215 ILCS 157/20 — what it says, and how the exam tests it

215 ILCS 157/20. Sec. 20. Use of credit information. (a) An insurer authorized to do business in this State that uses credit information to underwrite or rate risks shall not: (1) Use an insurance score that is calculated using income, gender, address, ethnic group, religion, marital status, or nationality of the consumer as a factor. (2) Deny, cancel, or nonrenew a policy of personal insurance solely on the basis of credit information, without consideration of any other applicable underwriting factor independent of credit information and not expressly prohibited by item (1). An insurer shall not be considered to have denied, cancelled, or nonrenewed a policy if coverage is available through an affiliate. If an insurer denies, cancels, or does not renew a policy of personal insurance based on credit information, it must provide the affected party with a notice as described in Section 35 of this Act and an opportunity for the affected party to explain its credit information under the procedures outlined in Section 22 of this Act. (3) Base an insured's renewal rates for personal insurance solely upon credit information, without consideration of any other applicable factor independent of credit information. An insurer shall not be considered to have based rates solely on credit information if coverage is available in a different tier of the same insurer. (4) Take an adverse action against a consumer solely because he or she does not have a credit card account, without consideration of any other applicable factor independent of credit information. (5) Consider an absence of credit information or an inability to calculate an insurance score in underwriting or rating personal insurance, unless the insurer does one of the following: (A) Treats the consumer as otherwise filed with the Department, if the insurer presents information that such an absence or inability relates to the risk for the insurer and submits a filing certification form signed by an officer for the insurer certifying that such treatment is actuarially justified. (B) Treats the consumer as if the applicant or insured had neutral credit information, as defined by the insurer. (C) Excludes the use of credit information as a factor and uses only other underwriting criteria. (6) Take an adverse action against a consumer based on credit information, unless an insurer obtains and uses a credit report…