SECOND REGULAR SESSION
92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE LUETKEMEYER.
Read 1st time January 26, 2004, and copies ordered printed.
STEPHEN S. DAVIS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 375.246, 375.1176, and 375.1198, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof three new sections relating to insurance, with penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 375.246, 375.1176, and 375.1198, RSMo, are repealed and three new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 375.246, 375.1176, and 375.1198, to read as follows:
375.246. 1. Credit for reinsurance shall be allowed a domestic ceding insurer as either an asset or a reduction from liability on account of reinsurance ceded only when the reinsurer meets the requirements of subdivisions (1) to (5) of this subsection. Credit shall be allowed pursuant to subdivision (1), (2) or (3) of this subsection only as respects cessions of those kinds or classes of business which the assuming insurer is licensed or otherwise permitted to write or assume in its state of domicile or, in the case of a United States branch of an alien assuming insurer, in the state through which it is entered and licensed to transact insurance or reinsurance. Credit shall be allowed pursuant to subdivision (3) or (4) of this subsection only if the applicable requirements of subdivision (6) have been satisfied.
(1) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer that is licensed to transact insurance in this state;
(2) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer that is accredited as a reinsurer in this state. An accredited reinsurer is one that:
(a) Files with the director evidence of its submission to this state's jurisdiction;
(b) Submits to the authority of the department of insurance to examine its books and records;
(c) Is licensed to transact insurance or reinsurance in at least one state, or in the case of a United States branch of an alien assuming insurer is entered through and licensed to transact insurance or reinsurance in at least one state;
(d) Files annually with the director a copy of its annual statement filed with the insurance department of its state of domicile and a copy of its most recent audited financial statement; and
(e) Maintains a surplus as regards policyholders in an amount not less than twenty million dollars and whose accreditation has not been denied by the director within ninety days of its submission; or
(f) Maintains a surplus as regards policyholders in an amount less than twenty million dollars and whose accreditation has been approved by the director.
No credit shall be allowed a domestic ceding insurer if the assuming insurer's accreditation has been revoked by the director after notice and hearing;
(3) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer that is domiciled in, or in the case of a United States branch of an alien assuming insurer is entered through, a state that employs standards regarding credit for reinsurance substantially similar to those applicable under this statute and the assuming insurer or United States branch of an alien assuming insurer:
(a) Maintains a surplus as regards policyholders in an amount not less than twenty million dollars; except that this paragraph does not apply to reinsurance ceded and assumed pursuant to pooling arrangements among insurers in the same holding company system; and
(b) Submits to the authority of the department of insurance to examine its books and records;
(4) (a) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer that maintains a trust fund in a qualified United States financial institution, as defined in subdivision (2) of subsection 3 of this section, for the payment of the valid claims of its United States ceding insurers, their assigns and successors in interest. To enable the director to determine the sufficiency of the trust fund, the assuming insurer shall report annually to the director information substantially the same as that required to be reported on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' annual statement form by licensed insurers. The assuming insurer shall submit to examination of its books and records by the director.
(b) Credit for reinsurance shall not be granted pursuant to this subdivision unless the form of the trust and any amendments to the trust have been approved by:
a. The commissioner or director of the state agency regulating insurance in the state where the trust is domiciled; or
b. The commissioner or director of another state who, pursuant to the terms of the trust instrument, has accepted principal regulatory oversight of the trust.
(c) The form of the trust and any trust amendments shall also be filed with the commissioner or director in every state in which the ceding insurer beneficiaries of the trust are domiciled. The trust instrument shall provide that contested claims shall be valid and enforceable upon the final order of any court of competent jurisdiction in the United States. The trust shall vest legal title to its assets in its trustees for the benefit of the assuming insurer's United States ceding insurers, their assigns and successors in interest. The trust and the assuming insurer shall be subject to examination as determined by the director.
