Arkansas 2023 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB97 Compare Versions

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11 Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2-Act 345 of the Regular Session
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54 State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S3/7/23 1
65 94th General Assembly A Bill 2
76 Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 97 3
87 4
98 By: Senator D. Wallace 5
109 By: Representative Joey Carr 6
1110 7
1211 For An Act To Be Entitled 8
1312 AN ACT TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS PREPAID FUN ERAL BENEFITS 9
1413 LAW; TO REGULATE PRE PAID BENEFITS CONTRA CTS; TO 10
1514 REDUCE BURDENS ON TH E ADMINISTRATION OF PREPAID 11
1615 BENEFITS CONTRACTS; TO CLARIFY CONTROL O F PREPAID 12
1716 BENEFITS CONTRACTS; TO ENHANC E THE ADMINISTRATION OF 13
1817 THE ARKANSAS PREPAID FUNERAL BENEFITS LAW ; AND FOR 14
1918 OTHER PURPOSES. 15
2019 16
2120 17
2221 Subtitle 18
2322 TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS PREPAID FUNERAL 19
2423 BENEFITS LAW; TO REGULATE PREPAID 20
2524 BENEFITS CONTRACTS; AND TO ENHANCE THE 21
2625 ADMINISTRATION OF THE ARKANSAS PREPAID 22
2726 FUNERAL BENEFITS LAW. 23
2827 24
2928 25
3029 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 26
3130 27
3231 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 19 -5-1106(b)(3), concerning the 28
3332 administration of the State Insurance Department Prepaid Trust Fund, is 29
3433 amended to read as follows: 30
3534 (3) The State Insurance Department Prepaid Trust Fund shall also 31
3635 consist of the assets of the Prepaid Funeral Contracts Recovery Program Fund, 32
3736 there to be administered by the Insurance Commissioner and the Prepaid 33
3837 Funeral Contracts Rec overy Program Board as set out in § 23 -40-125 34
3938 commissioner. 35
4039 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 SB97
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4443
4544 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 23 -40-111(b), concerning the cancellation 1
4645 or denial of a permit to sell prepaid funeral benefits under the Arkansas 2
4746 Prepaid Funeral Benefits Law, is amended to add ad ditional subdivisions to 3
4847 read as follows: 4
4948 (6)(A)(i)(a) Under § 23 -40-110(c), a licensee's permit expires 5
5049 on June 1 of each year. 6
5150 (b) For each licensee that has not renewed a 7
5251 permit by June 1, the commissioner shall send a notice to the licensee th at 8
5352 the licensee is required to renew the permit within thirty (30) days of June 9
5453 1. 10
5554 (c) If a licensee's permit is not renewed 11
5655 within thirty (30) days of June 1 or is suspended or is revoked, then the 12
5756 licensee shall surrender to the commissioner: 13
5857 (1) Any existing nonfulfilled prepaid 14
5958 contracts; 15
6059 (2) Contract files; 16
6160 (3) Inventory reports; 17
6261 (4) In-force reports; and 18
6362 (5) Any other documentation pertaining 19
6463 to the administration of the licensee's prepaid funeral benefits business. 20
6564 (ii)(a) If the licensee's permit has lapsed, then 21
6665 the licensee shall surrender the documentation under subdivision 22
6766 (b)(6)(A)(i)(c) of this section within thirty (30) days of the date of the 23
6867 expiration of the permit. 24
6968 (b) If the licensee renews the licensee's 25
7069 permit, then at the time the renewal is approved, the commissioner shall 26
7170 return the documentation to the licensee. 27
7271 (iii)(a) If the licensee's permit is suspended, then 28
7372 the licensee shall surrender the documentation under subdivision 29
7473 (b)(6)(A)(i)(c) of this section within thirty (30) days of the date the 30
7574 commissioner's order is entered or within thirty (30) days after the deadline 31
7675 to appeal the commissioner's order. 32
7776 (b) At the end of the period of suspension, if 33
7877 no other action is taken against the licensee, then the commissioner shall 34
7978 return the documentation to the licensee. 35
8079 (c) If the permit is subsequently revoked, 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 SB97
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8584 then the commissioner shall not return any documentation to the licensee. 1
8685 (iv) If the licensee's permit is revoked, then the 2
8786 licensee shall surrender the documentation under subdivision (b)(6)(A)(i)(c) 3
8887 of this section within thirty (30) days of the date the commissioner's order 4
8988 is entered or within thirty (30) days after the deadline to appeal the 5
9089 commissioner's order. 6
9190 (B) The licensee's failure to surrender all the 7
9291 documentation under subdivision (b)(6)(A)(i)(c) of this section if there has 8
9392 been a nonrenewal within thirty (30) days of June 1 of a permit, suspension, 9
9493 or revocation, shall subject the licensee to an administrative penalty of: 10
9594 (i) One thousand dollars ($1,000) per violation if 11
9695 the licensee fails to comply with the applicable thirty -day timeline to 12
9796 surrender the documentati on under this subdivision (b)(6); and 13
