House Bill 42

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 83-1-153, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO EXCLUDE CERTAIN RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS FROM THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 83-1-153, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

83-1-153. (1) The provisions of Sections 83-1-151 through 83-1-169 shall apply to:

(a) All domestic insurers, and

(b) Any other insurer doing business in this state whose state of domicile has asked the commissioner to apply the provisions of Sections 83-1-151 through 83-1-169 to such insurer.

(2) The provisions of Sections 83-1-151 through 83-1-169 shall not apply to a religious publication, or its subscribers, that:

(a) Is a nonprofit religious organization;

(b) Is limited to subscribers who are members of the same denomination or religion;

(c) Acts as an organizational clearinghouse for information between subscribers who have financial, physical or medical needs and subscribers who choose to assist with those needs, matching subscribers with the present ability to pay with subscribers with a present financial or medical need;

(d) Pays for the subscriber's financial or medical needs by payments directly from one (1) subscriber to another; and

(e) Suggests amounts to give that are voluntary among the subscribers, with no assumption of risk or promise to pay either among the subscribers or between the subscribers and the publication.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2003.