MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2013 Regular Session
To: Insurance
By: Senator(s) Carmichael
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 83-6-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DEFINE THE TERM "ENTERPRISE RISK" AS USED IN THE INSURANCE HOLDING COMPANY REGISTRATION ACT; TO AMEND SECTION 83-6-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE FORM AND CONTENTS OF THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE; TO AMEND SECTION 83-6-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT A DISCLAIMER OF AFFILIATION SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN GRANTED UNLESS THE COMMISSIONER NOTIFIES THE FILING PARTY THE DISCLAIMER IS DISALLOWED; TO AMEND SECTION 83-6-21, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS TO THE COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE OF CERTAIN INTENDED TRANSACTIONS WITHIN THE HOLDING COMPANY SYSTEM; TO AMEND SECTION 83-6-24, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE FILING REQUIREMENTS OF PERSONS SEEKING TO DIVEST OR ACQUIRE A CONTROLLING INTEREST IN A DOMESTIC INSURER; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 83-6-26, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE CERTAIN MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS OF DOMESTIC INSURERS SUBJECT TO REGISTRATION; TO AMEND SECTION 83-6-27, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CORRECTION TO REFERENCE THE CHAPTER OF LAWS; TO AMEND SECTION 83-6-29, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF DOCUMENTS, MATERIALS OR OTHER INFORMATION IN THE POSSESSION OR CONTROL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE THAT ARE OBTAINED BY OR DISCLOSED TO THE COMMISSIONER OR ANY OTHER PERSON DURING CERTAIN EXAMINATIONS OR INVESTIGATIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 83-6-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
83-6-1. As used in this chapter the following terms have the respective meanings herein set forth unless the context shall require otherwise:
(a) An "affiliate of" or person "affiliated" with a specific person means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the person specified.
(b) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Insurance.
(c) "Control" (including the terms "controlling," "controlled by" and "under common control with") means the possession of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract other than a commercial contract for goods or nonmanagement services or otherwise, unless the power is the result of an official position with or corporate office held by the person. "Control" shall be presumed to exist if any person, directly or indirectly, owns, controls, holds with the power to vote or holds proxies representing ten percent (10%) or more of the voting securities of any other person. This presumption may be rebutted by a showing made in the manner provided in Section 83-6-17 that control does not exist in fact. The commissioner may determine, after furnishing all persons in interest notice and opportunity to be heard and making specific findings of fact to support such determination, that control exists in fact, notwithstanding the absence of a presumption to that effect.
(d) An "insurance holding company system" consists of two (2) or more affiliated persons, one or more of which is an insurer.
(e) "Insurer" means only those companies subject to the jurisdiction of the commissioner as provided in Section 83-5-1; however, burial associations regulated pursuant to Chapter 37 of Title 83 are excluded from this definition.
(f) "Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, any similar entity or any combination of the foregoing acting in concert, but shall not include any securities broker performing no more than the usual and customary broker's function.
(g) A "security holder" of a specified person means one who owns any security of such person, including common stock, preferred stock, debt obligations and any other security convertible into or evidencing the right to acquire any of the foregoing.
(h) "Subsidiary" of a specified person means an affiliate controlled by a person, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries.
(i) The term "voting security" includes any security convertible into or evidencing a right to acquire a voting security.
(j) "Enterprise risk" shall mean any activity, circumstance, event or series of events involving one or more affiliates of an insurer that, if not remedied promptly, is likely to have a material adverse effect upon the financial condition or liquidity of the insurer or its insurance holding company system as a whole, including, but not limited to, anything that would cause the insurer's Risk-Based Capital to fall into company action level as provided in Section 83-5-405 or would cause the insurer to be in hazardous financial condition as provided in Section 83-5-411.
SECTION 2. Section 83-6-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
83-6-5. (1) Every insurer subject to registration is required to file a registration statement on a form provided by the commissioner which shall contain current information setting forth:
(a) The capital structure, general financial condition, ownership and management of the insurer and any person controlling the insurer;
(b) The identity of every member of the insurance holding company system;
(c) The following agreements in force, relationships subsisting and transactions currently outstanding between such insurer and its affiliates:
(i) Loans, other investments or purchases, sales or exchanges of securities of the affiliates by the insurer or of the insurer by its affiliates;
(ii) Purchases, sales or exchanges of assets;
(iii) Transactions not in the ordinary course of business;
(iv) Guarantees or undertakings for the benefit of an affiliate which result in an actual contingent exposure of the insurer's assets to liability, other than insurance contracts entered into in the ordinary course of the insurer's business;
(v) All management
and service contracts and all cost-sharing arrangements, other than cost
allocation arrangements based upon generally accepted accounting principles; * * *
(vi) Reinsurance agreements covering all or substantially all of one or more lines of insurance of the ceding company;
(vii) Dividends and other distributions to shareholders; and
(viii) Consolidated tax allocation agreements.
