ENGR. S. B. NO. 490 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 490 By: Quinn of the Senate and Hill of the House An Act relating to the Oklahoma Home Service C ontract Act; amending 36 O.S. 2011, Sections 6751, as amended by Section 37, Chapter 150, O.S.L. 2012 and 6752 (36 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 6751 ), which relate to purpose of act and definitions; modifying purpose and applicability of act to home warranties; modifying definition; specifying that home service contract s and home warranties are not insurance and not regulated by Insurance Code; providing for codification; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 36 O.S. 2011, Section 6751, as amended by Section 37, C hapter 150, O.S.L. 2012 (36 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 6751), is amended to read as follows: Section 6751. A. The purpose of the Oklahoma Home Service Contract Act is to create an indep endent legal framework within which home service contracts and home warranties are defined, may be sold and are regulated in this state. The Oklahoma Home Service Contract Act declares that home service contracts and home warranties, as defined in Section 6752 of this title, are not insurance and not otherwise subj ect to the Insurance Code. The ENGR. S. B. NO. 490 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Oklahoma Home Service Contract Act requires simple registration, financial assurance options and enforcement by the Insurance Commissioner. Proper registration un der the Oklahoma Home Service Contract Act exempts applicabil ity under the Service Warranty Act, which may regulate extended warranty, retail, automobile and agreements not defined in the Oklahoma Home Service Contract Act. Nothing in the Service Warranty Act is changed or amended by the Oklahoma Home Service Contr act Act. B. The following items are exempt from the provisions of the Oklahoma Home Service Contract Act: 1. Warranties as defined in Section 6752 of this title; 2. Maintenance agreements as defined in Section 6752 of this title; and 3. Service contracts sold or offered for sale to persons other than consumers, consumer product (extended warranty) service contracts on new retail goods if made at the time of sale and motor vehicle service contr acts, all of which may be separately regulated elsewhere in the Oklahoma Statutes. C. The types of agreements covered by the Oklahoma Home Service Contract Act are not insurance and do not have to comply with any other provision of the Insurance Code outs ide of the Oklahoma Home Service Contract Act. SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 36 O.S. 2011, Section 6752, is amended to read as follows: ENGR. S. B. NO. 490 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Section 6752. As used in the Oklahoma Home Service Contract Act: 1. “Administrator” means the person who is responsible for the administration of home service contracts or the home service contracts plan, who may promote the contract under thei r own private label or brand as long as the provider is clearly identified on the contract, or who is responsibl e for any submission required by the Oklahoma Home Service Contract Act ; 2. “Commissioner” means the Insurance Commissioner; 3. “Consumer” means a natural person who buys other than for purposes of resale any tangible personal property that is distributed in commerce and that is normally u sed for personal, family or household purposes and not for business or research purposes; 4. “Maintenance agreement” means a contract of limited duration that provides for scheduled maintenance only and does not include repair or replacement; 5. “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint stock comp any, reciprocal, syndicate or any similar entity or combination of entities acting in concert; 6. “Provider” means the person who is the contractua lly named obligor to the home servi ce contract holder under the terms of the service contract; ENGR. S. B. NO. 490 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 7. “Provider fee” means the consideration paid for a home service contract; 8. “Reimbursement insurance policy ” means a policy of insurance issued to a provider to either provide reimbursement t o the provider under the terms of the insured home service contracts issu ed or sold by the provider or, in the event of the provider ’s nonperformance, to pay on behalf of the provider a ll covered contractual obligations incurred by the provider under the t erms of the insured home service contracts issued or sold by the provider ; 9. “Home service contract ” or “home warranty” means a contract or agreement for a separately stated considera tion for a specific duration to perform the service, repair, replacemen t or maintenance of property or indemnification for service, repair, repl acement or maintenance, for the operational or structural failure of any residential property due to a defect in materials, workmanship, inherent defect or normal wear and tear, with or without additional provisions for incidental payment or indemnity unde r limited circumstances. Home service contracts may provide for the service, repair, replacement, or maintenanc e of property for damage resulting from power surges or interruption an d accidental damage from handling and may provide for leak or repair cove rage to house roofing systems. Home service contracts and home warranties are not insurance in this state or ot herwise regulated under the Insuranc e Code; ENGR. S. B. NO. 490 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 10. “Service contract hold er” or “contract holder” means a person who is the purchaser or holder of a home service cont ract; and 11. “Warranty” means a warranty made solely by the manufacturer, importer or sell er of property or services , including builders on new home construction , without consideration, that is not negotiated or separated from the sale of the product and is incidental to the sale of the product, that guarantees indemnity for defective parts, mechanical or electrical breakdown, la bor or other remedial measures, suc h as repair or replacement of the property or repetition of services. SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 632.1 of Title 36, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: Home service contracts and home warranti es, as defined in Section 6752 of Title 36 of the Oklahoma Statutes , are not insurance in this state or otherwise regulated und er the Insurance Code. SECTION 4. This act shall becom e effective November 1, 2021. ENGR. S. B. NO. 490 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Passed the Senate the 4th day of March, 2021. Presiding Officer of the Senate Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 2021. Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives