Texas 2013 - 83rd Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1379 Compare Versions

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11 83R24158 TJS-F
22 By: Hancock S.B. No. 1379
33 (Sheets)
44 Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1379: No.
55
66
77 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
88 AN ACT
99 relating to the standard valuation for life insurance, accident and
1010 health insurance, and annuities.
1111 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1212 SECTION 1. Section 425.052, Insurance Code, is amended by
1313 amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
1414 follows:
1515 (a) In this subchapter:
1616 (1) "Accident and health insurance" means contracts
1717 that incorporate morbidity risk and provide protection against
1818 economic loss resulting from accident, sickness, or medical
1919 conditions and as may be specified in the valuation manual.
2020 (2) "Appointed actuary" means a qualified actuary who
2121 is appointed in accordance with the valuation manual to prepare the
2222 actuarial opinion required by Section 425.0545.
2323 (3) "Company" means an entity that:
2424 (A) has written, issued, or reinsured life
2525 insurance contracts, accident and health insurance contracts, or
2626 deposit-type contracts in this state and has at least one such
2727 policy in force or on claim; or
2828 (B) has written, issued, or reinsured life
2929 insurance contracts, accident and health insurance contracts, or
3030 deposit-type contracts in any state and is required to hold a
3131 certificate of authority to write life insurance, accident and
3232 health insurance, or deposit-type contracts in this state.
3333 (4) "Deposit-type contract" means a contract that does
3434 not incorporate mortality or morbidity risk and as may be specified
3535 in the valuation manual.
3636 (5) "Life insurance" means contracts that incorporate
3737 mortality risk, including annuity and pure endowment contracts, and
3838 as may be specified in the valuation manual.
3939 (6) "Policyholder behavior" means any action a
4040 policyholder, a contract holder, or any other person with the right
4141 to elect options, such as a certificate holder, may take under a
4242 policy or contract subject to this subchapter, including lapse,
4343 withdrawal, transfer, deposit, premium payment, loan,
4444 annuitization, or benefit elections prescribed by the policy or
4545 contract but excluding events of mortality or morbidity that result
4646 in benefits prescribed in their essential aspects by the terms of
4747 the policy or contract.
4848 (7) "Principle-based valuation" means the valuation
4949 described by Section 425.074.
5050 (8) "Qualified actuary" means an individual who is
5151 qualified to sign the applicable statement of actuarial opinion in
5252 accordance with the American Academy of Actuaries' qualification
5353 standards for actuaries signing such statements and who meets the
5454 requirements specified in the valuation manual.
5555 (9) "Reserves" [, "reserves"] means reserve
5656 liabilities.
5757 (10) "Tail risk" means a risk that occurs either where
5858 the frequency of low probability events is higher than expected
5959 under a normal probability distribution or where there are observed
6060 events of very significant size or magnitude.
6161 (11) "Valuation manual" means the manual of valuation
6262 instructions adopted by the commissioner by order.
6363 (c) The definitions under Subsection (a) of "accident and
6464 health insurance," "appointed actuary," "company," "deposit-type
6565 contract," "life insurance," "policyholder behavior,"
6666 "principle-based valuation," "qualified actuary," and "tail risk"
6767 apply only on and after the operative date of the valuation manual.
6868 SECTION 2. The heading to Section 425.053, Insurance Code,
6969 is amended to read as follows:
7070 Sec. 425.053. ANNUAL VALUATION OF RESERVES FOR POLICIES AND
7171 CONTRACTS ISSUED BEFORE OPERATIVE DATE OF VALUATION MANUAL.
7272 SECTION 3. Section 425.053, Insurance Code, is amended by
7373 amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections (d) and (e)
7474 to read as follows:
7575 (a) The department shall annually value or cause to be
7676 [have] valued the reserves for all outstanding life insurance
7777 policies and annuity and pure endowment contracts of each life
7878 insurance company engaged in business in this state issued before
7979 the operative date of the valuation manual. [The department may
8080 certify the amount of those reserves, specifying the mortality
8181 table or tables, rate or rates of interest, and methods, including
8282 the net level premium method or another method, used in computing
8383 those reserves.]