(d) The trust shall remain in effect for as long as the assuming insurer has outstanding obligations due under the reinsurance agreements subject to the trust. No later than February twenty-eighth of each year the trustees of the trust shall report to the director in writing the balance of the trust and listing the trust's investments at the preceding year end and shall certify the date of termination of the trust, if so planned, or certify that the trust will not expire prior to the next following December thirty-first.
(e) The following requirements apply to the following categories of assuming insurers:
a. The trust fund for a single assuming insurer shall consist of funds in trust in an amount not less than the assuming insurer's liabilities attributable to reinsurance ceded by the United States ceding insurers, and, in addition, the assuming insurer shall maintain a trusteed surplus of not less than twenty million dollars;
b. In the case of a group of incorporated and individual unincorporated underwriters:
(i) For reinsurance ceded under reinsurance agreements with an inception, amendment or renewal date on or after August 1, 1995, the trust shall consist of a trusteed account in an amount not less than the group's several liabilities attributable to business ceded by United States domiciled ceding insurers to any member of the group;
(ii) For reinsurance ceded under reinsurance agreements with an inception date on or before July 31, 1995, and not amended or renewed after that date, notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, the trust shall consist of a trustee account in an amount not less than the group's several insurance and reinsurance liabilities attributable to business in the United States; and
(iii) In addition to these trusts, the group shall maintain in trust a trusteed surplus of which one hundred million dollars shall be held jointly for the benefit of the United States domiciled ceding insurers of any member of the group for all years of account;
c. The incorporated members of the group shall not be engaged in any business other than underwriting as a member of the group and shall be subject to the same level of regulation and solvency control by the group's domiciliary regulator as are the unincorporated members;
d. Within ninety days after its financial statements are due to be filed with the group's domiciliary regulator, the group shall provide to the director an annual certification by the group's domiciliary regulator of the solvency of each underwriter member; or if a certification is unavailable, financial statements, prepared by independent public accountants, of each underwriter member of the group;
(5) Credit:
(a) Shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer not meeting the requirements of subdivision (1), (2), (3) or (4) of this subsection, but only as to the insurance of risks located in a jurisdiction of the United States where the reinsurance is required by applicable law or regulation of that jurisdiction;
(b) May be allowed in the discretion of the director when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer not meeting the requirements of subdivision (1), (2), (3) or (4) of this subsection, but only as to the insurance of risks located in a foreign country where the reinsurance is required by applicable law or regulation of that country;
(6) If the assuming insurer is not licensed or accredited to transact insurance or reinsurance in this state, the credit permitted by subdivisions (3) and (4) of this subsection shall not be allowed unless the assuming insurer agrees in the reinsurance agreements:
(a) That in the event of the failure of the assuming insurer to perform its obligations under the terms of the reinsurance agreement, the assuming insurer, at the request of the ceding insurer shall submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of this state, will comply with all requirements necessary to give such courts jurisdiction, and will abide by the final decisions of such courts or of any appellate courts in this state in the event of an appeal; and
(b) To designate the director or a designated attorney as its true and lawful attorney upon whom may be served any lawful process in any action, suit or proceeding instituted by or on behalf of the ceding company. This paragraph is not intended to conflict with or override the obligation of the parties to a reinsurance agreement to arbitrate their disputes, if this obligation is created in the agreement and the jurisdiction and situs of the arbitration is, with respect to any receivership of the ceding company, any jurisdiction of the United States;
(7) If the assuming insurer does not meet the requirements of subdivision (1), (2) or (3) of this subsection, the credit permitted by subdivision (4) of this subsection shall not be allowed unless the assuming insurer agrees in the trust agreements to the following conditions:
(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions in the trust instrument, if the trust fund is inadequate because it contains an amount less than the amount required by paragraph (e) of subdivision (4) of this subsection, or if the grantor of the trust has been declared insolvent or placed into receivership, rehabilitation, liquidation or similar proceedings under the laws of its state or country of domicile, the trustee shall comply with an order of the commissioner or director with regulatory oversight over the trust or with an order of a court of competent jurisdiction directing the trustee to transfer to the commissioner or director with regulatory oversight all of the assets of the trust fund;
(b) The assets shall be distributed by and claims shall be filed with and valued by the commissioner or director with regulatory oversight in accordance with the laws of the state in which the trust is domiciled that are applicable to the liquidation of domestic insurance companies;
(c) If the commissioner or director with regulatory oversight determines that the assets of the trust fund or any part thereof are not necessary to satisfy the claims of the United States ceding insurers of the grantor of the trust, the assets or part thereof shall be returned by the commissioner or director with regulatory oversight to the trustee for distribution in accordance with the trust agreement; and
(d) The grantor shall waive any right otherwise available to it under United States law that is inconsistent with this subsection.
2. An asset or reduction from liability for the reinsurance ceded by a domestic insurer to an assuming insurer not meeting the requirements of subsection 1 of this section shall be allowed in an amount not exceeding the liabilities carried by the ceding insurer. The reduction shall be in the amount of funds held by or on behalf of the ceding insurer, including funds held in trust for the ceding insurer, under a reinsurance contract with the assuming insurer as security for the payment of obligations thereunder, if the security is held in the United States subject to withdrawal solely by, and under the exclusive control of, the ceding insurer; or, in the case of a trust, held in a qualified United States financial institution, as defined in subdivision (2) of subsection 3 of this section. This security may be in the form of:
(1) Cash;
(2) Securities listed by the securities valuation office of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and qualifying as admitted assets;
(3) (a) Clean, irrevocable, unconditional letters of credit, as defined in subdivision (1) of subsection 3 of this section, issued or confirmed by a qualified United States financial institution no later than December thirty-first of the year for which filing is being made, and in the possession of, or in trust for, the ceding company on or before the filing date of its annual statement.
(b) Letters of credit meeting applicable standards of issuer acceptability as of the dates of their issuance or confirmation, notwithstanding the issuing or confirming institution's subsequent failure to meet applicable standards of issuer acceptability, shall continue to be acceptable as security until their expiration, extension, renewal, modification or amendment, whichever first occurs;
(4) Any other form of security acceptable to the director.
3. (1) For purposes of subdivision (3) of subsection 2 of this section, a "qualified United States financial institution" means an institution that:
(a) Is organized or, in the case of a United States office of a foreign banking organization, licensed under the laws of the United States or any state thereof;
(b) Is regulated, supervised and examined by federal or state authorities having regulatory authority over banks and trust companies; and
(c) Has been determined by either the director, or the securities valuation office of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, to meet such standards of financial condition and standing as are considered necessary and appropriate to regulate the quality of financial institutions whose letters of credit will be acceptable to the director.
(2) A "qualified United States financial institution" means, for purposes of those provisions of this law specifying those institutions that are eligible to act as a fiduciary of a trust, an institution that:
(a) Is organized, or in the case of a United States branch or agency office of a foreign banking organization, licensed under the laws of the United States or any state thereof and has been granted authority to operate with fiduciary powers; and
(b) Is regulated, supervised and examined by federal or state authorities having regulatory authority over banks and trust companies.
4. The director may adopt rules and regulations implementing the provisions of this section.
5. (1) The director shall disallow any credit as an asset or as a deduction from liability for any reinsurance found by him to have been arranged for the purpose principally of deception as to the ceding company's financial condition as of the date of any financial statement of the company. Without limiting the general purport of this provision, reinsurance of any substantial part of the company's outstanding risks contracted for in fact within four months prior to the date of any such financial statement and canceled in fact within four months after the date of such statement, or reinsurance under which the assuming insurer bears no substantial insurance risk or substantial risk of net loss to itself, shall prima facie be deemed to have been arranged for the purpose principally of deception within the intent of this provision.
(2) (a) The director shall also disallow as an asset or deduction from liability to any ceding insurer any credit for reinsurance unless the reinsurance is payable to the ceding company, and if it be [impaired or] insolvent to its receiver, by the assuming insurer on the basis of the liability of the ceding company under the contracts reinsured without diminution because of the insolvency of the ceding company.