9897 (ii) Five thousand dollars ($5,000) per violation if 14
9998 the licensee: 15
10099 (a) Fails to comply with the applicable 16
101100 thirty-day timeline to surrender the documentation under this subdivision 17
102101 (b)(6); and 18
103102 (b) The commissioner finds willful misconduct 19
104103 or a willful violation of this subdivision (b)(6). 20
105104 21
106105 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 23 -40-119(a), concerning the annual report 22
107106 and annual report fee under the Arkansas Prepaid Funeral Benefits Law, is 23
108107 amended to read as follows: 24
109108 (a) Each organization shall file an annual report and an annual report 25
110109 fee with the Insurance Commissioner on or before March 15 of each year in 26
111110 such form as the commissioner may require, showing the: 27
112111 (1) Names or account The names or contract numbers, or both, of 28
113112 all persons with whom contracts for prepaid funeral benefits have been made 29
114113 prior to before January 1 of that year that had not been fully discharged on 30
115114 January 1; 31
116115 (2) Date The date of contract; 32
117116 (3) Name If the prepaid contract is funded by cash or trust, 33
118117 the: 34
119118 (A) Name of the trustee holding the trust fund; and 35
120119 (4)(B) Amount in the trust fund under each contract on the 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 SB97
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125124 preceding December 31 .; and 1
126125 (4) If the prepaid contract is funded by an insurance policy or 2
127126 an annuity, the: 3
128127 (A) Information required under subdivisions (a)(1) and (2) 4
129128 of this section; 5
130129 (B) Name of the insurance company or third party 6
131130 administrator holding the insurance policy or annuity; 7
132131 (C) Insurance policy number; 8
133132 (D) Date the insurance policy or annuity is issued; and 9
134133 (E) Amount of the insurance policy or annuity. 10
135134 11
136135 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code § 23 -40-119(d)(1), concerning the per -12
137136 contract fee under the Arkansas Prepaid Funeral Benefits Law, is amended to 13
138137 read as follows: 14
139138 (d)(1)(A)(i)(a) Effective for all prepaid funeral benefits contracts 15
140139 executed on and after April 1, 1997, each licensee selling a prepaid funeral 16
141140 benefits contract shall remit to the State Insurance Department a one -time, 17
142141 per-contract fee of not less than fiv e dollars ($5.00) for each prepaid 18
143142 funeral benefits contract, including any amendments thereto, entered into by 19
144143 the licensee, whether cash or trust funded or funded by an insurance policy 20
145144 or annuity contract, unless the per -contract fees are otherwise elim inated or 21
146145 suspended by the commissioner pursuant to a rule. 22
147146 (b) However, the per -contract fees once 23
148147 eliminated or suspended by rule of the commissioner may be reinstated by 24
149148 subsequent rule of the commissioner adopted upon a public hearing at a later 25
150149 date upon the commissioner's determination that these fees are essential and 26
151150 necessary to the operation of the Division of Prepaid Funeral Benefits of the 27
152151 State Insurance Department. 28
153152 (ii) On and after July 1, 2001, the commissioner 29
154153 shall then transfer from each per-contract fee remitted to the department, 30
155154 into the Prepaid Funeral Contracts Recovery Program Fund pursuant to this act 31
156155 a portion of the fee in an amount to be determined by rules of the 32
157156 commissioner and thereafter to be administered by the c ommissioner with 33
158157 advice from the Prepaid Funeral Contracts Recovery Program Board, pursuant to 34
159158 the provisions of under this subchapter. 35
160159 (B) The per-contract fees shall be remitted quarterly 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 SB97
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165164 annually to the department for each quarter month of the calendar year with a 1
166165 quarterly fee the annual report form as prescribed by the commissioner. 2
167166 (C) The fees shall be remitted to the department no later 3
168167 than forty-five (45) days after each quarter. 4
169168 5
170169 SECTION 5. Arkansas Code § 23 -40-119(f)(1), concerning un used funds 6
171170 from fees under the Arkansas Prepaid Funeral Benefits Law, is amended to read 7
172171 as follows: 8
173172 (f)(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 23 -40-107, if there are any 9
174173 unused funds from fees collected from organizations under subsections (c) and 10
175174 (d) of this section not disbursed for personal services, operating expenses, 11
176175 maintenance and operations, and support and improvements for the Division of 12
177176 Prepaid Funeral Benefits, such the excess funds, if any, may be transferred 13
178177 to the Prepaid Funeral Contrac ts Recovery Program Fund to provide reparations 14
179178 to purchasers of prepaid funeral contracts who have purchased cash -funded, 15