8484 (c) Instead of valuing the reserves as required by
8585 Subsection (a) for a foreign or alien company, the department may
8686 accept any valuation made by or for the insurance supervisory
8787 official of another state or jurisdiction if[:
8888 [(1)] the valuation complies with the minimum standard
8989 provided by this subchapter[; and
9090 [(2) the official accepts as sufficient and valid for
9191 all legal purposes a certificate of valuation made by the
9292 department that states the valuation was made in a specified manner
9393 according to which the aggregate reserves would be at least as large
9494 as they would be if computed in the manner prescribed by the law of
9595 that state or jurisdiction].
9696 (d) Except as otherwise provided by this subchapter,
9797 policies and contracts issued on or after the operative date of the
9898 valuation manual are governed by Section 425.0535.
9999 (e) The minimum standards for the valuation of policies and
100100 contracts issued before the operative date of the valuation manual
101101 are as provided by Sections 425.058 through 425.071 and Section
102102 425.072(b), as applicable. Sections 425.072(a), 425.073, and
103103 425.074 do not apply to a policy or contract described by this
104104 subsection.
105105 SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 425, Insurance Code, is
106106 amended by adding Section 425.0535 to read as follows:
107107 Sec. 425.0535. ANNUAL VALUATION OF RESERVES FOR POLICIES
108108 AND CONTRACTS ISSUED ON OR AFTER OPERATIVE DATE OF VALUATION
109109 MANUAL. (a) The commissioner shall annually value, or cause to be
110110 valued, the reserves for all outstanding life insurance contracts,
111111 annuity and pure endowment contracts, accident and health
112112 contracts, and deposit-type contracts of each company issued on or
113113 after the operative date of the valuation manual as provided by this
114114 section.
115115 (b) In lieu of the valuation of the reserves required of a
116116 foreign or alien company, the commissioner may accept a valuation
117117 made, or caused to be made, by the insurance supervisory official of
118118 another state if the valuation complies with the minimum standard
119119 provided by this subchapter.
120120 (c) Sections 425.072(a), 425.073, and 425.074 apply to all
121121 policies and contracts issued on or after the operative date of the
122122 valuation manual.
123123 SECTION 5. The heading to Section 425.054, Insurance Code,
124124 is amended to read as follows:
125125 Sec. 425.054. ACTUARIAL OPINION OF RESERVES BEFORE
126126 OPERATIVE DATE OF VALUATION MANUAL [REQUIRED].
127127 SECTION 6. Section 425.054, Insurance Code, is amended by
128128 amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1), (j), (k),
129129 (l), (m), (n), (o), (p), and (q) to read as follows:
130130 (a) This section applies only to an actuarial opinion of
131131 reserves before the operative date of the valuation manual.
132132 (a-1) For purposes of this section, "qualified actuary"
133133 means:
134134 (1) a qualified actuary, as that term is defined by
135135 Section 802.002; or
136136 (2) a person who, before September 1, 1993, satisfied
137137 the requirements of the former State Board of Insurance to submit an
138138 opinion under former Section 2A(a)(1), Article 3.28.
139139 (j) Except as provided by Subsections (l), (n), (o), and
140140 (p), any document or other information in the possession or control
141141 of the department that is a memorandum in support of the opinion or
142142 other material provided by the company to the commissioner in
143143 connection with a memorandum is confidential and not subject to:
144144 (1) disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code;
145145 (2) subpoena;
146146 (3) discovery; or
147147 (4) admissibility as evidence in a private civil
148148 action.
149149 (k) The commissioner or any person who receives a document
150150 or other information described by Subsection (j) while acting under
151151 the authority of the commissioner may not testify and may not be
152152 compelled to testify in a private civil action concerning the
153153 document or other information.