(d) Any pledge of the insurer's stock, including stock of any subsidiary or controlling affiliate, for a loan made to any member of the insurance holding company system;
(e) If requested by the commissioner, the insurer shall include financial statements of or within an insurance holding company system, including all affiliates. Financial statements may include, but are not limited to, annual audited financial statements filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. An insurer required to file financial statements pursuant to this paragraph may satisfy the request by providing the commissioner with the most recently filed parent corporation financial statements that have been filed with the SEC;
( * * *f) Other matters concerning
transactions between registered insurers and any affiliates as may be included
from time to time in any registration forms adopted or approved by the
commissioner * * *;
(g) Statements that the insurer's board of directors oversees corporate governance and internal controls and that the insurer's officers or senior management have approved, implemented, and continue to maintain and monitor corporate governance and internal control procedures.
(2) All registration statements shall contain a summary outlining all items in the current registration statement representing changes from the prior registration statement.
(3) Subject to Section 83-6-25, each registered insurer shall report to the commissioner all dividends and other distributions to shareholders within fifteen (15) business days following the declaration thereof.
(4) Any person within an insurance holding company system subject to registration shall be required to provide complete and accurate information to an insurer, where the information is reasonably necessary to enable the insurer to comply with the provisions of this chapter.
(5) The ultimate controlling person of every insurer subject to registration shall also file an annual enterprise risk report. The report shall, to the best of the ultimate controlling person's knowledge and belief, identify the material risks within the insurance holding company system that could pose enterprise risk to the insurer. The report shall be filed with the lead state commissioner of the insurance holding company system as determined by the procedures within the Financial Analysis Handbook adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
SECTION 3. Section 83-6-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
83-6-17. Any person may
file with the commissioner a disclaimer of affiliation with any authorized
insurer or such a disclaimer may be filed by such insurer or any member of an
insurance holding company system. The disclaimer shall fully disclose all
material relationships and bases for affiliation between such person and such
insurer as well as the basis for disclaiming such affiliation. A disclaimer
of affiliation shall be deemed to have been granted unless the commissioner,
within thirty (30) days following receipt of a complete disclaimer, notifies
the filing party that the disclaimer is disallowed. In the event of
disallowance, the disclaiming party may request an administrative hearing,
which shall be granted. * * * The * * *
disclaiming party is relieved of any duty to register or report under * * *
this
chapter which may arise out of the insurer's relationship with such person * * * if approval of the disclaimer has
been granted by the commissioner, until the commissioner disallows such a
disclaimer. * * *
SECTION 4. Section 83-6-21, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
83-6-21. (1) Transactions within a holding company system to which an insurer subject to registration is a party shall be subject to the following standards:
(a) The terms shall be fair and reasonable;
(b) Charges or fees for services performed shall be reasonable;
(c) Expenses incurred and payment received shall be allocated to the insurer in conformity with customary insurance accounting practices consistently applied;
(d) The books, accounts and records of each party to all such transactions shall be so maintained as to clearly and accurately disclose the nature and details of the transactions including such accounting information as is necessary to support the reasonableness of the charges or fees to the respective parties; and
(e) The insurer's surplus as regards policyholders following any dividends or distributions to shareholder affiliates shall be reasonable in relation to the insurer's outstanding liabilities and adequate to its financial needs.
(2) The following transactions involving a domestic insurer and any person in its holding company system, including amendments or modifications of affiliate agreements previously filed pursuant to this section, which are subject to any materiality standards contained in subsection (1)(a) through (e) of this section, shall not be entered into unless the insurer has notified the commissioner in writing of its intention to enter into such transaction at least thirty (30) days prior thereto, or such shorter period as the commissioner may permit, and the commissioner has not disapproved it within such period. The notice for amendments or modifications shall include the reasons for the change and the financial impact on the domestic insurer. Informal notice shall be reported within thirty (30) days after a termination of a previously filed agreement to the commissioner for determination of the type of filing required, if any.