180179 insurance-funded, or annuity-funded prepaid funeral contracts from 16
181180 organizations that have been: 17
182181 (A) Declared insolvent by a stat e or federal court of 18
183182 competent jurisdiction; or 19
184183 (B) Determined by either the commissioner or a state or 20
185184 federal court of competent jurisdiction to have fund account deficiencies. 21
186185 22
187186 SECTION 6. Arkansas Code § 23 -40-122(a), concerning the cancellation 23
188187 or transfer of a prepaid contract under the Arkansas Prepaid Funeral Benefits 24
189188 Law, is amended to read as follows: 25
190189 (a) A purchaser may cancel or transfer a prepaid contract under this 26
191190 section, whether revocable or irrevocable, or whether cash-funded or funded 27
192191 by insurance or an annuity, at any time before performance of the contract by 28
193192 the seller, under the following conditions: 29
194193 (1) In the case of a cash-funded or trust-funded prepaid 30
195194 contract: 31
196195 (A) Before the death of the contract beneficiary, if the 32
197196 prepaid contract is revocable, the purchaser is entitled to receive a refund 33
198197 of not less than one hundred percent (100%) of all sums paid to the seller by 34
199198 the purchaser, not to exceed the contract price; 35
200199 (B) After the death of the contract beneficiary, if the 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 SB97
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205204 prepaid contract is revocable, the purchaser or, his or her representative if 1
206205 the purchaser is someone other than the prepaid contract beneficiary, the 2
207206 contract beneficiary's family member or responsible party as determined under 3
208207 § 20-17-102(d), is entitled to receive one hundred percent (100%) of the 4
209208 amount paid to the seller by the purchaser, not to exceed the contract price; 5
210209 or 6
211210 (C) If Before the death of the contract beneficiary, if 7
212211 the prepaid contract is irrevocable, the purchaser shall not have the right 8
213212 to a refund of any funds paid by him or her or proceeds paid to the seller 9
214213 but shall have the right to change the provider of the contract services and 10
215214 merchandise to a substitute provider, in which event the seller shall 11
216215 transfer to the substitute provider not less than one hundred percent (100%) 12
217216 of the amount paid to the seller by the purchaser, not to exceed the contract 13
218217 price; or 14
219218 (D)(i) After the death of the contract beneficiary, if the 15
220219 prepaid contract is irrevocable, the purchaser or, if the purchaser is 16
221220 someone other than the prepaid contract beneficiary, the contract 17
222221 beneficiary's family member or responsible party as determined under § 20-17-18
223222 102(d), does not have the right to a refund of any funds paid by the 19
224223 purchaser or proceeds paid to the seller but does have the right to change 20
225224 the provider of the contract services and merchandise to a substitute 21
226225 provider. 22
227226 (ii) If a substitute provider is used under 23
228227 subdivision (a)(1)(D)(i) of this section, then the seller shall transfer to 24
229228 the substitute provider one hundred percent (100%) of the amount paid to the 25
230229 seller by the purchaser, not to exceed the contract price; 26
231230 (2) In the case of a prepaid contract funded by life insurance: 27
232231 (A) Before the death of the contract beneficiary, if the 28
233232 prepaid contract is revocable, the purchaser shall have the right to receive 29
234233 not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the cash surrender value of the 30
235234 policy used to fund the prepaid contract, not to exceed the premium paid by 31
236235 the purchaser; 32
237236 (B) After the death of the contract beneficiary, if the 33
238237 prepaid contract is revocable, the purchaser, if the purchaser is someone 34
239238 other than the prepaid contract beneficiary, or his or her designee is 35
240239 entitled to receive not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the policy 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 SB97
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245244 proceeds paid to the seller, not to exceed the original face amount of the 1
246245 policy; or 2
247246 (C)(i) Before the death of the contract beneficiary, if 3
248247 the contract is irrevocable, the prepaid contract purchaser shall not have 4
249248 the right to a refund of any funds paid to the seller or the insurance 5
250249 company but shall have the right to change the provider of the prepaid 6
251250 contract services and merchandise to a substitute provider, in which event 7
252251 the seller shall assign or transfer to the substitute provider, as directed 8
253252 by the prepaid contract owner purchaser, the life insurance policy used to 9
254253 fund the prepaid contract or funds in an amount not less than one hundred 10
255254 percent (100%) of the cash surrender value of the policy used to fund the 11
256255 prepaid contract, not to exceed the premium paid by the purchaser. 12