154154 (l) The commissioner may:
155155 (1) share documents or other information, including
156156 the confidential and privileged documents or information described
157157 by Subsection (j), with another state, federal, or international
158158 regulatory agency, with the National Association of Insurance
159159 Commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries, and with state,
160160 federal, and international law enforcement authorities, provided
161161 that the recipient agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the
162162 document or information;
163163 (2) receive documents or other information, including
164164 confidential documents or information, from the National
165165 Association of Insurance Commissioners and its affiliates and
166166 subsidiaries, and from regulatory and law enforcement officials of
167167 other foreign or domestic jurisdictions, provided that the
168168 commissioner shall maintain as confidential any document or
169169 information received with notice or understanding that it is
170170 confidential under the laws of the jurisdiction that is the source
171171 of the document or information; and
172172 (3) enter into agreements governing sharing and use of
173173 documents and other information consistent with this section.
174174 (m) Disclosing information or providing a document to the
175175 commissioner under this section, or sharing information as
176176 authorized under this section, does not result in a waiver of any
177177 applicable privilege or claim of confidentiality that may apply to
178178 the document or information.
179179 (n) A memorandum in support of the opinion, and any other
180180 material provided by the company to the commissioner in connection
181181 with the memorandum, may be subject to subpoena for the purpose of
182182 defending an action seeking damages from the actuary submitting the
183183 memorandum by reason of an action required by this section or rules
184184 adopted under this section.
185185 (o) The memorandum or other material provided by the company
186186 to the commissioner in connection with the memorandum may otherwise
187187 be released by the commissioner with the written consent of the
188188 company, or to the Actuarial Board for Counseling and Discipline or
189189 its successor on receipt of a request stating that the memorandum or
190190 other material is required for the purpose of professional
191191 disciplinary proceedings and setting forth procedures satisfactory
192192 to the commissioner for preserving the confidentiality of the
193193 memorandum or other material.
194194 (p) The memorandum ceases to be confidential if:
195195 (1) any portion of the memorandum is cited by the
196196 company in its marketing;
197197 (2) the memorandum is cited by the company before a
198198 government agency other than a state insurance department; or
199199 (3) the memorandum is released by the company to the
200200 news media.
201201 (q) This section does not prohibit the commissioner from
202202 using information acquired under this section in the furtherance of
203203 a legal or regulatory action relating to the administration of this
204204 code.
205205 SECTION 7. Subchapter B, Chapter 425, Insurance Code, is
206206 amended by adding Section 425.0545 to read as follows:
207207 Sec. 425.0545. ACTUARIAL OPINION OF RESERVES AFTER
208208 OPERATIVE DATE OF VALUATION MANUAL. (a) A company that has
209209 outstanding life insurance contracts, accident and health
210210 insurance contracts, or deposit-type contracts in this state and is
211211 subject to regulation by the department shall annually submit the
212212 opinion of the appointed actuary as to whether the reserves and
213213 related actuarial items held in support of the policies and
214214 contracts are computed appropriately, are based on assumptions that
215215 satisfy contractual provisions, are consistent with prior reported
216216 amounts, and are in compliance with applicable laws of this state.
217217 An opinion under this section must comply with provisions of the
218218 valuation manual, including in regard to any items necessary to its
219219 scope.
220220 (b) Unless exempted by the valuation manual, a company
221221 described by Subsection (a) shall include with the opinion required
222222 by that subsection an opinion of the same appointed actuary
223223 concerning whether the reserves and related actuarial items held in
224224 support of the policies and contracts specified in the valuation
225225 manual, when considered in light of the assets held by the company
226226 with respect to the reserves and related actuarial items, including
227227 investment earnings on the assets and considerations anticipated to
228228 be received and retained under the policies and contracts, make
229229 adequate provision for the company's obligations under the policies
230230 and contracts, including benefits under and expenses associated
231231 with the policies and contracts.
232232 (c) Each opinion required by this section must:
233233 (1) be in the form and contain the substance that is
234234 specified by the valuation manual and is acceptable to the
235235 commissioner;
236236 (2) be submitted with the annual statement reflecting
237237 the valuation of reserves for each year ending on or after the
238238 operative date of the valuation manual;
239239 (3) apply to all policies and contracts subject to
240240 this section, plus other actuarial liabilities specified by the
241241 valuation manual; and
242242 (4) be based on standards adopted from time to time by
243243 the Actuarial Standards Board or its successor, and on any
244244 additional standards prescribed by the valuation manual.
