The Texas Department of Insurance regulates the state’s insurance industry, oversees the administration of the Texas workers’ compensation system, performs the duties of the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and provides administrative support to the Office of Injured Employee Counsel – a separate agency.
Texas Insurance Code requires TDI to:
The insurance commissioner is the agency’s chief executive and administrative officer. The commissioner administers and enforces state insurance laws and applicable laws that grant jurisdiction to TDI or the commissioner.
The Division of Workers’ Compensation, under the direction of the division’s appointed commissioner, oversees the administration and operation of the Texas workers’ compensation system. The division monitors compliance of all parties, taking enforcement action when necessary, to ensure that the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act, Texas Labor Code, and other regulations regarding workers’ compensation are implemented and enforced. According to Texas Labor Code, the goals of the division are to ensure that:
DWC does not pay benefits on workers’ compensation claims. Insurance carriers (including licensed insurance companies, governmental entities, certified self-insured employers and group self-insured employers) pay benefits.
The governor, with advice and consent of the Texas Senate, appoints both commissioners for two-year terms.
Agency Mission
The Texas Department of Insurance mission is to protect insurance consumers by:
Agency Regulatory Approach
The Texas Department of Insurance will exemplify friendly, courteous, ethical, and professional behavior in all areas of performance by:
Agency Promise
TDI’s Compact with Texans provides all the basic information you need to learn more about the many services and resources the agency offers Texans.
Agency History
The recorded history of insurance law in Texas and the predecessors of the Texas Department of Insurance date back to 1876 — the year Mark Twain published “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and Colorado became the 38th state. The constitution of Texas adopted that year authorized the Legislature to create the office of Insurance Commissioner when it deemed it necessary. Two years earlier, the state had made its first effort to regulate the insurance business in Texas. The state’s economy and population were growing, and wildcat insurance schemes were common. The 14th Legislature in 1874 passed a law regulating the life and health insurance business in the areas of company formation, activities and coverage.
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For more information, contact: MediaRelations@tdi.texas.gov