(b) Such payments shall be made directly to the ceding insurer or to its domiciliary liquidator except:
a. Where the contract of insurance or reinsurance specifically provides for payment to the named insured, assignee or named beneficiary of the policy issued by the ceding insurer in the event of the insolvency of the ceding insurer; or
b. Where the assuming insurer, with the consent of it and the direct insured or insureds in an assumption reinsurance transaction subject to sections 375.1280 to 375.1295, has assumed such policy obligations of the ceding insurer as direct obligations of the assuming insurer to the payees under such policies and in substitution for the obligations of the ceding insurer to such payees.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subdivision, in the event that a life and health insurance guaranty association has made the election to succeed to the rights and obligations of the insolvent insurer under the contract of reinsurance, then the reinsurer's liability to pay covered reinsured claims shall continue under the contract of reinsurance, subject to the payment to the reinsurer of the reinsurance premiums for such coverage. Payment for such reinsured claims shall only be made by the reinsurer pursuant to the direction of the guaranty association or its designated successor. Any payment made at the direction of the guaranty association or its designated successor by the reinsurer will discharge the reinsurer of all further liability to any other party for such claim payment.
(d) The reinsurance agreement may provide that the domiciliary liquidator of an insolvent ceding insurer shall give written notice to the assuming insurer of the pendency of a claim against such ceding insurer on the contract reinsured within a reasonable time after such claim is filed in the liquidation proceeding. During the pendency of such claim, any assuming insurer may investigate such claim and interpose, at its own expense, in the proceeding where such claim is to be adjudicated any defenses which it deems available to the ceding insurer, or its liquidator. Such expense may be filed as a claim against the insolvent ceding insurer to the extent of a proportionate share of the benefit which may accrue to the ceding insurer solely as a result of the defense undertaken by the assuming insurer. Where two or more assuming insurers are involved in the same claim and a majority in interest elect to interpose a defense to such claim, the expense shall be apportioned in accordance with the terms of the reinsurance agreement as though such expense had been incurred by the ceding insurer.
6. To the extent that any reinsurer of an insurance company in liquidation would have been required under any agreement pertaining to reinsurance to post letters of credit or other security prior to an order of liquidation to cover such reserves reflected upon the last financial statement filed with a regulatory authority immediately prior to receivership, such reinsurer shall be required to post letters of credit or other security to cover reserves after a company has been placed in liquidation or receivership. If a reinsurer shall fail to post letters of credit or other security as required by a reinsurance agreement or the provisions of this subsection, the director may consider disallowing as a credit or asset, in whole or in part, any future reinsurance ceded to such reinsurer by a ceding insurance company that is incorporated under the laws of the state of Missouri.
7. The provisions of section 375.420 shall not apply to any action, suit or proceeding by a ceding insurer against an assuming insurer arising out of a contract of reinsurance effectuated in accordance with the laws of Missouri.
8. The provisions of this section shall become effective on January 1, 2003, and shall be applicable to the financial statements of a reinsurer as of December 31, 2002.
375.1176. 1. An order to liquidate the business of a domestic insurer shall appoint the director and his successors as liquidator and shall direct the liquidator forthwith to take immediate possession of the assets of the insurer and to administer them subject to the supervision of the court until the liquidator is discharged by the court. The liquidation of any insurer shall be considered to be the business of insurance for purposes of application of any law of this state. The liquidator shall be vested by operation of law with the title to all of the property, contracts and rights of action, and all of the books and records of the insurer ordered liquidated, wherever located, as of the entry of the order of liquidation. The order shall require the liquidator to take immediate possession of and to secure all of the records and property of the insurer wherever it is located, and to take all measures necessary to preserve the integrity of the insurer's records. The filing or recording of the order with the clerk of the court and the recorder of deeds of the county in which its principal office or place of business is located or, in the case of real estate, with the recorder of deeds of the county where the property is located, shall impart the same notice as a deed, bill of sale or other evidence of title duly filed or recorded with that recorder of deeds would have imparted.