245245 (d) In the case of an opinion required to be submitted by a
246246 foreign or alien company, the commissioner may accept the opinion
247247 filed by the company with the insurance supervisory official of
248248 another state if the commissioner determines that the opinion
249249 reasonably meets the requirements applicable to a company domiciled
250250 in this state.
251251 SECTION 8. Section 425.055(a), Insurance Code, is amended
252252 to read as follows:
253253 (a) A memorandum [that, in form and substance, complies with
254254 the commissioner's rules] shall be prepared to support each
255255 actuarial opinion required by Section 425.054 or 425.0545. The
256256 form and substance of each supporting memorandum must comply with
257257 the commissioner's rules for memorandums subject to Section
258258 425.054, or the valuation manual for memorandums subject to Section
259259 425.0545.
260260 SECTION 9. Section 425.056(a), Insurance Code, is amended
261261 to read as follows:
262262 (a) Except in cases of fraud or wilful misconduct or as
263263 provided by Subsection (b), a person who certifies an opinion under
264264 Section 425.054 or 425.0545 is not liable for damages to a person,
265265 other than the life insurance company covered by the opinion, for an
266266 act, error, omission, decision, or other conduct with respect to
267267 the person's opinion.
268268 SECTION 10. Section 425.057, Insurance Code, is amended to
269269 read as follows:
270270 Sec. 425.057. DISCIPLINARY ACTION: COMPANY OR PERSON
271271 CERTIFYING OPINION. A company or person that certifies an opinion
272272 under Section 425.054 or 425.0545 and that violates Section
273273 425.054, 425.0545, or 425.055 or rules adopted or orders issued
274274 under those sections is subject to disciplinary action under
275275 Chapter 82.
276276 SECTION 11. The heading to Section 425.058, Insurance Code,
277277 is amended to read as follows:
278278 Sec. 425.058. COMPUTATION [VALUATION] OF MINIMUM STANDARD
279279 [POLICY OR CONTRACT]: GENERAL RULE.
280280 SECTION 12. The heading to Section 425.059, Insurance Code,
281281 is amended to read as follows:
282282 Sec. 425.059. COMPUTATION [VALUATION] OF MINIMUM STANDARD
283283 FOR CERTAIN ANNUITIES AND PURE ENDOWMENT CONTRACTS.
284284 SECTION 13. The heading to Section 425.064, Insurance Code,
285285 is amended to read as follows:
286286 Sec. 425.064. COMMISSIONERS RESERVE VALUATION METHOD FOR
287287 LIFE INSURANCE AND ENDOWMENT BENEFITS.
288288 SECTION 14. The heading to Section 425.065, Insurance Code,
289289 is amended to read as follows:
290290 Sec. 425.065. COMMISSIONERS ANNUITY RESERVE VALUATION
291291 METHOD FOR ANNUITY AND PURE ENDOWMENT BENEFITS.
292292 SECTION 15. Subchapter B, Chapter 425, Insurance Code, is
293293 amended by adding Sections 425.072, 425.073, 425.074, 425.075,
294294 425.076, and 425.077 to read as follows:
295295 Sec. 425.072. MINIMUM STANDARD FOR ACCIDENT AND HEALTH
296296 INSURANCE CONTRACTS. (a) The standard prescribed by the valuation
297297 manual for accident and health insurance contracts issued on or
298298 after the operative date of the valuation manual is the minimum
299299 standard of valuation required under Section 425.0535.
300300 (b) For disability, accident and sickness, and accident and
301301 health insurance contracts issued before the operative date of the
302302 valuation manual, the minimum standard of valuation is the standard
303303 in existence before the operative date of the valuation manual.
