Need help navigating the service contract, extended warranty or GAP waiver regulatory process?

If you are a provider, administrator, seller or insurer of service contracts or GAP waivers; or want to be, let us be your guide to all the state service contract/extended warranty and GAP waiver laws around the country.  We can help guide you through the licensing and registration hoops;  and also help you establish and maintain a compliant service contract, extended warranty or GAP program.

The Service Contracts Compass is designed to assist companies like yours by providing valuable information about changes in laws and regulations which may impact your service contract or GAP waiver programn and by offering compliance consulting services that can help you keep pace with the insurance laws. service contract laws and GAP waiver laws that govern your industry.

Depending on how your service contract program is structured, or if you are just starting out, some or all of the questions below may be worth exploring…and we can help!

– Do you wonder about recent law changes and need help implementing them accurately and timely?

– Do you need help developing a strategy to expand your program into other states?

– Are you considering the acquisition of an existing provider or program and need a due diligence audit?

– Do you and your program partners have the right license(s) for the kinds of service contracts that you offer or sell?

– Do you qualify for any exemptions that you may be unaware of?

– Are you calculating and returning refunds accurately in every jurisdiction?

– Could you benefit from a limited scope operational audit conducted by someone that is “on your team” to help identify potential regulatory problems before a regulator does?

– Do you have a knowledgeable resource who can offer issue-by-issue and state-by-state support for regulatory matters that may arise regarding your service contract program?

Be proactive rather than reactive!  Whether it’s regulatory filing support, contract analysis, or help communicating with a regulator, we have the experience and expertise in the world of service contract laws to offer strategies and solutions for every aspect of your program.

Please explore other areas of this site and be sure to read more about our firm’s practice group and its services. Check out our Service Contract and Extended Warranty Law Services and learn more about our Insurance Regulatory Practice Group.

Texas – Residential Service Contracts – New Regulator

The announcement below is from the Texas Department of License and Regulation (TDLR) regarding the transfer of the regulation of residential service contracts from the Texas Real Estate Commission to TDLR.

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Save the Date!

 

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) will host a virtual Residential Service Companies (Home Warranties) Informational Summit via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, December 14, 2021. The summit is tentatively scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (CST) with a short break at the halfway point, followed by a Q&A where you will have an opportunity to ask questions about TDLR and the RSC transition. We will send the event link and additional information in the coming weeks, so please stay tuned.

 

Topics to be covered during the summit include:

 

  • HB 1560 key dates;
  • expected rules changes; and
  • future licensing and renewal requirements.

 

Background

House Bill 1560, passed by the 87th Texas Legislature (2021), transferred responsibility for oversight of the Residential Service Companies (Home Warranties) (RSC) program from the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) to TDLR on September 1, 2021.

Since the September 1 transfer into TDLR’s Service Contract Providers and Administrators (SCP) program, we have conducted a comprehensive review of the existing RSC rules and learned more about your industry and how consumers interact with service providers. We are grateful to everyone who has reached out to us with their needs and concerns. Now it’s time for us to talk together about the next phase of this program transfer.

A reminder: TDLR has determined that because the law governing RSCs was repealed effective September 1, 2021, license holders are no longer required to submit Annual or Mid-Year Reports and are no longer responsible for payment of the fees associated with those reports.

If you have questions relating to the summit, please send them to us via TDLR’s Customer Service Contact Page (select “Residential Service Companies (Home Warranties)”.

The information on this website is provided solely for informational purposes and presents only highly condensed summaries or general information relating to the topics presented. Therefore, it should not be relied upon as a complete record for purposes of regulatory compliance, nor is it intended to furnish legal advice adequate to any particular circumstances.  (c) Copyright Shirley F. Kerns 2016