Procedural Updates

The November 2021 SMART release includes updates to existing Broker Search/Edit components, such as creation and maintenance of insurer contracts and an improved layout for online filing user maintenance. Additionally, users may now utilize the SMART system to reset passwords instead of using the System Password Reset Request form from SLTX’s website. In most cases, users may now utilize the “Forgot Password?” link from the SMART landing page instead of submitting a password reset request through SLTX. Most significantly, November’s SMART release includes Manual Filing (or Data Entry) transactions. Users may now enter New Policy or New Binder filings in SMART, utilizing the Transaction Entry User Guide as necessary.

We encourage you to contact SLTX’s TechSupport team to schedule an individualized discussion on how existing SMART features can improve your agencies online filing experience. Additionally, TechSupport can schedule in-depth SMART trainings for you and your agency based on your processes, workflows, and lines of business.

For your convenience, previous SMART releases  API, Report, Advanced Search, and Export capabilities are attached. Testing is underway for External Filing to include additional manually input transactions within SMART. The following transactions are expected in the December release: Renewal Policy and Binder, New and Renewal Policy Replacing Binder.

Note: All current processes and procedures in EFS remain available and will work concurrently with SMART until all features are fully delivered in 2022.

With each new release or significant deployment, additional notifications will be sent to all Electronic Filing System (EFS) users. These notifications may also be found on our website under News>Procedural Updates.

SMART’s Agent User Guide is updated with each release and may be obtained directly from SLTX’s TechSupport team for any agency ready to utilize SMART’s features. Contact SLTX Tech Support by email or phone (512) 531-1880 or (800) 681-5848 with any questions.

The Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas has added new content to its website!

New Additions include:

• Required Disclosure for Occupational Policies form (effective 1/1/2022)
• Title 5, Chapter 564. Disclosures for the Sale of Certain Occupational Insurance Policies State Law
• Broker FAQ: Which “occupational” policies require a separate disclosure relating to an employer not maintaining workers’ compensation insurance?

These additions can be found through links provided or on our website. Please contact the SLTX Tech Support team by email or phone at (512) 531-1880 or (800) 681-5848 with any questions.

The September 2021 SMART release includes significant search capabilities for all transactions submitted to SLTX via Advanced Policy search. This allows users to search data points such as coverages, insurers, reporting date range, filing users rather than limited to searching by policy number or named insured. Other recently released components were demonstrated and discussed during the May focus group. As a reminder, previous SMART releases contained API and Report functionality.

Search components include Insurers, Coverage and Class Codes, and Broker only (to protect confidentiality, any and all data for other broker or agency other than your own company/organization). The Broker search feature allows for a view of your agency’s data, as well as view and maintain online filing user-profiles and reset passwords. In addition to the existing Broker Landing page are Year-To-Date KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to include Premium, Policy Count, Tax Amount, and Stamping Fee Amount. Furthermore, a pending stamping fee payment alert has been added to the landing page reminding users of outstanding stamping fee payments. SMART’s Agent User Guide is updated with each release and may be obtained directly from SLTX’s TechSupport team for any agency ready to utilize SMART’s features. However, you may view the sections of the Agent User Guide which specifically pertain to September changes here.

October’s release is scheduled to include export capability, which will allow users to export any Advanced Policy search results in a CSV/Excel format. This export will include all data points which are included and/or required with your filing submission. Development is currently underway for External Filing to include ability to manually input transactions within SMART., with portions to spread through the months of October and/or November release(s).

Additionally, SLTX is currently conducting a survey to gather feedback on proposed layout and content of the Broker dashboard. This interactive survey was sent via email on Tuesday, September 21^st to all active EFS Users and to each primary/secondary contact. If you did not receive this email, please check your spam/junk filters, or contact SLTX’s Tech Support team via email.

Please note that all current EFS processes and procedures will continue to be available and both systems will remain functional and work concurrently until the suite of features in SMART are fully delivered which is expected to be in 2022.

With each new release or significant deployment, additional notifications will be sent to existing users of SLTX’s Electronic Filing System (EFS). These notifications may also be found directly on our website under News>Procedural Updates.

Please contact SLTX Tech Support by email or phone (512) 531-1880 or (800) 681-5848 with any questions.

Governor Greg Abbott announced Cassie Brown as the new Texas Commissioner of Insurance. Brown is the current Chief Executive of the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). Prior to this role, she served as Commissioner of the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) in 2018, 2019, and 2021.

With more than 20 years of public service experience, Brown has overseen various regulations, markets, and activities related to the Surplus Lines industry.

She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Edward’s University and attended the Governor’s Executive Development Program at The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs.

For more information on the new Commissioner, please utilize TDI’s website.

SLTX recently conducted numerous focus group sessions that gave external user stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback to the SMART system design and development teams. Interested external users were categorized into 4 types of user groups to provide insight on the broker landing page, conducting basic entries, and most importantly a refreshed “correction process”. Over a 4-day period, 81% of interested external users participated in one of twelve sessions hosted by SLTX.