257256 (ii) After the death of the contract beneficiary, if 13
258257 the contract is irrevocable, the seller shall transfer to the substitute 14
259258 provider not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the policy proceeds paid 15
260259 to the seller, not to exceed the original face amount of the policy; or 16
261260 (3) In the case of a prepaid contract funded by an annuity: 17
262261 (A) Before the death of the contract beneficiary, if the 18
263262 prepaid contract is revocable, the purchaser is entitled to receive a refund 19
264263 of not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the annuity value, not to 20
265264 exceed the premium paid by the purchaser for the annuity funding the prepaid 21
266265 contract; 22
267266 (B) After the death of the contract beneficiary, if the 23
268267 prepaid contract is revocable, the purchaser, if the purchaser is someone 24
269268 other than the prepaid contract beneficiary, or his or her designee is 25
270269 entitled to receive not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the annuity 26
271270 proceeds received by the seller, not to exceed the premium paid by the 27
272271 purchaser; or 28
273272 (C)(i) Before the death of the contract beneficiary, if 29
274273 the prepaid contract is irrevocable, the purchaser shall not have the right 30
275274 to a refund of any funds paid to the seller but shall have the right to 31
276275 change the provider of the prepaid contract services and merchandise to a 32
277276 substitute provider, in which event the seller shall assign or transfer to 33
278277 the substitute provider, as directed by the contract owner purchaser, the 34
279278 annuity policy used to fund the prepaid contract, which shall be in an amount 35
280279 of not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the annuity value, not to 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 SB97
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285284 exceed the premium paid by the purchaser. 1
286285 (ii) After the death of the contract beneficiary, 2
287286 the seller shall transfer to the substitute provider not less than one 3
288287 hundred percent (100%) of the annuity proceeds received by the seller, not to 4
289288 exceed the premiums paid by the purchaser. 5
290289 6
291290 SECTION 7. Arkansas Code § 23 -40-125 is amended to read as follows: 7
292291 23-40-125. Prepaid Funeral Contracts Recovery Program Fund — Created — 8
293292 Prepaid Funeral Contracts Recovery Program Board — Established. 9
294293 (a) There is established within the State Insurance Department Prepaid 10
295294 Trust Fund an account to be known as the “Prepaid Funeral Contracts Recovery 11
296295 Program Fund”, hereinafter “fund” . 12
297296 (b) No money is to be appropriated from this fund for any purpose 13
298297 except for expenses and payment of claims of the Prepaid Funeral Contracts 14
299298 Recovery Program at the direction of the Insurance Commissioner and the 15
300299 Prepaid Funeral Contracts Recovery Program Board. 16
301300 (c) The fund shall be invested under the direction of the commissioner 17
302301 and the Treasurer of State, with advice from the Chief Fiscal Officer of the 18
303302 State as needed from time to time. 19
304303 (d)(1) All income derived through investment of the fund, inc luding, 20
305304 but not limited to, fees, interest, and dividends shall be credited as 21
306305 investment income to the fund and deposited therein. 22
307306 (2) All income derived from fund transfers, subrogation awards, 23
308307 grants, orders or judgments of restitution, refunds, volu ntary reimbursements 24
309308 or restitution, and gifts shall be credited as investment income to the fund 25
310309 and deposited therein. 26
311310 (e) Further, all moneys deposited into the fund shall not be subject 27
312311 to any deduction, tax, levy, or any other type of assessment exc ept as may be 28
313312 provided in this subchapter. 29
314313 (f)(1) The fund shall be administered by the commissioner , with advice 30
315314 from the Prepaid Funeral Contracts Recovery Program Board, hereinafter 31
316315 “board”. 32
317316 (2) The purpose of the fund is to reimburse purchasers of 33
318317 preneed funeral contracts who have suffered financial loss as a result of the 34
319318 impairment, insolvency, business interruption, or improper inactivity of a 35
320319 prepaid funeral organization licensed in this state under this chapter. 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 SB97
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325324 (g)(1) From the fee for each preneed funeral contract as required by § 1
326325 23-40-119(d)(1)(A) and from any funds transferred to the fund pursuant to § 2
327326 23-40-119(f)(1), the commissioner with board advice and consultation shall 3
328327 administer the Prepaid Funeral Contracts Recovery Program program. 4
329328 (2) The commissioner may suspend fees or unused funds transfers 5
330329 or deposits into the fund at any time and for any period for which the 6
