Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01050 Latest Draft

Bill / Comm Sub Version Filed 04/07/2021

                             
 
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General Assembly  Raised Bill No. 1050  
January Session, 2021 
LCO No. 4542 
 
 
Referred to Committee on INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE  
 
 
Introduced by:  
(INS)  
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING NO TICES PROVIDED BY LIFE INSURERS.  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. Section 38a-1 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2022): 2 
Terms used in this title and sections 2 and 3 of this act, unless it 3 
appears from the context to the contrary, shall have a scope and 4 
meaning as set forth in this section. 5 
(1) "Affiliate" or "affiliated" means a person that directly, or indirectly 6 
through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is 7 
under common control with another person. 8 
(2) "Alien insurer" means any insurer that has been chartered by or 9 
organized or constituted within or under the laws of any jurisdiction or 10 
country without the United States. 11 
(3) "Annuities" means all agreements to make periodical payments 12 
where the making or continuance of all or some of the series of the 13 
payments, or the amount of the payment, is dependent upon the 14  Raised Bill No. 1050 
 
 
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continuance of human life or is for a specified term of years. This 15 
definition does not apply to payments made under a policy of life 16 
insurance. 17 
(4) "Commissioner" means the Insurance Commissioner. 18 
(5) "Control", "controlled by" or "under common control with" means 19 
the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the 20 
direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through 21 
the ownership of voting securities, by contract other than a commercial 22 
contract for goods or nonmanagement services, or otherwise, unless the 23 
power is the result of an official position with the person. 24 
(6) "Domestic insurer" means any insurer that has been chartered by, 25 
incorporated, organized or constituted within or under the laws of this 26 
state. 27 
(7) "Domestic surplus lines insurer" means any domestic insurer that 28 
has been authorized by the commissioner to write surplus lines 29 
insurance. 30 
(8) "Foreign country" means any jurisdiction not in any state, district 31 
or territory of the United States. 32 
(9) "Foreign insurer" means any insurer that has been chartered by or 33 
organized or constituted within or under the laws of another state or a 34 
territory of the United States. 35 
(10) "Insolvency" or "insolvent" means, for any insurer, that it is 36 
unable to pay its obligations when they are due, or when its admitted 37 
assets do not exceed its liabilities plus the greater of: (A) Capital and 38 
surplus required by law for its organization and continued operation; 39 
or (B) the total par or stated value of its authorized and issued capital 40 
stock. For purposes of this subdivision "liabilities" shall include but not 41 
be limited to reserves required by statute or by regulations adopted by 42 
the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 or 43 
specific requirements imposed by the commissioner upon a subject 44  Raised Bill No. 1050 
 
 
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company at the time of admission or subsequent thereto. 45 
(11) "Insurance" means any agreement to pay a sum of money, 46 
provide services or any other thing of value on the happening of a 47 
particular event or contingency or to provide indemnity for loss in 48 
respect to a specified subject by specified perils in return for a 49 
consideration. In any contract of insurance, an insured shall have an 50 
interest which is subject to a risk of loss through destruction or 51 
impairment of that interest, which risk is assumed by the insurer and 52 
such assumption shall be part of a general scheme to distribute losses 53 
among a large group of persons bearing similar risks in return for a 54 
ratable contribution or other consideration. 55 
(12) "Insurer" or "insurance company" includes any person or 56 
combination of persons doing any kind or form of insurance business 57 
other than a fraternal benefit society, and shall include a receiver of any 58 
insurer when the context reasonably permits. 59 
(13) "Insured" means a person to whom or for whose benefit an 60 
insurer makes a promise in an insurance policy. The term includes 61 
policyholders, subscribers, members and beneficiaries. This definition 62 
applies only to the provisions of this title and does not define the 63 
meaning of this word as used in insurance policies or certificates. 64 
(14) "Life insurance" means insurance on human lives and insurances 65 
pertaining to or connected with human life. The business of life 66 
insurance includes granting endowment benefits, granting additional 67 
benefits in the event of death by accident or accidental means, granting 68 
additional benefits in the event of the total and permanent disability of 69 
the insured, and providing optional methods of settlement of proceeds. 70 
Life insurance includes burial contracts to the extent provided by 71 
section 38a-464. 72 
(15) "Mutual insurer" means any insurer without capital stock, the 73 
managing directors or officers of which are elected by its members. 74 
(16) "Person" means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a 75  Raised Bill No. 1050 
 
 
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limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a 76 
business trust, an unincorporated organization or other legal entity. 77 
(17) "Policy" means any document, including attached endorsements 78 
and riders, purporting to be an enforceable contract, which 79 
memorializes in writing some or all of the terms of an insurance 80 
contract. 81 
(18) "State" means any state, district, or territory of the United States. 82 
(19) "Subsidiary" of a specified person means an affiliate controlled 83 
by the person directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries. 84 
(20) "Unauthorized insurer" or "nonadmitted insurer" means an 85 
insurer that has not been granted a certificate of authority by the 86 
commissioner to transact the business of insurance in this state or an 87 
insurer transacting business not authorized by a valid certificate. 88 
(21) "United States" means the United States of America, its territories 89 
and possessions, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the District of 90 
Columbia.  91 
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2022) (a) Each insurer that delivers 92 
or issues for delivery an individual or group life insurance policy in this 93 
state on or after January 1, 2022, shall, at least annually, give written 94 
notice to each beneficiary and owner of, person whose life is insured 95 
under and insurance producer who negotiated and sold such policy 96 
disclosing the status of such policy. 97 
(b) The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with 98 
chapter 54 of the general statutes, to implement the provisions of this 99 
section. 100 
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2022) (a) Each insurer that delivers 101 
or issues for delivery an individual or group life insurance policy in this 102 
state on or after January 1, 2022, shall send any notice cancelling such 103 
policy to each owner of such policy. The notice required under this 104  Raised Bill No. 1050 
 
 
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subsection shall be in addition to any notice required under section 38a-105 
436a or 38a-456 of the general statutes. 106 
(b) The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with 107 
chapter 54 of the general statutes, to implement the provisions of this 108 
section. 109 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 January 1, 2022 38a-1 
Sec. 2 January 1, 2022 New section 
Sec. 3 January 1, 2022 New section 
 
INS Joint Favorable