2. With the approval of the court, the director as liquidator may appoint a special deputy or deputies to act for him under sections 375.1175 to 375.1230. The special deputy shall not be an employee of the department of insurance. The special deputy shall have all powers of the liquidator granted by sections 375.1175 to 375.1230. The special deputy shall administer and liquidate the insolvent insurer subject to the general supervision of the director and the specific supervision of the court as provided in sections 375.1175 to 375.1230.
3. Upon issuance of the order of liquidation, the rights and liabilities of any such insurer and of its creditors, policyholders, shareholders, members and any other persons interested in its estate shall become fixed and the termination of any period fixed by any statute of limitations provided by law shall be suspended as of the date of entry of the order of liquidation, except as provided in sections 375.1178, 375.1206 and 375.1210. Rights of shareholders provided by any law other than as provided by sections 375.1150 to 375.1246 shall be suspended upon issuance of the order of liquidation.
4. An order to liquidate the business of an alien insurer domiciled in this state shall be in the same terms and have the same legal effect as an order to liquidate a domestic insurer, except that the assets and the business in the United States shall be the only assets and business included therein.
5. At the time of petitioning for an order of liquidation, or at any time thereafter, the director, after making determination of an insurer's insolvency, may petition the court for a judicial declaration of such insolvency. After providing such notice and hearing as it deems proper, the court may make the declaration.
6. (1) Any order issued under this section shall require periodic financial reports to the court by the liquidator. Financial reports shall include, at a minimum, the assets and liabilities of the insurer and all funds received or disbursed by the liquidator during the current period. Financial reports shall be filed within one year of the liquidation order and at least annually thereafter.
(2) After an order of liquidation has been entered, the liquidator of such insurer shall file with the director a statement which shall reflect the claims reserves, including losses incurred but not reported, and unearned premium reserves which have been established by the liquidator and which shall also set forth the amounts of such reserves that are allocable to particular reinsurers of the insolvent company. A similar statement shall be filed by each liquidator not less frequently than annually and shall be considered for all intents and purposes as the annual statement which was required to be filed by the insurer with the director prior to the liquidation proceedings. To the extent that any reinsurer of an insurer in liquidation would have been required under any agreement pertaining to reinsurance to post letters of credit or other security prior to an order of liquidation to cover such reserves reflected upon a statement filed with a regulatory authority, such reinsurer shall be required to post letters of credit or other security to cover such reserves after an insurer has been placed in liquidation. If a reinsurer shall fail to post letters of credit or other security required by a reinsurance agreement or the provisions of this section, the director may issue an order barring such reinsurer from thereafter reinsuring any insurer which is incorporated under the laws of the state of Missouri.
7. (1) Within five days after the initiation of an appeal of an order of liquidation, the liquidator shall present for the court's approval a plan for the continued performance of the defendant company's policy claims obligations, including the duty to defend insureds under liability insurance policies, during the pendency of an appeal. Such plan shall provide for the continued performance and payment of policy claims obligations in the normal course of events, notwithstanding the grounds alleged in support of the order of liquidation including the ground of insolvency. In the event the defendant company's financial condition, in the judgment of the liquidator, will not support the full performance of all policy claims obligations during the appeal pendency period, the plan may prefer the claims of certain policyholders and claimants over creditors and interested parties as well as other policyholders and claimants, as the liquidator finds to be fair and equitable considering the relative circumstances of such policyholders and claimants. The court shall examine the plan submitted by the liquidator and if it finds the plan to be in the best interests of the parties, the court shall approve the plan. No action shall lie against the liquidator or any of his deputies, agents, clerks, assistants or attorneys by any party based on preference in an appeal pendency plan approved by the court.
(2) The appeal pendency plan shall not supersede or affect the obligations of any insurance guaranty association.