(a) Sales, purchases, exchanges, loans or extension of credit, guarantees or investments provided such transactions are equal to or exceed: (i) with respect to nonlife insurers, the lesser of three percent (3%) of the insurer's admitted assets or twenty-five percent (25%) of surplus as regards policyholders; (ii) with respect to life insurers, three percent (3%) of the insurer's admitted assets; each as of the thirty-first day of December next preceding:
(b) Loans or extensions of credit to any person who is not an affiliate, where the insurer makes such loans or extension of credit with the agreement or understanding that the proceeds of such transactions, in whole or in substantial part, are to be used to make loans or extensions of credit to, to purchase assets of or to make investments in, any affiliate of the insurer making such loans or extensions of credit provided such transactions are equal to or exceed: (i) with respect to nonlife insurers, the lesser of three percent (3%) of the insurer's admitted assets or twenty-five percent (25%) of surplus as regards policyholders; (ii) with respect to life insurers, three percent (3%) of the insurer's admitted assets; each as of the thirty-first day of December next preceding;
(c) Reinsurance agreements or modifications thereto, including (i) all reinsurance pooling agreements; and (ii) agreements in which the reinsurance premium or a change in the insurer's liabilities equals or exceeds five percent (5%) of the insurer's surplus as regards policyholders, as of the thirty-first day of December next preceding, including those agreements which may require as consideration the transfer of assets from an insurer to a nonaffiliate, if an agreement or understanding exists between the insurer and nonaffiliate that any portion of such assets will be transferred to one or more affiliates of the insurer;
(d) All management agreements that would place control of the insurer outside of the insurance holding company system;
(e) All service
contracts or cost-sharing arrangements wherein the annual aggregate cost to the
insurer would equal or exceed the amounts specified in paragraph (a) of this
subsection * * *;
(f) All tax allocation agreements;
(g) Guarantees when made by a domestic insurer; provided, however, that a guarantee which is quantifiable as to amount is not subject to the notice requirements of this paragraph unless it exceeds the lesser of one-half of one percent (.5%) of the insurer's admitted assets or ten percent (10%) of surplus as regards policyholders as of December 31 next preceding. Further, all guarantees which are not quantifiable as to amounts are subject to the notice requirements of this paragraph;
(h) Direct or indirect acquisitions or investments in a person that controls the insurer or in an affiliate of the insurer in an amount which, together with its present holdings in such investments, exceeds two and one-half percent (2.5%) of the insurer's surplus as to policyholders. Direct or indirect acquisitions or investments in subsidiaries acquired pursuant to Section 83-6-2, or in nonsubsidiary insurance affiliates that are subject to the provisions of this chapter, are exempt from this requirement; and
(i) Any material transactions, specified by regulation, which the commissioner determines may adversely affect the interests of the insurer's policyholders.
(3) A domestic insurer shall not enter into transactions which are part of a plan or series of like transactions with persons within the holding company system if the purpose of those separate transactions is to avoid the statutory threshold amount and avoid the review that would occur otherwise. If the commissioner determines that such separate transactions were entered into over any twelve-month period for such purpose, he may exercise his authority under Section 83-6-35.
(4) The commissioner, in reviewing transactions pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, shall consider whether the transactions comply with the standards set forth in subsection (1) of this section and whether they may adversely affect the interests of policyholders.
(5) The commissioner shall be notified within thirty (30) days of any investment of the domestic insurer in any one corporation if the total investment in such corporation by the insurance holding company system exceeds ten percent (10%) of such corporation's voting securities.
(6) Insurance companies within a holding company system shall not sell or exchange their stock among each other unless the companies have obtained stock company permits before conducting such transactions.
SECTION 5. Section 83-6-24, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
83-6-24. (1) (a) No person other than the issuer shall make a tender offer for or a request or invitation for tenders of, or enter into any agreement to exchange securities, or seek to acquire, or acquire, in the open market or otherwise, any voting security of a domestic insurer if, after the consummation thereof, such person would, directly or indirectly (or by conversion or by exercise of any right to acquire) be in control of such insurer, and no person shall enter into an agreement to merge with or otherwise to acquire control of a domestic insurer or any person controlling a domestic insurer unless, at the time any such offer, request, or invitation is made or any such agreement is entered into, or prior to the acquisition of such securities if no offer or agreement is involved, such person has filed with the commissioner and has sent to such insurer, a statement containing the information required by this section and such offer, request, invitation, agreement or acquisition has been approved by the commissioner in the manner hereinafter prescribed.
