Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3999 Compare Versions

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11 89R1195 MEW-F
22 By: Cook H.B. No. 3999
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77 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
88 AN ACT
99 relating to the transfer and statutory novation of insurance
1010 policies from a transferring insurer to an assuming insurer through
1111 an insurance business transfer plan; authorizing fees.
1212 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1313 SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 6, Insurance Code, is amended
1414 by adding Chapter 806 to read as follows:
1515 CHAPTER 806. INSURANCE BUSINESS TRANSFERS
1616 SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
1717 Sec. 806.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
1818 (1) "Affiliate" means a person that directly or
1919 indirectly through one or more intermediaries controls, is
2020 controlled by, or is under common control with a specified person.
2121 (2) "Applicant" means an assuming insurer, a
2222 transferring insurer, or a reinsurer applying under Subchapter B.
2323 (3) "Assuming insurer" means an insurer domiciled in
2424 this state that assumes or seeks to assume policies from a
2525 transferring insurer under this chapter. An assuming insurer may
2626 be a captive insurance company established under Chapter 964.
2727 (4) "Implementation order" means an order issued by
2828 the court under Section 806.104.
2929 (5) "Insurance business transfer" means a transfer and
3030 novation by a transferring insurer to an assuming insurer made
3131 under this chapter.
3232 (6) "Insurance business transfer plan" means the plan
3333 submitted to the department to accomplish an insurance business
3434 transfer, including any associated transfer of assets and rights
3535 from or on behalf of the transferring insurer to the assuming
3636 insurer.
3737 (7) "Insurer" means an insurance or surety company,
3838 including a reinsurance company. The term includes a corporation,
3939 company, partnership, association, society, order, individual, or
4040 aggregation of individuals engaging in or proposing or attempting
4141 to engage in any kind of insurance or surety business, including the
4242 exchanging of reciprocal or interinsurance contracts between
4343 individuals, partnerships, and corporations.
4444 (8) "Policy" means a policy, annuity contract,
4545 certificate of insurance, or a contract of reinsurance under which
4646 the insurer agrees to assume an obligation, risk, or both of the
4747 policyholder or to make payments on behalf of, or to, the
4848 policyholder or the policyholder's beneficiaries. The term
4949 includes property, casualty, life, health, and any other line of
5050 insurance the commissioner finds is suitable for an insurance
5151 business transfer.
5252 (9) "Policyholder" means an insured or a reinsured
5353 under a policy that is part of the subject business.
5454 (10) "Subject business" means the policy or policies
5555 that are the subject of the insurance business transfer plan.
5656 (11) "Transfer and novation" means the transfer of
5757 insurance obligations, risks, or both of existing or in-force
5858 policies from a transferring insurer to an assuming insurer that is
5959 intended to effect a novation of the transferred policies that
6060 results in the assuming insurer becoming directly liable to the
6161 policyholders of the transferring insurer on the extinguishment of
6262 the transferring insurer's insurance obligations, risks, or both
6363 under the transferred policies.
6464 (12) "Transferring insurer" means an insurer or
6565 reinsurer that transfers and novates or seeks to transfer and
6666 novate obligations, risks, or both under one or more policies to an
6767 assuming insurer under an insurance business transfer plan.
6868 Sec. 806.002. CONSENT TO ONGOING COMMISSIONER OVERSIGHT.
6969 An insurer subject to this chapter is considered to consent to the
7070 jurisdiction of the commissioner with regard to ongoing oversight
7171 of operations, management, and solvency relating to the transferred
7272 business, including the authority of the commissioner to conduct
7373 financial analysis and examinations.
7474 Sec. 806.003. AUTHORITY OF COURT. Notwithstanding any
7575 other law, a court may issue an order, process, or judgment that is
7676 necessary or appropriate to carry out this chapter. This chapter
7777 may not be construed to preclude a court from, on the court's own
7878 motion, taking any action or making any determination necessary or
7979 appropriate to enforce or implement an order or rule of the court or
8080 to prevent an abuse of power.
8181 Sec. 806.004. NOTICE REQUIREMENTS. (a) When notice is
8282 required to be given by the applicant under this chapter and except
8383 as otherwise permitted or directed by a court or the commissioner,
8484 the applicant shall provide the notice not later than the 45th day
8585 after the date of the event that requires notice:
8686 (1) to the chief insurance regulator in each
8787 jurisdiction in which:
8888 (A) the applicant holds or has ever held a
8989 certificate of authority; and
9090 (B) policies that are part of the subject
9191 business were issued or policyholders currently reside;
9292 (2) to the National Conference of Insurance Guaranty
9393 Funds, the National Organization of Life and Health Insurance
9494 Guaranty Associations, and each state insurance guaranty
9595 association for a state in which:
9696 (A) the applicant holds or has ever held a
9797 certificate of authority; and
9898 (B) policies that are part of the subject
9999 business were issued or policyholders currently reside;
100100 (3) to each reinsurer of the applicant:
101101 (A) under the notice provisions of each
102102 reinsurance agreement applicable to the policies that are part of
103103 the subject business; or
104104 (B) if a reinsurance agreement does not have a
105105 notice provision, by an internationally recognized delivery
106106 service;
107107 (4) to each policyholder holding a policy that is part
108108 of the subject business, at the policyholder's last known address
109109 as indicated by the records of the applicant or to the address to
110110 which premium notices or other policy documents are sent, and for a
111111 notice of transfer, to the transferring insurer's agents or brokers
112112 of record on the subject business; and
113113 (5) by publication in:
114114 (A) a newspaper of general circulation in the
115115 state in which the applicant has the applicant's principal place of
116116 business; and
117117 (B) each publication required by the
118118 commissioner.
