Business News
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- Written by: California Department of Insurance
The Commissioner’s Bulletin covers premiums paid for at least the months of March and April — including the month of May if “shelter in place” restrictions continue — in at least six different insurance lines: private passenger automobile, commercial automobile, workers’ compensation, commercial multi-peril, commercial liability, medical malpractice and any other insurance line where the risk of loss has fallen substantially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With Californians driving fewer miles and many businesses closed due to the COVID-19 emergency, consumers need relief from premiums that no longer reflect their present-day risk of accident or loss,” said Commissioner Lara.
He said the mandatory action will put money back in people’s pockets when they need it most.
The Commissioner’s Bulletin requires insurance companies to provide a premium credit, reduction, return of premium or other appropriate premium adjustment as soon as possible, and no later than August 2020.
Commissioner Lara has already requested at least a 60-day grace period for policyholders to pay their premiums so that insurance policies are not canceled for nonpayment of premium during this challenging time. Together, these two actions will give consumers and businesses substantial financial relief.
According to a UC Davis Special Report on the Impact of COVID-19 on California Traffic Accidents, reduced driving has resulted in fewer accidents, injuries, and fatalities on public highways and roads. Falling payroll and receipts due to closure orders have also dramatically reduced risk of a liability loss for businesses.
Several auto insurance companies have recently announced voluntary premium refunds to drivers.
This week’s bulletin extends these private personal auto policy reductions to more companies and adds commercial lines while monitoring insurance companies’ compliance with California’s consumer protection laws so that refunds are not discriminatory or inadequate.
A premium refund will not require prior approval by the Department of Insurance if an insurance company follows certain methods outlined in the Commissioner’s Bulletin, such as using an average percentage based on estimated change in risk or exposure. Consumers will also have the opportunity to provide their individual actual or estimated experience to their insurance company.
Commissioner Lara also ordered insurance companies to report back to the Department of Insurance all premium refunds they have issued or expect to issue within 60 days, in order to provide oversight and ensure companies are complying with the bulletin.
“I applaud efforts made by insurance companies to date that have offered grace periods and flexibility to consumers and businesses during this national emergency,” added Commissioner Lara. “We must do more to help our hard-working families and small businesses.”
Lara’s action builds on other steps the Department of Insurance has taken to assist consumers during the COVID-19 emergency:
– Requesting a 60-day grace period for consumers and businesses to pay insurance premiums.
– Extending deadlines for insurance claims until 90 days after the statewide “state of emergency” or any other “state of emergency” has ended related to COVID-19.
– Maintaining auto insurance for those with an expired license and/or car registration.
– Extending personal auto coverage for delivery drivers for California’s essential businesses.
– Eliminating cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and screening.
– Reminding insurance companies that workers' compensation insurance applies regardless of a worker’s immigration status.
– Urging uninsured Californians to obtain insurance to protect their health.
– Directing health insurance companies to provide increased telehealth access for consumers.
– Directing health insurance companies to submit emergency plans on prescriptions and health access.
Caltrans issues special permits authorizing overweight trucks to deliver emergency COVID-19 supplies
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- Written by: Caltrans
“Authorizing these special exceptions clears a path for greater volumes of material vital in the fight against COVID-19,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “Emergency medical supplies and equipment, groceries, perishable items, water and countless other essential items will now reach their destinations more rapidly than they did before, at a time when people need them most.”
Caltrans will issue permits for overweight trucks on the State Highway System and will help support transportation operators in obtaining permits from local agencies for local roads.
These permits increase the maximum allowable gross vehicle weight from 80,000 to 88,000 pounds and will be valid until further notice.
To expedite the permits, Caltrans is performing advance review and analysis on major corridor routes, including I-5, US-101, I-15, SR 60, I-405, SR 99, I-10, SR 91, I-80 and I-710.
This emergency declaration provides regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations moving essential goods in support of relief and preventive measures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Essential goods” are defined as the following:
– Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19;
– Supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectant;
– Food, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores;
– Immediate precursor raw materials such as paper, plastic or alcohol that are required and to be used for the manufacture of items above;
– Fuel;
– Equipment, supplies and persons necessary to establish and manage temporary housing, quarantine, and isolation facilities related to COVID-19.
In response to COVID-19, Caltrans continues its critical functions during this crisis, including highway maintenance and roadway access to medical facilities and facilitating transport of essential goods and services throughout the state.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Due to the COVID-19 social distancing requirements, all meetings associated with the decision were held via webinar for the first time in the council’s history.
The recommendations will be forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval by May 6.
“This year’s package includes some very restrictive seasons in both commercial and recreational fisheries along much of the coast. Uncertainties associated with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on markets, angler effort, and critical catch sampling, coupled with low Chinook and coho forecasts, made structuring the fisheries even more challenging this year,” said Council Chair Phil Anderson.
The council heard reports from commercial, recreational, and tribal representatives about the challenges created by the pandemic, including difficulties in selling seafood to reduced markets, recreational fishery closures to protect public health, needed access to traditional food sources for tribal communities, and the inability to plan for the near future.
Washington and Northern Oregon (north of Cape Falcon)
Fisheries north of Cape Falcon (in northern Oregon) are designed to allow harvest of healthy Chinook populations that are primarily destined for the Columbia River.
These fisheries are severely limited by the need to conserve lower Columbia natural tule fall Chinook and coho stocks, including Columbia River and Oregon Coastal coho, which are listed under the Endangered Species Act, and Queets River, Strait of Juan de Fuca and Snohomish coho salmon stocks, which are either classified as overfished or are currently rebuilding.
