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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66229</law_id><section_number>38.2-1900</section_number><catch_line>Purposes of chapter</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>38.2-1903</reference><reference>38.2-2118</reference><reference>38.2-2300</reference><reference>38.2-2608</reference><reference>38.2-317</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="38.2">Insurance</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="19">Regulation of Rates Generally</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> This chapter shall be liberally construed to achieve the purposes stated in subsection B of this section. <a id="paragraph-240571" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1900/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The purposes of this chapter are to: <a id="paragraph-240572" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1900/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Protect policyholders and the public against the adverse effects of excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">rates</span></span>; <a id="paragraph-240573" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1900/#B1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Encourage independent action by <span class="dictionary">insurers</span> and reasonable price competition among <span class="dictionary">insurers</span> as the most effective way to produce <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">rates</span></span> that conform to the standards of subdivision 1; <a id="paragraph-240574" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1900/#B2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Provide formal regulatory controls for use if independent action and price competition fail; <a id="paragraph-240575" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1900/#B3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Authorize cooperative action among <span class="dictionary">insurers</span> in the <span class="dictionary">rate</span> making process, and regulate such cooperation in <span class="dictionary">order</span> to prevent practices that tend to create monopoly or to lessen or destroy competition; <a id="paragraph-240576" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1900/#B4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B5" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> Provide <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">rates</span></span> that are responsive to competitive market conditions and improve the availability of <span class="dictionary">insurance</span> in this Commonwealth; and <a id="paragraph-240577" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1900/#B5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B6" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">6.</span> Regulate the business of <span class="dictionary">insurance</span> in a manner that will preclude application of federal antitrust <span class="dictionary">laws</span>. <a id="paragraph-240578" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-1900/#B6"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1973, c. 504, &#xA7; 38.1-279.29; 1986, c. 562.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