(b) For the purposes of this section, "a domestic insurer" shall include any person controlling a domestic insurer unless such person as determined by the commissioner is either directly or through its affiliates primarily engaged in business other than the business of insurance. However, such person shall file a preacquisition notification with the commissioner containing the information set forth in this section thirty (30) days prior to the proposed effective date of the acquisition. For the purposes of this section, "person" shall not include any securities broker holding, in the usual and customary brokers function, less than twenty percent (20%) of the voting securities of an insurance company or of any person which controls an insurance company.
(c) For purposes of this section, any controlling person of a domestic insurer seeking to divest its controlling interest in the domestic insurer, in any manner, shall file with the commissioner, with a copy to the insurer, confidential notice of its proposed divestiture at least thirty (30) days prior to the cessation of control. The commissioner shall determine those instances in which the party(ies) seeking to divest or to acquire a controlling interest in an insurer will be required to file for and obtain approval of the transaction. The information shall remain confidential until the conclusion of the transaction unless the commissioner, in his discretion determines that confidential treatment will interfere with enforcement of this section. If the statement referred to in paragraph (b) of this subsection is otherwise filed, this paragraph shall not apply.
(2) The statement to be filed with the commissioner hereunder shall be made under oath or affirmation and shall contain the following information:
(a) The name and address of each person by whom or on whose behalf the merger or other acquisition of control referred to in subsection (1) is to be effected (hereinafter called "acquiring party"), and
(i) If such person is an individual, his principal occupation and all offices and positions held during the past five (5) years, and any conviction of crimes other than minor traffic violations during the past ten (10) years;
(ii) If such person is not an individual, a report of the nature of its business operations during the past five (5) years or for such lesser period as such person and any predecessors thereof shall have been in existence; an informative description of the business intended to be done by such person and such person's subsidiaries; and a list of all individuals who are or who have been selected to become directors or executive officers of such person, or who perform or will perform functions appropriate to such positions. Such list shall include for each such individual the information required by subparagraph (i).
(b) The source, nature and amount of consideration used or to be used in effecting the merger or other acquisition of control, a description of any transaction wherein funds were or are to be obtained for any such purpose (including any pledge of the insurer's stock, or the stock of any of its subsidiaries or controlling affiliates), and the identity of persons furnishing such consideration, provided, however, that where a source of such consideration is a loan made in the lender's ordinary course of business, the identity of the lender shall remain confidential, if the person filing such statement so requests.
(c) Fully audited financial information as to the earnings and financial condition of each acquiring party for the preceding five (5) fiscal years of each such acquiring party (or for such lesser period as such acquiring party and any predecessors thereof shall have been in existence), and similar unaudited information as of a date not earlier than ninety (90) days prior to the filing of the statement.
(d) Any plans or proposals which each acquiring party may have to liquidate such insurer, to sell its assets or merge or consolidate it with any person, or to make any other material change in its business or corporate structure or management.
(e) The number of shares of any security referred to in subsection (1) which each acquiring party proposes to acquire, and the terms of the offer, request, invitation, agreement or acquisition referred to in subsection (1), and a statement as to the method by which the fairness of the proposal was determined.
(f) The amount of each class of any security referred to in subsection (1) which is beneficially owned or concerning which there is a right to acquire beneficial ownership by each acquiring party.
(g) A full description of any contracts, arrangements or understandings with respect to any security referred to in subsection (1) in which any acquiring party is involved, including but not limited to transfer of any of the securities, joint ventures, loan or option arrangements, puts or calls, guarantees of loans, guarantees against loss or guarantees of profits, division of losses or profits or the giving or withholding of proxies. Such description shall identify the persons with whom such contracts, arrangements or understandings have been entered into.
(h) A description of the purchase of any security referred to in subsection (1) during the twelve (12) calendar months preceding the filing of the statement, by any acquiring party, including the dates of purchase, names of the purchasers and consideration paid or agreed to be paid therefor.
(i) A description of any recommendations to purchase any security referred to in subsection (1) made during the twelve (12) calendar months preceding the filing of the statement, by any acquiring party, or by anyone based upon interviews or at the suggestion of such acquiring party.
(j) Copies of all tender offers for, requests, or invitations for tenders of, exchange offers for and agreements to acquire or exchange any securities referred to in subsection (1) and (if distributed) of additional soliciting material relating thereto.