304304 Sec. 425.073. POLICIES ISSUED ON OR AFTER THE OPERATIVE
305305 DATE OF THE VALUATION MANUAL. (a) Except as otherwise provided by
306306 this section, for policies issued on or after the operative date of
307307 the valuation manual, the standard prescribed by the valuation
308308 manual is the minimum standard of valuation required under Section
309309 425.0535.
310310 (b) The commissioner by order shall adopt a valuation manual
311311 and determine the operative date of the valuation manual. A
312312 valuation manual adopted by the commissioner under this section
313313 must be substantially similar to the valuation manual approved by
314314 the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The operative
315315 date must be January 1 of the first calendar year immediately
316316 following a year in which, on or before July 1, the commissioner
317317 determines that:
318318 (1) the valuation manual has been adopted by the
319319 National Association of Insurance Commissioners by an affirmative
320320 vote of at least 42 members, or three-fourths of the members voting,
321321 whichever is greater;
322322 (2) the National Association of Insurance
323323 Commissioners Standard Model Valuation Law, as amended by the
324324 National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2009, or
325325 legislation including substantially similar terms and provisions,
326326 has been enacted by states representing greater than 75 percent of
327327 the direct premiums written as reported in the following annual
328328 statements submitted for 2008:
329329 (A) life insurance and accident and health annual
330330 statements;
331331 (B) health annual statements; or
332332 (C) fraternal annual statements; and
333333 (3) the National Association of Insurance
334334 Commissioners Standard Model Valuation Law, as amended by the
335335 National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2009, or
336336 legislation including substantially similar terms and provisions,
337337 has been enacted by at least 42 of the following 55 jurisdictions:
338338 (A) the 50 United States;
339339 (B) American Samoa;
340340 (C) the United States Virgin Islands;
341341 (D) the District of Columbia;
342342 (E) Guam; and
343343 (F) Puerto Rico.
344344 (c) After a valuation manual has been adopted by the
345345 commissioner by order, any changes to the valuation manual must be
346346 adopted by order and must be substantially similar to changes
347347 adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
348348 Unless a change in the valuation specifies a later effective date,
349349 the effective date for changes to the valuation manual may not be
350350 earlier than January 1 of the year immediately following the date on
351351 which the commissioner determines that the changes to the valuation
352352 manual have been adopted by the National Association of Insurance
353353 Commissioners by an affirmative vote representing:
354354 (1) at least three-fourths of the members of the
355355 National Association of Insurance Commissioners voting, but not
356356 less than a majority of the total membership; and
357357 (2) members of the National Association of Insurance
358358 Commissioners representing jurisdictions totaling greater than 75
359359 percent of the direct premiums written as reported in the most
360360 recently available annual statements as provided by Subsections
361361 (b)(2)(A)-(C).
362362 (d) The valuation manual must specify:
363363 (1) the minimum valuation standards for and
364364 definitions of the policies or contracts subject to Section
365365 425.0535, including:
366366 (A) the commissioner's reserve valuation method
367367 for life insurance contracts subject to Section 425.0535;
368368 (B) the commissioner's annuity reserve
369369 valuation method for annuity contracts subject to Section 425.0535;
370370 and
371371 (C) the minimum reserves for all other policies
372372 or contracts subject to Section 425.0535;
373373 (2) the policies or contracts that are subject to the
374374 requirements of a principle-based valuation under Section 425.074
375375 and the minimum valuation standards consistent with those
376376 requirements, including:
377377 (A) the requirements for the format of reports to
378378 the commissioner under Section 425.074(b)(3), which must include
379379 the information necessary to determine if a valuation is
380380 appropriate and in compliance with this subchapter;
381381 (B) the assumptions prescribed for risks over
382382 which the company does not have significant control or influence;
383383 and
384384 (C) the procedures for corporate governance and
385385 oversight of the actuarial function, and a process for appropriate
386386 waiver or modification of the procedures;
387387 (3) the policies that are not subject to a
388388 principle-based valuation under Section 425.074;
389389 (4) the data and form of data required under Section
390390 425.074, to whom the data must be submitted, and other desired
391391 requirements, including requirements concerning data analyses and
392392 reporting of analyses; and
393393 (5) other requirements, including requirements
394394 relating to reserve methods, models for measuring risk, generation
395395 of economic scenarios, assumptions, margins, use of company
396396 experience, disclosure, certification, reports, actuarial opinions
397397 and memorandums, transition rules, and internal controls.
