District of Columbia Code
Chapter 23M - Service Contract Regulation
§ 31–2351.01. Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the term:
(1) "Administrator" means the person who is responsible for the administration of the service contracts or the service contracts plan or responsible for submissions required by this chapter.
(2) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking, as established by subchapter I of Chapter 1 of this title.
(3) "Consumer" means a natural person who buys, other than for purposes of resale, any property that is distributed in commerce and that is normally used for personal, family, or household purposes and not for business or research purposes.
(4) "Maintenance agreement" means a contract of limited duration that provides for scheduled maintenance only and does not include repair or replacement.
(5) "Motor Vehicle Manufacturer" means a person that:
(A) Manufactures or produces motor vehicles and sells motor vehicles under its own name or label;
(B) Is a wholly owned subsidiary of the person who manufactures or produces motor vehicles;
(C) Is a corporation that owns 100% of the person who manufactures or produces motor vehicles;
(D) Does not manufacture or produce motor vehicles, but sells motor vehicles under the trade name or label of another person who manufactures or produces motor vehicles;
(E) Manufactures or produces motor vehicles and sells such motor vehicles under the trade name or label of another person who manufactures or produces motor vehicles; or
(F) Does not manufacture or produce motor vehicles but, pursuant to a written contract, licenses the use of its trade name or label to another person who manufactures or produces motor vehicles that sells motor vehicles under the licensor's trade name or label.
(6) "Premium" means the consideration paid to an insurer for a reimbursement insurance policy.
(7) "Provider" means a person that is contractually obligated to the service contract holder under the terms of the service contract.
(8) "Provider fee" means the consideration paid for a service contract.
(9) "Reimbursement insurance policy" means a policy of insurance issued to a provider to either provide reimbursement to the provider under the terms of the insured service contracts issued or sold by the provider or, in the event of the provider's non-performance, to pay on behalf of the provider all covered contractual obligations incurred by the provider under the terms of the insured service contracts issued or sold by the provider.
(10)(A) "Service contract" means a contract or agreement for a separately stated consideration for any duration to perform the repair, replacement, or maintenance of property or indemnification for service repair, replacement, or maintenance for the operational or structural failure of any motor vehicle or residential or other property due to a defect in materials, workmanship, accidental damage from handling, or normal wear and tear, or to indemnify for the same, including towing, rental, and emergency road service and road hazard protection, and which may provide for the service repair, replacement, or maintenance of property for damage resulting from power surges or interruption. The term "service contract" includes a contract or agreement sold for a separately stated consideration for a specific duration that provides for:
(i) The repair or replacement or indemnification for the repair or replacement of a motor vehicle for the operational or structural failure of one or more parts or systems of the motor vehicle brought about by the failure of an additive product to perform as represented;
(ii) The repair or replacement of tires or wheels on a motor vehicle damaged as a result of coming into contact with road hazards, including potholes, rocks, wood debris, metal parts, glass, plastic, curbs, or composite scrap;
(iii) The removal of dents, dings, or creases on a motor vehicle that can be repaired using the process of paintless dent removal without affecting the existing paint finish and without replacing vehicle body panels or sanding, bonding, or painting;
(iv) The repair of chips or cracks in or the replacement of motor vehicle windshields as a result of damage caused by road hazards;
(v) The repair of damage to the interior components of a motor vehicle caused by wear and tear but which expressly excludes the replacement of any part or component of a motor vehicle's interior;
(vi) The replacement of a motor vehicle key or key-fob in the event that the key or key-fob becomes inoperable or is lost or stolen; or
(vii) Other services or products that may be approved by the Commissioner.
(B) The term "service contract" does not include insurance as regulated under subchapter I of Chapter 1 of this title, except as addressed in § 31-2351.10.
(11) "Service contract holder" or "contract holder" means a person who is the purchaser or holder of a service contract.
(12) "Warranty" means a warranty made solely by the manufacturer, importer, or seller of property or services without consideration that is not negotiated or separated from the sale of the product and is incidental to the sale of the product that guarantees indemnity for defective parts, mechanical or electrical breakdown, labor, or remedial measures, such as repair or replacement of the property or repetition of services.
(Feb. 22, 2019, D.C. Law 22-216, § 2, 65 DCR 12963.)