(k) The terms of any agreement, contract or understanding made with or proposed to be made with any broker-dealer as to solicitation of securities referred to in subsection (1) for tender, and the amount of any fees, commissions or other compensation to be paid to broker-dealers with regard thereto.
(l) An agreement by the person required to file the statement referred to in subsection (1) that it will provide the annual report, specified in Section 83-6-5(5), for so long as control exists.
(m) An acknowledgment by the person required to file the statement referred to subsection (1) that the person and all subsidiaries within its control in the insurance holding company system will provide information to the commissioner upon request as necessary to evaluate enterprise risk to the insurer.
( * * *n) Such additional information as the
commissioner may by rule or regulation prescribe as necessary or appropriate
for the protection of policyholders of the insurer or in the public interest.
If the person required to file the statement referred to in subsection (1) is a partnership, limited partnership, syndicate or other group, the commissioner may require that the information called for by paragraphs (a) through (l) shall be given with respect to each partner of such partnership or limited partnership, each member of such syndicate or group and each person who controls such partner or member. If any such partner, member or person is a corporation, or the person required to file the statement referred to in subsection (1) is a corporation, the commissioner may require that the information called for by paragraphs (a) through (l) shall be given with respect to such corporation, each officer and director of such corporation and each person who is directly or indirectly the beneficial owner of more than ten percent (10%) of the outstanding voting securities of such corporation.
If any material change occurs in the facts set forth in the statement filed with the commissioner and sent to such insurer pursuant to this section, an amendment setting forth such change, together with copies of all documents and other material relevant to such change, shall be filed with the commissioner and sent to such insurer within two (2) business days after the person learns of such change.
(3) If any offer, request, invitation, agreement or acquisition referred to in subsection (1) is proposed to be made by means of a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 or in circumstances requiring the disclosure of similar information under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or under a state law requiring similar registration or disclosure, the person required to file the statement referred to in subsection (1) may utilize such documents in furnishing the information called for by that statement.
(4) (a) The commissioner shall approve any merger or other acquisition of control referred to in subsection (1) unless, after a public hearing thereon, he finds that:
(i) After the change of control, the domestic insurer referred to in subsection (1) would not be able to satisfy the requirements for the issuance of a license to write the line or lines of insurance for which it is presently licensed;
(ii) The effect of the merger or other acquisition of control would be substantially to lessen competition in insurance in this state or tend to create a monopoly therein;
(iii) The financial condition of any acquiring party is such as might jeopardize the financial stability of the insurer, or prejudice the interest of its policyholders;
(iv) The plans or proposals which the acquiring party has to liquidate the insurer, sell its assets or consolidate or merge it with any person, or to make any other material change in its business or corporate structure or management, are unfair and unreasonable to policyholders of the insurer and not in the public interest;
(v) The competence, experience and integrity of those persons who would control the operation of the insurer are such that it would not be in the interest of policyholders of the insurer and of the public to permit the merger or other acquisition of control; or
(vi) The acquisition is likely to be hazardous or prejudicial to the insurance buying public.
(b) The public hearing referred to in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be commenced not less than thirty (30) days after the statement required by subsection (1) is filed, and at least twenty (20) days' notice thereof shall be given by the commissioner to the person filing the statement. Not less than seven (7) days' notice of such public hearing shall be given by the person filing the statement to the insurer and to such other persons as may be designated by the commissioner. The commissioner shall make a determination within thirty (30) days after the conclusion of such hearing. At such hearing, the person filing the statement, the insurer, any person to whom notice of hearing was sent, and any other person whose interest may be affected thereby shall have the right to present evidence, examine and cross-examine witnesses, and offer oral and written arguments and in connection therewith shall be entitled to conduct discovery proceedings. All discovery proceedings shall be concluded not later than three (3) days prior to the commencement of the public hearing.
(c) The commissioner may retain at the acquiring person's expense any attorneys, actuaries, accountants and other experts not otherwise a part of the commissioner's staff as may be reasonably necessary to assist the commissioner in reviewing the proposed acquisition of control.
(d) If the proposed acquisition of control will require the approval of more than one (1) commissioner, the public hearing referred to in paragraph (a) of subsection (4) may be held on a consolidated basis upon request of the person filing the statement referred to in subsection (1) of this section. Such person shall file the statement referred to in subsection (1) with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) within five (5) days of making the request for a public hearing. A commissioner may opt out of a consolidated hearing, and shall provide notice to the applicant of the opt-out within ten (10) days of the receipt of the statement referred to in subsection (1). A hearing conducted on a consolidated basis shall be public and shall be held within the United States before the commissioners of the states in which the insurers are domiciled. Such commissioners shall hear and receive evidence. A commissioner may attend such hearing, in person or by telecommunication.