398398 (e) With respect to policies that are not subject to a
399399 principle-based valuation under Section 425.074 as described by
400400 Subsection (d)(3), the minimum valuation standard specified in the
401401 valuation manual must:
402402 (1) be consistent with the minimum valuation standard
403403 before the operative date of the valuation manual; or
404404 (2) develop reserves that quantify the benefits and
405405 guarantees, and the funding, associated with the contracts and
406406 their risks at a level of conservatism that reflects conditions
407407 that include unfavorable events that have a reasonable probability
408408 of occurring.
409409 (f) In the absence of a specific valuation requirement or if
410410 a specific valuation requirement in the valuation manual does not
411411 in the commissioner's opinion comply with this subchapter, the
412412 company shall, with respect to the requirement, comply with minimum
413413 valuation standards prescribed by the commissioner by rule.
414414 (g) The commissioner may employ or contract with a qualified
415415 actuary, at the expense of the company, to perform an actuarial
416416 examination of the company and provide an opinion concerning the
417417 appropriateness of any reserve assumption or method used by the
418418 company, or to review and provide an opinion on a company's
419419 compliance with any requirement of this subchapter. The
420420 commissioner may rely on the opinion, regarding provisions
421421 contained within this subchapter, of a qualified actuary engaged by
422422 the insurance supervisory official of another state.
423423 (h) The commissioner may require a company to change an
424424 assumption or method as necessary in the commissioner's opinion to
425425 comply with a requirement of the valuation manual or this
426426 subchapter.
427427 (i) The commissioner may take other disciplinary action as
428428 permitted under Chapter 82.
429429 Sec. 425.074. REQUIREMENTS OF A PRINCIPLE-BASED VALUATION.
430430 (a) A company shall establish reserves using a principle-based
431431 valuation that meets the conditions for policies or contracts
432432 provided by the valuation manual. At a minimum, the valuation
433433 shall:
434434 (1) quantify the benefits and guarantees, and the
435435 funding, associated with the contracts and their risks at a level of
436436 conservatism that reflects conditions that include unfavorable
437437 events that have a reasonable probability of occurring during the
438438 terms of the contracts;
439439 (2) with respect to policies and contracts with
440440 significant tail risk, reflect conditions appropriately adverse to
441441 quantify the tail risk;
442442 (3) incorporate assumptions, risk analysis methods,
443443 and financial models and management techniques that are consistent
444444 with those used in the company's overall risk assessment process,
445445 while recognizing potential differences in financial reporting
446446 structures and any prescribed assumptions or methods;
447447 (4) incorporate assumptions:
448448 (A) prescribed by the valuation manual; or
449449 (B) established:
450450 (i) using the company's available
451451 experience, to the extent that data is relevant and statistically
452452 credible; or
453453 (ii) to the extent that the company data is
454454 not available, relevant, or statistically credible, using other
455455 relevant, statistically credible experience; and
456456 (5) provide margins for uncertainty, including
457457 adverse deviation and estimation error, such that the greater the
458458 uncertainty the larger the margin and resulting reserve.
459459 (b) A company using a principle-based valuation for one or
460460 more policies or contracts subject to this section and as specified
461461 by the valuation manual shall:
462462 (1) establish procedures for corporate governance and
463463 oversight of the actuarial valuation function consistent with
464464 procedures specified by the valuation manual;
465465 (2) provide to the commissioner and the company's
466466 board of directors an annual certification of the effectiveness of
467467 the internal controls with respect to the principle-based
468468 valuation; and
469469 (3) develop, and file with the commissioner on
470470 request, a principle-based valuation report that complies with
471471 standards prescribed in the valuation manual.