The sessions proved to be productive with users providing feedback on user experience, processes, and updated workflows. The design and development teams noted several minor improvements which will enrich the overall manual entry process (e.g., warning the user if a submission appears to be a late filing) to ensure users will review and double-check entries.

Overall, stakeholders greatly appreciated the process improvements SLTX presented including enhanced search, export capabilities, and an updated correction process. User feedback from these groups include, “Solved about 95% of the angst from filings”, and “Will greatly reduce need for training since issues are addressed with expanded guidance and context”. The design team can break down feedback requests and prioritize them before handing off to the development team to prepare specific requirements for each improvement. Each advancement may be incorporated into the existing External Filing development tasks or held as enhancements appropriate to the core functionality delivery.

Note that all current EFS processes and procedures will continue to be available and both systems will remain functional and work concurrently until the entire suite of features in SMART are fully delivered throughout 2022. With each new release or significant deployment, additional notifications will be sent to existing users of SLTX’s Electronic Filing System (EFS). These notifications may also be found directly on our website under News>Procedural Updates.

Please contact the SLTX Tech Support team by email or phone at (512) 531-1880 or (800) 681-5848 with any questions.

The screen shown represents the Broker Landing Page which users will see once logged into SMART. Here users are able to access features utilizing the left side navigation panel. Click here to view additional focus group progress and content.

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) adopted a rule change for 28 TAC 1.1301 & 1.1302 which requires individuals, agencies, and companies regulated by TDI to designate an email address for official communications from TDI. The rule also allows electronic submissions to TDI in most cases where a paper method was previously required.

The text of §1.1302 has been changed by adding subsection (f). Subsection (f) makes the requirement under subsection (c) that all regulated persons provide to TDI an email address designated for receipt of official communications applicable beginning January 1, 2022. This is intended to give regulated persons time to prepare for the shift to receiving electronic communications from TDI.

(c) Except as provided by Subsection (e) of this section, all regulated persons must provide an email address that is designated for receipt of official department communications. Regulated persons should provide the email address as specified on the department’s website. If communications may no longer be received at the designated email address, the regulated person must notify the department and designate a new email address within 10 business days.

(d) Notice or service sent by email under this section satisfies any notice or service requirements unless a different method of notice or service is required by statute or §1.90 of this title.

 (e) If a regulated person does not have the technological capability to maintain an email address designated for official department communications, or for good reason does not wish to receive communications by email from the department, the regulated person should notify the department as specified on the department’s website regarding address changes.

Please utilize the Agents, adjusters, and agencies link to update or change names, addresses, or emails through the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). Contact TDI for further questions or concerns regarding this rule change.

Because of the nearly week-long power outage in mid-February, SLTX did not have a SMART release during that month. The March 2021 SMART release primarily includes a Report Landing page which will be available for all External Filers through the SMART application. This will allow those users to directly obtain the following monthly reports: Monthly Invoice, Detail Policy Activity Report, Policy Transaction Activity Report, and when appropriate, the Outstanding Ineligible Report, and Duplicate Policy Report. You will also be able to pay invoices, via credit card or ACH payments, through the SMART application. Online filers will continue to receive their reports via the existing Electronic Filing System (EFS) portal in the original format. Please note that all current EFS processes and procedures will continue to be available and both systems will remain functional and work concurrently until the entire suite of features in SMART are fully delivered which is expected to be in 2022.

Additionally, improvements were made to various reports to reduce overall spacing and to better handle specific data-related scenarios. The March 2021 release also includes features which are specific to SLTX’s Internal Filing (work assignments relating to and the processing of mailed transactions), additional search capabilities, as well as various bug fixes relating to previously released features.

As work continues on the Internal Filing features, SLTX is looking forward to the release schedule which will include External Filing (or the ability to manually input transactions within SMART). As we enter the planning stages, SLTX will resume round table or focus group discussions with current users of SLTX’s Electronic Filing System (EFS). Please stay tuned and be on the look-out for additional communications within the next few weeks regarding this schedule and feature sets to be discussed.

As a reminder, SLTX has already released portions of its new online filing system, SMART. This includes filing features that are specific to automated or “programmatic” filers as these filing methods make up the largest majority of the transactions filed with SLTX. Beta testing is ongoing and feedback by automated filing broker users is strongly encouraged as broker testing is the primary mechanism to ensure data-related scenarios are handled effectively and efficiently. If you, as an automated filer, have not requested the updated Technical Reference and User Guides or are ready to resume beta testing, please contact the SLTX Tech Support team by email.

With each new release or significant deployment, additional notifications will be sent to existing users of SLTX’s Electronic Filing System (EFS). These notifications may also be found directly on our website under News>Procedural Updates.

Please contact the SLTX Tech Support team by email or phone at (512) 531-1880 or (800) 681-5848 with any questions.