§ 33-7-14 - Reinsurance of risks - Georgia Statutes

O.C.G.A. 33-7-14 (2010)
33-7-14. Reinsurance of risks

(a) Credit for reinsurance shall be allowed a domestic ceding insurer as either an asset or a deduction from liability on account of reinsurance ceded only when the reinsurer meets the requirements of paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) of this subsection. If meeting the requirements of paragraph (3) or (4) of this subsection, the requirements of paragraph (6) of this subsection must also be met:

(1) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer which is licensed to transact insurance or reinsurance in this state;

(2) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer which is accredited as a reinsurer in this state. An accredited reinsurer is one which:

(A) Files with the Commissioner evidence of its submission to this state's jurisdiction;

(B) Submits to this state's authority 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; and

(D) Files annually with the Commissioner 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:

(i) Maintains a surplus with regard to policyholders in an amount which is not less than $20 million and whose accreditation has not been denied by the Commissioner within 90 days of its submission; or

(ii) Maintains a surplus with regard to policyholders in an amount less than $20 million and whose accreditation has been approved by the Commissioner.

No credit shall be allowed a domestic ceding insurer if the assuming insurer's accreditation has been revoked by the Commissioner after notice and hearing;

(3) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer which is domiciled and licensed in, or, in the case of a United States branch of an alien assuming insurer, is entered through a state which employs standards regarding credit for reinsurance substantially similar to those applicable under this Code section and the assuming insurer or United States branch of an alien assuming insurer:

(A) Maintains a surplus with regard to policyholders in an amount not less than $20 million; and

(B) Submits to the authority of this state to examine its books and records. Subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall not apply to reinsurance ceded and assumed pursuant to pooling arrangements among insurers in the same holding company system;

(4) (A) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer which maintains a trust fund in a qualified United States financial institution, as defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Code section, for the payment of the valid claims of its United States policyholders and ceding insurers, their assigns, and successors in interest. The assuming insurer shall report annually to the Commissioner information substantially the same as that required to be reported on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Annual Statement form by licensed insurers to enable the Commissioner to determine the sufficiency of the trust fund. In the case of a single assuming insurer, the trust shall consist of a trusteed account representing the assuming insurer's liabilities attributable to business written in the United States and, in addition, the assuming insurer shall maintain a trusteed surplus of not less than $20 million. In the case of a group including incorporated and individual unincorporated underwriters, the trust shall consist of a trusteed account representing the group's liabilities attributable to business written in the United States and, in addition, the group shall maintain a trusteed surplus of which $100 million shall be held jointly for the benefit of United States ceding insurers of any member of the group; 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 solvency regulation and control by the group's domiciliary regulator as are the unincorporated members; and the group shall make available to the Commissioner an annual certification of the solvency of each underwriter by the group's domiciliary regulator and its independent public accountants.

(B) In the case of a group of incorporated insurers under common administration which complies with the filing requirements contained in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph and which has continuously transacted an insurance business outside the United States for at least three years immediately prior to making application for accreditation, and submits to this state's authority to examine its books and records and bears the expense of the examination, and which has aggregate policyholders' surplus of $10 billion; the trust shall be in an amount equal to the group's several liabilities attributable to business ceded by the United States ceding insurers to any member of the group pursuant to reinsurance contracts issued in the name of such group; plus the group shall maintain a joint trusteed surplus of which $100 million shall be held jointly for the benefit of United States ceding insurers of any member of the group as additional security for any such liabilities, and each member of the group shall make available to the Commissioner an annual certification of the member's solvency by the member's domiciliary regulator and its independent public accountant.

(C) Such trust shall be established in a form approved by the Commissioner. The trust instruments 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 the trustees of the trust for its United States policyholders and ceding insurers, their assigns, and successors in interest. The trust and the assuming insurer shall be subject to examination as determined by the Commissioner. The trust must remain in effect for as long as the assuming insurer shall have outstanding obligations due under the reinsurance agreements subject to the trust.

(D) No later than February 28 of each year the trustees of the trust shall report to the Commissioner in writing setting forth the balance of the trust and listing the trust's investments as of the end of the preceding year and shall certify the date of termination of the trust, if so planned, or certify that the trust shall not expire prior to the next following December 31;

(5) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer not meeting the requirements of paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this subsection but only with respect to the insurance of risks located in jurisdictions where such reinsurance is required by applicable law or regulation of that jurisdiction; and

(6) If the assuming insurer is not licensed or accredited to transact insurance or reinsurance in this state, the credit permitted by paragraphs (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 any court of competent jurisdiction in any state of the United States, will comply with all requirements necessary to give such court jurisdiction, and will abide by the final decision of such court or of any appellate court in the event of an appeal; and

(B) To designate the Commissioner 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 such an obligation is created in the agreement.

(b) A reduction from liability for the reinsurance ceded by a domestic insurer to an assuming insurer not meeting the requirements of subsection (a) of this Code section shall be allowed in an amount not exceeding the liabilities carried by the ceding insurer and such 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 such assuming insurer as security for the payment of obligations thereunder, if such 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 paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Code 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) Clean, irrevocable, unconditional letters of credit, issued or confirmed by a qualified United States institution, as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Code section, no later than December 31 of the year for which filing is being made, and in the possession of the ceding company on or before the filing date of its annual statement. Letters of credit meeting applicable standards of issuer acceptability as of the dates of their issuance or confirmation shall, notwithstanding the issuing or confirming institution's subsequent failure to meet applicable standards of issuer acceptability, continue to be acceptable as security until their expiration, extension, renewal, modification, or amendment, whichever first occurs; or

(4) Any other form of security acceptable to the Commissioner.

(c) (1) For purposes of paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of this Code section, "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 the United States federal or state authorities having regulatory authority over banks and trust companies; and

(C) Has been determined by either the Commissioner 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 Commissioner.

(2) A "qualified United States financial institution" means, for the purposes of those provisions of this Code section 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.