472472 (c) A company's internal controls with respect to the
473473 principle-based valuation must be designed to ensure that all
474474 material risks inherent in the liabilities and associated assets
475475 subject to the valuation are included in the valuation, and that
476476 valuations are made in accordance with the valuation manual. The
477477 certification described by Subsection (b)(2) must be based on the
478478 controls in place as of the end of the preceding calendar year.
479479 (d) A principle-based valuation may include a prescribed
480480 formulaic reserve component.
481481 Sec. 425.075. EXPERIENCE REPORTING FOR POLICIES IN FORCE ON
482482 OR AFTER OPERATIVE DATE OF VALUATION MANUAL. A company shall submit
483483 mortality, morbidity, policyholder behavior, or expense experience
484484 and other data as prescribed in the valuation manual.
485485 Sec. 425.076. CONFIDENTIALITY. (a) In this section,
486486 "confidential information" means:
487487 (1) a memorandum in support of an opinion submitted
488488 under Section 425.0545 and any other documents, materials, and
489489 other information, including, but not limited to, all working
490490 papers, and copies thereof, created, produced, or obtained by or
491491 disclosed to the commissioner or any other person in connection
492492 with such memorandum;
493493 (2) all documents, materials, and other information,
494494 including, but not limited to, all working papers, and copies
495495 thereof, created, produced, or obtained by or disclosed to the
496496 commissioner or any other person in the course of an examination
497497 made under Section 425.073(g); provided, however, that if an
498498 examination report or other material prepared in connection with an
499499 examination made under Subchapter B, Chapter 401, is not held as
500500 private and confidential information under Subchapter B, Chapter
501501 401, an examination report or other material prepared in connection
502502 with an examination made under Section 425.073(g) shall not be
503503 "confidential information" to the same extent as if such
504504 examination report or other material had been prepared under
505505 Subchapter B, Chapter 401;
506506 (3) any reports, documents, materials, and other
507507 information developed by a company in support of, or in connection
508508 with, an annual certification by the company under Section
509509 425.074(b)(2) evaluating the effectiveness of the company's
510510 internal controls with respect to a principle-based valuation and
511511 any other documents, materials, and other information, including,
512512 but not limited to, all working papers, and copies thereof,
513513 created, produced, or obtained by or disclosed to the commissioner
514514 or any other person in connection with such reports, documents,
515515 materials, and other information;
516516 (4) any principle-based valuation report developed
517517 under Section 425.074(b)(3) and any other documents, materials, and
518518 other information, including, but not limited to, all working
519519 papers, and copies thereof, created, produced, or obtained by or
520520 disclosed to the commissioner or any other person in connection
521521 with such report; and
522522 (5) any documents, materials, data, and other
523523 information submitted by a company under Section 425.075
524524 (collectively, "experience data") and any other documents,
525525 materials, data, and other information, including, but not limited
526526 to, all working papers, and copies thereof, created or produced in
527527 connection with such experience data, in each case that include any
528528 potentially company-identifying or personally identifiable
529529 information, that is provided to or obtained by the commissioner
530530 (together with any "experience data," the "experience materials")
531531 and any other documents, materials, data, and other information,
532532 including, but not limited to, all working papers, and copies
533533 thereof, created, produced, or obtained by or disclosed to the
534534 commissioner or any other person in connection with such experience
535535 materials.
536536 (b) Except as provided in this section, a company's
537537 confidential information is confidential by law and privileged, and
538538 shall not be subject to Chapter 552, Government Code, shall not be
539539 subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery or
540540 admissible in evidence in any private civil action; provided,
541541 however, that the commissioner is authorized to use the
542542 confidential information in the furtherance of any regulatory or
543543 legal action brought against the company as a part of the
544544 commissioner's official duties.
545545 (c) Neither the commissioner nor any person who received
546546 confidential information while acting under the authority of the
547547 commissioner shall be permitted or required to testify in any
548548 private civil action concerning any confidential information.
