Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB27 Compare Versions

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11 Session of 2025
22 SENATE BILL No. 27
33 By Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance
44 1-16
55 AN ACT concerning insurance; relating to the powers, duties and
66 responsibilities of the commissioner; eliminating the requirement that
77 the commissioner submit certain reports to the governor; removing
88 certain specific entities from the definition of person for the purpose of
99 enforcing insurance law; amending K.S.A. 40-108 and 40-2253 and
1010 K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 40-2,125 and repealing the existing sections.
1111 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
1212 Section 1. K.S.A. 40-108 is hereby amended to read as follows: 40-
1313 108. The commissioner of insurance shall make an annual report to the
1414 governor of the general conduct and condition of the insurance companies,
1515 including fraternal benefit societies, doing business in this state. The
1616 commissioner of insurance shall keep and preserve in a permanent form a
1717 full record of the commissioner's proceedings, including a concise
1818 statement of the condition of each company reported, visited or examined
1919 by the commissioner.
2020 Sec. 2. K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 40-2,125 is hereby amended to read as
2121 follows: 40-2,125. (a) If the commissioner determines after notice and
2222 opportunity for a hearing that any person has engaged or is engaging in
2323 any act or practice constituting a violation of any provision of Kansas
2424 insurance statutes or any rule and regulation or order thereunder, the
2525 commissioner may, in the exercise of discretion, order any one or more of
2626 the following:
2727 (1) Payment of a monetary penalty of not more than $1,000 for each
2828 and every act or violation, unless the person knew or reasonably should
2929 have known that such person was in violation of the Kansas insurance
3030 statutes or any rule and regulation or order thereunder, in which case the
3131 penalty shall be not more than $2,000 for each and every act or violation;
3232 (2) suspension or revocation of the person's license or certificate if
3333 such person knew or reasonably should have known that such person was
3434 in violation of the Kansas insurance statutes or any rule and regulation or
3535 order thereunder; or
3636 (3) that such person cease and desist from the unlawful act or practice
3737 and take such affirmative action as that, in the judgment of the
3838 commissioner, will carry out the purposes of the violated or potentially
3939 violated provision.
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7676 (b) If any person fails to file any report or other information with the
7777 commissioner as required by statute or fails to respond to any proper
7878 inquiry of the commissioner, the commissioner, after notice and
7979 opportunity for hearing, may impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000, for
8080 each violation or act, along with an additional penalty of up to $500 for
8181 each week thereafter that such report or other information is not provided
8282 to the commissioner.
8383 (c) If the commissioner makes written findings of fact that there is a
8484 situation involving an immediate danger to the public health, safety or
8585 welfare or the public interest will be irreparably harmed by delay in
8686 issuing an order under subsection (a)(3), the commissioner may issue an
8787 emergency temporary cease and desist order. Such order, even when not an
8888 order within the meaning of K.S.A. 77-502, and amendments thereto, shall
8989 be subject to the same procedures as an emergency order issued under
9090 K.S.A. 77-536, and amendments thereto. Upon the entry of such an order,
9191 the commissioner shall promptly notify the person subject to the order
9292 that: (1) It Such order has been entered; (2) the reasons therefor; and (3)
9393 that upon written request within 15 days after service of the order, the
9494 matter will be set for a hearing, which shall be conducted in accordance
9595 with the provisions of the Kansas administrative procedure act. If no
9696 hearing is requested and none is ordered by the commissioner, the order
9797 will remain in effect until it is modified or vacated by the commissioner. If
9898 a hearing is requested or ordered, the commissioner, after notice of and
9999 opportunity for hearing to the person subject to the order, shall, by written
100100 findings of fact and conclusions of law vacate, modify or make permanent
101101 the order.
102102 (d) For purposes of this section:
103103 (1) "Person" means any individual, corporation, association,
104104 partnership, reciprocal exchange, inter-insurer, Lloyd's insurer, fraternal
105105 benefit society and any other legal entity engaged in the business of
106106 insurance, rating organization, third party administrator, nonprofit dental
107107 service corporation, nonprofit medical and hospital service corporation,
108108 automobile club, premium financing company, health maintenance
109109 organization, insurance holding company, mortgage guaranty insurance
110110 company, risk retention or purchasing group, prepaid legal and dental
111111 service plan, captive insurance company, automobile self-insurer or
112112 reinsurance intermediary and any other legal entity under the jurisdiction
113113 of the commissioner. The term "person" does not include insurance agents
114114 and brokers as such terms are defined in K.S.A. 40-4902, and amendments
115115 thereto.
116116 (2) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of insurance of this
117117 state.
118118 Sec. 3. K.S.A. 40-2253 is hereby amended to read as follows: 40-
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162162 2253. (a) The commissioner of insurance shall devise universal forms to be
163163 utilized by every insurance company, including health maintenance
164164 organizations where applicable, offering any type of accident and sickness
165165 policy covering individuals residing in this state for the purpose of
166166 receiving every claim under such policy by persons covered thereunder. In
167167 the preparation of such forms, the commissioner may confer with
168168 representatives of insurance companies, health maintenance organizations,
169169 trade associations and other interested parties. Upon completion and final
170170 adoption of such forms by the commissioner, the commissioner shall
171171 notify those companies affected by sending them a copy of such forms and
172172 an explanation of the requirements of this section. Every such company
173173 shall implement utilization of such forms not later than six months
174174 following the date of the commissioner's notification.
175175 (b) An accident and sickness insurer may not refuse to accept a claim
176176 submitted on duly promulgated uniform claim forms. An insurer may
177177 accept claims submitted on any other form.
178178 (c) An accident and sickness insurer does not violate subsection (a)
179179 by using a document that the accident and sickness insurer has been
180180 required to use by the federal government or the state.
181181 (d) The commissioner of insurance shall report to the governor and to
182182 the legislature, no later than the commencement of the 1993 regular
183183 session of the Kansas legislature, regarding the development of uniform
184184 electronic data interchange formats and standards, along with a proposed
185185 plan, including an analysis of the cost impact thereof.
186186 Sec. 4. K.S.A. 40-108 and 40-2253 and K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 40-2,125
187187 are hereby repealed.
188188 Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
189189 publication in the statute book.
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