(e) In connection with a change of control of a domestic insurer, any determination by the commissioner that the person acquiring control of the insurer shall be required to maintain or restore the capital of the insurer to the level required by the laws and regulations of this state shall be made not later than sixty (60) days after the date of notification of the change in control submitted pursuant to Section 83-6-24(1).
(5) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any offer, request, invitation, agreement or acquisition which the commissioner by order shall exempt therefrom as (i) not having been made or entered into for the purpose and not having the effect of changing or influencing the control of a domestic insurer, or (ii) as otherwise not comprehended within the purposes of this section.
(6) The following shall be violations of this section:
(a) The failure to file any statement, amendment or other material required to be filed pursuant to subsection (1) or (2); or
(b) The effectuation or any attempt to effectuate an acquisition of control of, or merger with, a domestic insurer unless the commissioner has given his approval thereto.
(7) The courts of this state are hereby vested with jurisdiction over every person not resident, domiciled or authorized to do business in this state who files a statement with the commissioner under this section, and overall actions involving such person arising out of violations of this section, and each such person shall be deemed to have performed acts equivalent to and constituting an appointment by such a person of the commissioner to be his true and lawful attorney upon whom may be served all lawful process in any action, suit or proceeding arising out of violations of this section. Copies of all such lawful process shall be served on the commissioner and transmitted by registered or certified mail by the commissioner to such person at his last-known address.
SECTION 6. The following shall be codified as Section 83-6-26, Mississippi Code of 1972:
83-6-26. Management of Domestic Insurers Subject To Registration. (1) Notwithstanding the control of a domestic insurer by any person, the officers and directors of the insurer shall not thereby be relieved of any obligation or liability to which they would otherwise be subject by law, and the insurer shall be managed so as to assure its separate operating identity consistent with this section.
(2) Nothing in this section shall preclude a domestic insurer from having or sharing a common management or cooperative or joint use of personnel, property or services with one or more other persons under arrangements meeting the standards of Section 83-6-21.
(3) Not less than one-third (1/3) of the directors of a domestic insurer, and not less than one-third (1/3) of the members of each committee of the board of directors of any domestic insurer shall be persons who are not officers or employees of the insurer or of any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the insurer and who are not beneficial owners of a controlling interest in the voting stock of the insurer or entity. At least one such person must be included in any quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the board of directors or any committee thereof.
(4) The board of directors of a domestic insurer shall establish one or more committees comprised solely of directors who are not officers or employees of the insurer or of any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the insurer and who are not beneficial owners of a controlling interest in the voting stock of the insurer or any such entity. The committee or committees shall have responsibility for nominating candidates for director for election by shareholders or policyholders, evaluating the performance of officers deemed to be principal officers of the insurer and recommending to the board of directors the selection and compensation of the principal officers.
(5) The provisions of subsections (3) and (4) shall not apply to a domestic insurer if the person controlling the insurer, such as an insurer, a mutual insurance holding company, or a publicly held corporation, has a board of directors and committees thereof that meet the requirements of subsections (3) and (4) with respect to such controlling entity.
(6) An insurer may make application to the commissioner for a waiver from the requirements of this section, if the insurer's annual direct written and assumed premium, excluding premiums reinsured with the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and Federal Flood Program, is less than Three Hundred Million Dollars ($300,000,000.00). An insurer may also make application to the commissioner for a waiver from the requirements of this section based upon unique circumstances. The commissioner may consider various factors including, but not limited to, the type of business entity, volume of business written, availability of qualified board members, or the ownership or organizational structure of the entity.
SECTION 7. Section 83-6-27, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
83-6-27. (1) The
commissioner is authorized to order any insurer registered under * * *
this chapter to produce such records, books, or other information papers
in the possession of the insurer or its affiliates which are necessary to
ascertain the financial condition or legality of conduct of such insurer. In
the event such insurer fails to comply with such order, the commissioner is
authorized to examine such affiliates to obtain such information.
(2) The commissioner shall exercise his authority under subsection (1) of this section only if the interests of the policyholders of such insurer may be adversely affected.