(3) Any such plans shall provide for equitable adjustments to be made by the liquidator to any distributions of assets to guaranty associations, in the event that the liquidator pays claims from assets of the estate, which would otherwise be the obligations of any particular guaranty association but for the appeal of the order of liquidation, such that all guaranty associations equally benefit on a pro rata basis from the assets of the estate. Further, in the event an order of liquidation is set aside upon any appeal, the company shall not be released from delinquency proceedings unless and until all funds advanced by any guaranty association, including reasonable allocated loss adjustment expenses in connection therewith relating to obligations of the company, shall be repaid in full, together with interest at the judgment rate of interest or unless an arrangement for repayment thereof has been made with the consent of all applicable guaranty associations.
8. Any person who shall knowingly destroy, conceal, convert or alter any records or property of an insurer after entry of an order of liquidation, without having received prior written permission of the liquidator or of the court, or who shall knowingly neglect or refuse, upon the order or demand of the liquidator, to deliver to the liquidator any records or property of an insurer in his possession or control, [shall be] is guilty of a class C felony.
9. Except as provided in section 375.1170 and except as to claims against the estate, nothing in this section shall deprive a party in interest of any contractual right to pursue arbitration of any dispute under any law.
375.1198. 1. Mutual debts or mutual credits, whether arising out of one or more contracts, between the insurer and another person in connection with any action or proceeding under sections 375.1150 to 375.1246, sections 374.216 and 374.217, RSMo, and section 382.302, RSMo, shall be set off and the balance only shall be allowed or paid, except as provided in subsections 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of this section and section 375.1204.
2. No setoff shall be allowed in favor of any person where:
(1) The obligation of the insurer to the person would not as of the date of the filing of a petition for liquidation entitle the person to share as a claimant in the assets of the insurer; or
(2) The obligation of the insurer to the person was purchased by or transferred to the person with a view to its being used as a setoff; or
(3) The obligation of the person is to pay an assessment levied against the members or subscribers of the insurer, or is to pay a balance upon a subscription to the capital stock of the insurer, or is in any other way in the nature of a capital contribution; or
(4) The obligation of the insurer is owed to an affiliate of such person or to any entity or association, rather than the person; or
(5) The obligation of the person is owed to an affiliate of the insurer or to any other entity or association, rather than the insurer; or
(6) The obligations between the person and the insurer arise from reinsurance relationships resulting in business [which is both ceded to and assumed from the insurer.
3. As soon as practicable, the receiver shall provide persons who assumed business from the insurer as reinsurers with statements of account identifying debts which are currently due and payable to the insurer. Such persons may set off against such debts only mutual credits which are currently due and payable by the insurer to such persons for the period covered by the accounting statements.
4. A person who ceded business to the insurer may set off debts due the insurer against only those mutual credits which the person has paid or which have been allowed in a delinquency proceeding.
5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a setoff of sums due on obligations in the nature of those prescribed in subdivision (6) of subsection 2 of this section shall be allowed for those debts accruing from business written under reinsurance contracts which were entered into, renewed or extended with the express written approval of the director where Missouri is the state of domicile of the insolvent insurer and when in the judgment of the director such action is deemed necessary or advisable in order to prevent or mitigate a threatened impairment or insolvency of a domiciliary insurer, in connection with supervision or conservation proceedings pursuant to this act or otherwise in connection with the exercise of the director's regulatory responsibilities concerning a threatened impairment or insolvency without the institution of any delinquency proceedings.
6.] where either the person or the insurer has assumed risks and obligations from the other party and then has ceded back to that party substantially the same risks and obligations.
3. The provisions of this section shall apply to all obligations incurred under contracts entered into, renewed, or extended on or after July 1, 1992, and to any existing contract with a termination date longer than one year from January 1, 1993[, and shall supersede any contractual provisions which might be construed to enlarge the setoff rights of any person under any contract with the insurer; provided that the provisions of subdivision (6) of subsection 2 and subsections 3, 4 and 5 of this section shall not apply to insurers or reinsurers until such time that the director determines that substantially similar provisions are effective in a sufficient number of states so as not to place domestic insurers or reinsurers at a competitive disadvantage. The director shall promulgate a rule announcing any determination as is necessitated by this subsection].