member company is entitled to one vote.
3.5.2 Election as Officers: All employee representatives of member companies are eligible for nomination and election as officers of PLANS.
3.5.3 Official Notice of PLANS: All members are entitled to receive copies of minutes and official notices of PLANS.