(3) The commissioner may retain at the registered insurer's expense such attorneys, actuaries, accountants and other experts not otherwise a part of the commissioner's staff which are reasonably necessary to assist in the conduct of the examination under subsection (1) of this section. Any persons so retained are under the direction and control of the commissioner and shall act in a purely advisory capacity.
(4) Each registered insurer producing for examination records, books and papers pursuant to subsection (1) of this section is liable for the expense of such examination.
SECTION 8. Section 83-6-29, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
83-6-29. * * *
(1) Documents, materials or other information in the possession or control
of the Department of Insurance that are obtained by or disclosed to the
commissioner or any other person during an examination or investigation made
pursuant to Section 83-6-27 and all information reported pursuant to Sections
83-6-24(2)(l) and (m), Sections 83-6-3, 83-6-5 and 83-6-21 shall be
confidential by law and privileged, shall not be subject to the Mississippi
Public Records Act, shall not be subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject
to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action. However,
the commissioner is authorized to use the documents, materials or other
information in the furtherance of any regulatory or legal action brought as a
part of the commissioner's official duties. The commissioner shall not
otherwise make the documents, materials or other information public without the
prior written consent of the insurer to which it pertains unless the
commissioner, after giving the insurer and its affiliates who would be affected
thereby notice and opportunity to be heard, determines that the interest of
policyholders, shareholders or the public will be served by the publication
thereof, in which event the commissioner may publish all or any part in such
manner as may be deemed appropriate.
(2) Neither the commissioner nor any person who received documents, materials or other information while acting under the authority of the commissioner or with whom such documents, materials or other information are shared pursuant to this section shall be permitted or required to testify in any private civil action concerning any confidential documents, materials or information subject to subsection (1) of this section.
(3) In order to assist in the performance of the commissioner's duties, the commissioner:
(a) May share documents, materials or other information, including the confidential and privileged documents, materials or information subject to subsection (1) of this section, with other state, federal and international regulatory agencies, with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and its affiliates and subsidiaries, and with state, federal and international law enforcement authorities, provided that the recipient agrees in writing to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the document, material or other information, and has verified in writing the legal authority to maintain confidentiality.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, the commissioner may only share confidential and privileged documents, material or information reported pursuant to Section 83-6-5(5) with commissioners of states having statutes or regulations substantially similar to subsection (1) of this section and who have agreed in writing not to disclose such information.
(c) May receive documents, materials or information, including otherwise confidential and privileged documents, materials or information from the NAIC and its affiliates and subsidiaries and from regulatory and law enforcement officials of other foreign or domestic jurisdictions, and shall maintain as confidential or privileged any document, material or information received with notice or the understanding that it is confidential or privileged under the laws of the jurisdiction that is the source of the document, material or information.
(d) Shall enter into written agreements with the NAIC governing sharing and use of information provided pursuant to this section consistent with this subsection that shall:
(i) Specify procedures and protocols regarding the confidentiality and security of information shared with the NAIC and its affiliates and subsidiaries pursuant to this section, including procedures and protocols for sharing by the NAIC with other state, federal or international regulators;
(ii) Specify that ownership of information shared with the NAIC and its affiliates and subsidiaries pursuant to this section remains with the commissioner and the NAIC's use of the information is subject to the direction of the commissioner;
(iii) Require prompt notice to be given to an insurer whose confidential information in the possession of the NAIC pursuant to this section is subject to a request or subpoena to the NAIC for disclosure or production; and
(iv) Require the NAIC and its affiliates and subsidiaries to consent to intervention by an insurer in any judicial or administrative action in which the NAIC and its affiliates and subsidiaries may be required to disclose confidential information about the insurer shared with the NAIC and its affiliates and subsidiaries pursuant to this section.
(4) The sharing of information by the commissioner pursuant to this section shall not constitute a delegation of regulatory authority or rulemaking, and the commissioner is solely responsible for the administration, execution and enforcement of the provisions of this section.
(5) No waiver of any applicable privilege or claim of confidentiality in the documents, materials or information shall occur as a result of disclosure to the commissioner under this section or as a result of sharing as authorized in subsection (3) of this section.
(6) Documents, materials or other information in the possession or control of the NAIC pursuant to this section shall be confidential by law and privileged, shall not be subject to the Mississippi Public Records Act, shall not be subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action.
SECTION 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after January 1, 2014, except for the provisions contained in Section 8, which shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2013.