331330 commissioner determines that a sufficient amount is available to meet likely 7
332331 disbursements and to maintain an ade quate reserve in compliance with a rule 8
333332 of the commissioner. 9
334333 (h) The commissioner with board assistance shall adopt procedures 10
335334 governing management of the fund, the presentation and processing of 11
336335 applications for reimbursement, and subrogation or assignm ent of the rights 12
337336 of any reimbursed applicant. 13
338337 (i)(1) The commissioner may expend moneys in the fund for the 14
339338 following purposes: 15
340339 (A) To make reimbursements on approved applications; and 16
341340 (B) To pay related expenses involved in operating the 17
342341 program as permitted under state law. 18
343342 (2) Reimbursements from the fund shall be made only to the 19
344343 extent to which such losses are not bonded or otherwise covered, protected, 20
345344 or reimbursed, and only after the applicant has complied with all applicable 21
346345 rules of the fund. 22
347346 (j)(1) The commissioner , or his or her representatives, shall 23
348347 investigate all applications made and may reject or allow the claims, in 24
349348 whole or in part, to the extent that moneys are available in the fund. 25
350349 (2) The commissioner may approve on e (1) application that 26
351350 includes more than one (1) reparation claim for the benefit of purchasers of 27
352351 prepaid contracts of a licensee ordered liquidated under § 23 -40-123, as part 28
353352 of a plan to arrange for another licensee to assume the obligations of the 29
354353 licensee being liquidated, if: 30
355354 (A) The commissioner finds that the plan is reasonable and 31
356355 is in the best interests of the contract beneficiaries; and 32
357356 (B) The plan is approved by a court. 33
358357 (k)(1) In the event reimbursement is made to an applicant unde r this 34
359358 section, the commissioner, on behalf of the state, shall be subrogated in the 35
360359 reimbursed amount and may bring any action the commissioner deems advisable 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 SB97
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365364 for the program against any person, including a prepaid licensee. 1
366365 (2) The commissioner may e nforce any claims that the program, on 2
367366 behalf of the state, may have for restitution or otherwise and may employ and 3
368367 compensate consultants, agents, legal counsel, accountants, and any other 4
369368 persons that the commissioner deems appropriate. Payments shall b e made from 5
370369 the fund for such services. 6
371370 (l)(1) There is created the Prepaid Funeral Contracts Recovery Program 7
372371 Board. 8
373372 (2)(A) Members of the board shall consist of no fewer than five 9
374373 (5) nor more than nine (9) members of various licensed Arkansas prepa id 10
375374 funeral organizations, including one (1) consumer member selected from the 11
376375 Arkansas public at large. 12
377376 (B) The members of the board shall be selected by member 13
378377 licensees, subject to approval of the commissioner. 14
379378 (C)(i) Each member of the board may serve up to two (2) 15
380379 consecutive four-year terms. 16
381380 (ii) Vacancies on the board shall be filled for the 17
382381 remaining period of the term by a majority vote of the remaining board 18
383382 members, subject to approval of the commissioner. 19
384383 (D) In approving selecti ons to the board, the commissioner 20
385384 shall consider, among other things, whether all member licensees are fairly 21
386385 represented. 22
387386 (m)(1) The board shall assist the commissioner and come under the 23
388387 immediate supervision of the commissioner and shall be subject t o the 24
389388 applicable provisions of the laws of this state. 25
390389 (2) The fund, as well as board action, shall be is subject to 26
391390 examination and regulation by the commissioner. 27
392391 (3)(A)(2)(A) The board commissioner, or his or her 28
393392 representatives, shall prepare and submit to the commissioner each year, not 29
394393 later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the program's fiscal year, a 30
395394 financial report in a form approved by the commissioner and a report of 31
396395 program activities during the preceding fiscal year. 32
397396 (B) Upon request of a licensed prepaid funeral 33
398397 organization in this state, the commissioner shall provide the member prepaid 34
399398 funeral organization with a copy of the report. 35
400399 (n)(m) There shall be no liability on the part of and no cause of 36 As Engrossed: S3/7/23 SB97
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405404 action of any nature sh all arise against any member of the board, the 1
406405 commissioner, or his or her representatives, agents, or employees for any act 2
407406 or omission by them in the performance of their powers and duties under this 3
408407 chapter, or in its administration, dispensation, handl ing, or collection of 4
409408 funds for the program. 5
410409 6
411410 /s/D. Wallace 7
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