North of Cape Falcon, the overall non-Indian total allowable catch is 54,000 Chinook coastwide (compared to 52,500 last year) and 28,500 marked hatchery coho (compared to 190,000 last year).
Commercial fisheries
Non-Indian ocean commercial fisheries north of Cape Falcon include traditional, but reduced, seasons in the spring (May-June) for Chinook and a summer season (July - mid-September) for Chinook and coho salmon. These fisheries will have access to 27,640 Chinook (compared to 26,250 Chinook last year), and a marked coho quota of 2,000 (compared to 30,400 marked coho last year).
Recreational fisheries
The recreational fishery north of Cape Falcon opens with an all-salmon-except-coho fishery on June 20, transitioning to an all-species fishery on June 29 and continuing to Sept. 30 or when Chinook or coho quotas are reached. Recreational fisheries in this area will have access to 26,360 Chinook (compared to 26,250 Chinook last year), and a marked coho quota of 26,500 (compared to 159,600 marked coho last year).
Tribal ocean fisheries north of Cape Falcon
Tribal ocean fisheries north of Cape Falcon are similar in structure to past years, with a spring season targeting Chinook and a summer fishery for all species. Quotas include 35,000 Chinook and 16,500 coho (compared to 35,000 Chinook and 55,000 coho last year).
Southern Oregon and California (south of Cape Falcon)
Fisheries south of Cape Falcon (in northern Oregon) are constrained primarily by Klamath River fall Chinook and Oregon Coastal natural coho. The commercial fishery consists of modest Chinook fisheries, particularly in California. Recreational fisheries in Oregon include both Chinook and coho opportunity, with coho including both mark-selective and non-mark-selective fisheries.
Commercial fisheries
Commercial fisheries in the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. will open in late April and will continue into early May, with a brief reopening at the end of May. The area will be open again in early June through July and most of August. This area will also be open continuously in September and October with weekly limits in place.
The area from Humbug Mt., Oregon to the Oregon/California border (also known as the Oregon portion of the Klamath Management Zone) will be open in late April and continue into early May, with a brief reopening at the end of May. The area will be open again in early June through July with monthly catch quotas and weekly limits in place.
The area from the Oregon/California border to Horse Mt., California, will be closed to conserve Klamath River fall Chinook, which are classified as overfished.
In California, Chinook seasons in the Fort Bragg area (Horse Mt. to Point Arena) will be open ten days in August and for the month of September. The San Francisco area (Point Arena to Pigeon Point) will be open intermittently from May to July, for most of August, and for all of September. The Monterey area (Pigeon Point to the Mexico border) will also be open for Chinook intermittently from May to July and for most of August. There will also be a season from Point Reyes to Point San Pedro (a subset of the San Francisco area) consisting of three openings in October ranging from two to five days each.
Recreational fisheries
Recreational fisheries from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. will allow Chinook retention from now through October. Coho fisheries consist of a mark-selective quota fishery of 22,000 in mid-summer (compared to 90,000 last year) and a non-mark-selective quota fishery of 3,000 in September (compared to 9,000 last year).
Fisheries from Humbug Mt, Oregon to the Oregon/California border will be open from late June through early August. The area from the Oregon/California border to Horse Mountain, California will be open from early June through early August.
In California, Chinook seasons in the Fort Bragg (Horse Mt.to Point Arena) and San Francisco (Point Arena to Pigeon Point) areas will open on May 1 and will continue until early November, The Monterey (Pigeon Point to Mexico Border) area, will open on May 1 and continue until early October.
For details on all seasons, please see the season descriptions on the council website at www.pcouncil.org .
Southern resident killer whales
The council has been working with NMFS to understand the effects of council-area fisheries on Southern Resident killer whales, which are listed as endangered.
Based in part on information provided by the Council’s ad-hoc Southern Resident Killer Whale Workgroup, NMFS provided guidance on the structure of the 2020 salmon fisheries to address the needs of the whales while providing salmon harvest opportunities.
The recommended 2020 ocean salmon seasons keep total Chinook abundance well above the NMFS guidance.
COVID-19 response
Because state directives have resulted in the suspension of some fishing opportunity, NMFS may close federal salmon fisheries based on recommendations from state authorities to address public health concerns related to COVID-19, or because information essential to manage the fishery is unavailable.
In addition, if the California recreational seasons in the Fort Bragg, San Francisco, and Monterey areas are delayed, the season in the Eureka area may be extended beyond August 9 if the extension would not increase impacts on stocks above those expected before the season opened.
More details on these potential actions are available in the regulation tables available on the council’s website.
Management process
“It has been another challenging year for the council, its advisors, fishery stakeholders, and the public as we strive to balance fishing opportunities with conservation needs for Chinook and coho salmon stocks,” said Council Executive Director Chuck Tracy.
The council developed three management alternatives in early March for public review and further analysis. The review process included input from Federal, state, and tribal fishery scientists and fishing industry members; public testimony, and three public hearings held by webinar due to COVID-19 concerns.
The council received additional scientific information and took public testimony at its April council webinar meeting before taking final action. The decision will be forwarded to NMFS for their review of consistency with the ESA and other applicable law, and promulgation of Federal regulations.
In addition, the coastal states will adopt fishery regulations for state-managed waters that are compatible with the Council’s actions.
Council role
The Pacific Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional fishery management councils established by the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 for the purpose of managing fisheries 3-200 miles offshore of the U.S. coastline.
The council recommends management measures for fisheries off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington.
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- Written by: US Postal Service
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