California Commissioner of Insurance
| California Commissioner of Insurance | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2012-2013 FY Budget: | $225,276,000 |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | California Insurance Code, Division 3, Chapter 1, Section 12906 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Dave Jones |
| Officeholder Party: | Democratic |
| Assumed office: | January 3, 2011 |
| Compensation: | $146,232 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 6, 2018 |
| Last election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Other California Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Controller • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Secretary • Industrial Relations Director • Public Utilities Commission | |
Current officeholder
The current commissioner is Dave Jones (D). He was first elected in November 2010 and took office on January 3, 2011. Jones won re-election on November 4, 2014.[1]
Authority
The office of commissioner of insurance is established by California statute.[2]
California Insurance Code, Section 12906
|
12906. The governmental agency unit heretofore known as the Department of Insurance in the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency is hereby made an independent department. The Department of Insurance is under the control of the Insurance Commissioner. |
Qualifications
State law requires the commissioner to be "a person competent and fully qualified to perform the duties of the office" without specifically addressing what that means. Additionally, the commissioner may not have any personal financial interest in the California insurance industry.[3] The commissioner must also fulfill the usual requirements for officers in California's civil service; he or she must be a resident of the state, at least 18 years of age, not a convicted felon, and not a member of the Communist Party or any other organization that advocates the overthrow of the U.S. government.[4]
California Insurance Code, Section 12901
|
The commissioner shall be a person competent and fully qualified to perform the duties of the office. Neither the commissioner nor any deputy or employee shall during his or their tenure of office be an officer, agent or employee of an insurer or directly or indirectly interested in any insurer or licensee under this code, except (a) as a policyholder, or, (b) by virtue of relationship by blood or marriage to any person interested in any insurer or licensee. |
Elections
Insurance commissioners are elected for four-year terms at the same time as the governor, i.e. during federal midterm election years. 2006, 2010 and 2014 were all election years.[5]
2014
| Insurance Commissioner of California, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Dave Jones Incumbent |
57.5% | 4,038,165 | |
| Republican | Ted Gaines | 42.5% | 2,981,951 | |
| Total Votes | 7,020,116 | |||
| Election results via California Secretary of State | ||||
2010
Dave Jones (D) defeated five opponents, receiving over 50% of the total votes.[6]
| California Commissioner of Insurance (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Dave Jones (D)
|
4,765,400 | 50.6% | ||
| Mike Villines (R) | 3,540,626 | 37.6% | ||
| Richard Bronstein (L) | 372,676 | 4.0% | ||
| Dina Josephine Padilla (PF) | 293,502 | 3.1% | ||
| William Balderston (G) | 252,301 | 2.6% | ||
| Clay Pedersen (Al) | 198,374 | 2.1% | ||
Term limits
Like all elected California executive officials, the insurance commissioner may not serve more than two terms.[5]
Vacancies
When a vacancy occurs, the governor appoints a replacement to serve out the remainder of the term with the approval of both houses of the state legislature.[7]
Duties
The commissioner, as head of the California Department of Insurance, is responsible for regulating the state's insurance industry. The department licenses insurance providers, approves all rate or premium increases, investigates consumer complaints and allegations of fraud, analyzes insurance policy issues, and supervises the financial well-being of insurance companies. The department is also responsible for winding down the operations of bankrupt insurance companies and liquidating their assets. It also publishes a variety of information for consumers, including insurance news, guides and legal info.
Divisions
- Consumer Services & Market Conduct
- Community Relations Branch
- Fraud
- Rate Regulation
- Legal
- Office of the Ombudsman
- Policy and Regulations
- Legislative
- Conservation and Liquidation[8]
State budget
- See also: California state budget and finances
The budget for the California Department of Insurance in the 2012-2013 Fiscal Year was $225,276,000.[9]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of California's elected executives are determined by the California Citizens Compensation Commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor to six-year terms. The commission was established after voters passed Proposition 112, an amendment to the California Constitution, in 1990. Commissioners meet prior to June 30 of each year to determine salary recommendations with changes effective the following December. From 2001 to 2013, the commission voted to increase salaries or benefits five times and decreased or made no changes to salaries eight times.[10]
2016
In 2016, the insurance commissioner received a salary of $146,232, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2015
In 2015, the insurance commissioner received a salary of $141,973, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2014
In 2014, the commissioner received a salary of $139,189, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2013
In 2013, the commissioner received a salary of $139,189, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2010
In 2010, the commissioner received a salary of $139,189, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
Historical officeholders
| List of Former
Officeholders from 1991-Present[16] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | John Garamendi | 1991-1995 |  Democratic
| ||
| 2 | Chuck Quackenbush | 1995-2000 |  Republican
| ||
| 3 | Clark J. Kelso | 2000-2000 | - | ||
| 4 | Harry W. Low | 2000-2003 | - | ||
| 5 | John Garamendi | 2003-2007 | Democratic
| ||
| 6 | Steve Poizner | 2007-2011 | Republican
| ||
| 7 | Dave Jones | 2011-Present | Democratic
| ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms California Commissioner of Insurance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles; they are included to provide readers with the most recent news articles on the subject. Click here to learn more about this section.
Contact info
Sacramento office address:
300 Capital Mall, Suite 1700
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 492-3500
Fax: (916) 445-5280
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Sacramento Bee, "California's insurance commissioner seeks re-election, more power," December 22, 2013
- ↑ California Insurance Code, "Division 3, Chapter 1, Section 12906," accessed June 29, 2011
- ↑ California Insurance Code, "Division 3, Chapter 1, Section 12901," accessed June 29, 2011
- ↑ California Government Code, "Sections 1020-1042," accessed June 29, 2011
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 California Insurance Code, "Division 3, Chapter 1, Section 12900a," accessed June 29, 2011
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "November 2, 2010 General Election Results," accessed March 12, 2011
- ↑ California Insurance Code, "Division 3, Chapter 1, Section 12900b," accessed June 29, 2011
- ↑ California Department of Insurance, "About Us: Organization," accessed July 7, 2011
- ↑ California Department of Finance, "Enacted Budget FY 2012-2013," accessed May 28, 2013
- ↑ California Citizens Compensation Commission, "About the Commission," accessed February 19, 2015
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed February 2, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2010 -- Table 4.11," accessed June 23, 2011
- ↑ National Governors Association, "History of California Constitutional Officers," accessed September 9, 2013
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||
