Opinion ID: 830914
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: within the matter covered by the enabling statute

Text: When courts apply the first prong of the Luttrell test, the most relevant authorities are the enabling statutes of the Insurance Code. MCL 500.210 defines the scope of the Insurance Commissioner's regulatory powers. Section 210 provides that [t]he commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations in addition to those now specifically provided for by statute as he may deem necessary to effectuate the purposes and to execute and enforce the provisions of the insurance laws of this state in accordance with the provisions of Act No. 88 of the Public Acts of 1943, as amended, being sections 24.71 to 24.80 of the Compiled Laws of 1948, and subject to Act No. 197 of the Public Acts of 1952, as amended, being sections 24.101 to 24.110 of the Compiled Laws of 1948. [19] MCL 500.210 delegates broad discretionary authority to the Commissioner to promulgate rules as he may deem necessary to enforce insurance laws and effectuate the purposes of the Insurance Code. Even Judge ZAHRA's opinion, which would have held the OFIS rules invalid, conceded that [i]n the broadest sense, the rules under review do not offend the first prong of the Luttrell standard. [20] Moreover, as Judge WHITE noted, [21] the OFIS rules were promulgated in compliance with the prescribed procedures in the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). [22] I agree that, on their face, the OFIS rules are within the broad discretionary authority that the Legislature bestowed on defendant to effectuate the purposes of the Insurance Code. The majority reaches the opposite conclusion because, as noted previously, it merely asks whether insurance scoring is permissible under the Insurance Code. [23]