On August 12, 2011, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced that supporters of a proposed initiative on automobile insurance rates may begin to collect signatures to put the measure before California voters. Supporters of the initiative have until January 9, 2012, to submit the 504,760 valid signatures needed to put the initiative on the June 5, 2012, statewide ballot.

The initiative, named the “2012 Automobile Insurance Discount Act,” would allow insurers to use continuous automobile insurance coverage with any admitted insurer or insurers as a rating factor for private passenger automobile insurance.

Under existing California Department of Insurance regulation 2632.5(d)(11), an insurer may use continuous coverage as a rating factor when an individual is currently insured for automobile insurance with his or her insurer or an affiliate insurer. The existing regulation prohibits an insurer from basing the continuous coverage rating factor on coverage provided by another non-affiliated insurer. The proposed initiative would override this existing regulatory prohibition.