549549 (d) In order to assist in the performance of the
550550 commissioner's duties, the commissioner may share confidential
551551 information (1) with other state, federal, and international
552552 regulatory agencies and with the National Association of Insurance
553553 Commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries and (2) in the
554554 case of confidential information specified in Subsections (a)(1)
555555 and (a)(4) only, with the Actuarial Board for Counseling and
556556 Discipline or its successor upon request stating that the
557557 confidential information is required for the purpose of
558558 professional disciplinary proceedings and with state, federal, and
559559 international law enforcement officials; in the case of (1) and
560560 (2), provided that such recipient agrees, and has the legal
561561 authority to agree, to maintain the confidentiality and privileged
562562 status of such documents, materials, data, and other information in
563563 the same manner and to the same extent as required for the
564564 commissioner.
565565 (e) The commissioner may receive documents, materials,
566566 data, and other information, including otherwise confidential and
567567 privileged documents, materials, data, or information, from the
568568 National Association of Insurance Commissioners and its affiliates
569569 and subsidiaries, from regulatory or law enforcement officials of
570570 other foreign or domestic jurisdictions and from the Actuarial
571571 Board for Counseling and Discipline or its successor and shall
572572 maintain as confidential or privileged any document, material,
573573 data, or other information received with notice or the
574574 understanding that it is confidential or privileged under the laws
575575 of the jurisdiction that is the source of the document, material, or
576576 other information.
577577 (f) The commissioner may enter into agreements governing
578578 sharing and use of information consistent with Subsections (b)
579579 through (k).
580580 (g) No waiver of any applicable privilege or claim of
581581 confidentiality in the confidential information shall occur as a
582582 result of disclosure to the commissioner under this section or as a
583583 result of sharing as authorized in Subsection (d).
584584 (h) A privilege established under the law of any state or
585585 jurisdiction that is substantially similar to the privilege
586586 established under Subsections (b) through (k) shall be available
587587 and enforced in any proceeding in, and in any court of, this state.
588588 (i) In this section, a reference to a regulatory agency, law
589589 enforcement agency, or the National Association of Insurance
590590 Commissioners includes an employee, agent, consultant, or
591591 contractor of the agency or association, as applicable.
592592 (j) Notwithstanding this section, any confidential
593593 information specified in Subsections (a)(1) and (a)(4) may be:
594594 (1) subject to subpoena for the purpose of defending
595595 an action seeking damages from the appointed actuary submitting the
596596 related memorandum in support of an opinion submitted under Section
597597 425.054 or 425.0545 or a principle-based valuation report developed
598598 under Section 425.074(b)(3) by reason of an action required by this
599599 subchapter or by rules adopted or orders issued under this
600600 subchapter; and
601601 (2) released by the commissioner with the written
602602 consent of the company.
603603 (k) Once any portion of a memorandum in support of an
604604 opinion submitted under Section 425.0545 or a principle-based
605605 valuation report developed under Section 425.074(b)(3) is cited by
606606 the company in its marketing or is publicly volunteered to or before
607607 a governmental agency other than a state insurance department or is
608608 released by the company to the news media, all portions of such
609609 memorandum or report shall no longer be confidential.
610610 Sec. 425.077. SINGLE STATE EXEMPTION. The commissioner may
611611 exempt specific product forms or product lines of a domestic
612612 company that is licensed and doing business only in this state from
613613 the requirements of Section 425.073 if:
614614 (1) the commissioner has issued an exemption in
615615 writing to the company and has not subsequently revoked the
616616 exemption in writing; and
617617 (2) the company computes reserves using assumptions
618618 and methods used before the operative date of the valuation manual
619619 in addition to any requirements established by the commissioner and
620620 adopted by rule.
621621 SECTION 16. The commissioner of insurance shall determine
622622 whether the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and a
623623 sufficient number of states and other jurisdictions have adopted a
624624 valuation manual as required by Section 425.073(b), Insurance Code,
625625 as added by this Act. As soon as practicable after the commissioner
626626 of insurance determines that the National Association of Insurance
627627 Commissioners and a sufficient number of states and other
628628 jurisdictions have adopted the valuation manual as required by that
629629 section, the commissioner of insurance shall adopt rules or issue
630630 orders necessary to implement this Act.
631631 SECTION 17. This Act takes effect January 1, 2014.