119119 (b) If notice is provided in accordance with this section,
120120 an intended recipient of the notice is considered to have received
121121 the notice for purposes of this chapter, regardless of whether the
122122 recipient received actual notice, and the intended recipient may
123123 not raise notice to challenge an order issued under this chapter.
124124 (c) The commissioner shall provide the required notice in
125125 accordance with this section on behalf of an applicant for which the
126126 commissioner has been named as receiver.
127127 (d) Notice under this section may be provided by first-class
128128 mail, facsimile, or electronic means.
129129 Sec. 806.005. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. The commissioner may
130130 adopt rules consistent with this chapter as necessary to implement
131131 this chapter.
132132 Sec. 806.006. CONFIDENTIALITY. The status of any part of an
133133 application for an insurance business transfer as confidential at
134134 the time of application, including any documents, materials,
135135 communications, or other information submitted to the commissioner
136136 in contemplation of the application, is not affected by the process
137137 provided by this chapter.
138138 SUBCHAPTER B. INITIAL APPLICATION; COMMISSIONER REVIEW
139139 Sec. 806.051. COMMISSIONER AND COURT APPROVAL REQUIRED.
140140 After obtaining an independent expert report under Section 806.052,
141141 an applicant shall file an insurance business transfer plan with:
142142 (1) the commissioner for review and approval under
143143 this subchapter; and
144144 (2) a court for approval under Subchapter C on
145145 receiving the commissioner's approval.
146146 Sec. 806.052. INDEPENDENT EXPERT; REPORT. (a) The
147147 commissioner shall appoint an independent expert from a list of at
148148 least two nominees, submitted jointly by the transferring insurer
149149 and the assuming insurer, to assist the commissioner and the court
150150 in connection with the commissioner's and the court's review of a
151151 proposed insurance business transfer. The commissioner may, in the
152152 commissioner's sole discretion, reject the nominees and appoint
153153 another person as the independent expert.
154154 (b) The independent expert must be an impartial person who:
155155 (1) has no financial interest in either the assuming
156156 insurer or transferring insurer;
157157 (2) has not been employed by or acted as an officer,
158158 director, consultant, or other independent contractor for either
159159 the assuming insurer or transferring insurer during the preceding
160160 12 months;
161161 (3) is not appointed by the commissioner to assist in
162162 any capacity in an insurer rehabilitation or delinquency
163163 proceeding;
164164 (4) receives no compensation in connection with the
165165 applicable transaction under this chapter, other than a fee based
166166 on a fixed or hourly basis that is not contingent on the approval or
167167 completion of the insurance business transfer; and
168168 (5) provides proof of insurance coverage that is
169169 satisfactory to the commissioner.
170170 (c) The independent expert shall submit a report to the
171171 commissioner in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner
172172 regarding the proposed insurance business transfer. The report
173173 must include:
174174 (1) a summary of the terms of the insurance business
175175 transfer plan to the extent relevant to the independent expert's
176176 report;
177177 (2) the scope of the independent expert's report;
178178 (3) an analysis of the transferring insurer's
179179 actuarial review of reserves for the subject business to determine
180180 the reserve adequacy;
181181 (4) an analysis of the financial conditions of the
182182 transferring insurer and the assuming insurer and the effect the
183183 transfer will have on the financial condition of each company;
184184 (5) a review of the plans or proposals the assuming
185185 insurer has with respect to the administration of the policies
186186 subject to the transfer;
187187 (6) a statement as to whether the transfer has a
188188 material adverse impact on the policyholders, reinsurers, and
189189 claimants of the transferring insurer and the assuming insurer;
190190 (7) an analysis of the assuming insurer's corporate
191191 governance structure to ensure that there is proper board and
192192 management oversight and expertise to manage the subject business;
193193 (8) the independent expert's opinion of the likely
194194 effects of the transfer on policyholders, reinsurers, and
195195 claimants, distinguishing between:
196196 (A) transferring policyholders, reinsurers, and
197197 claimants;
198198 (B) policyholders, reinsurers, and claimants of
199199 the transferring insurer whose policies will not be transferred;
200200 and
201201 (C) policyholders, reinsurers, and claimants of
202202 the assuming insurer;
203203 (9) consideration of whether the security positions of
204204 policyholders that are affected by the transfer are materially
205205 adversely affected by the transfer;
206206 (10) a statement of the independent expert's
207207 professional qualifications and a description of the experience
208208 that qualifies the independent expert as an expert suitable for the
209209 appointment;
210210 (11) a statement of whether the independent expert
211211 has, or has had, a direct or indirect interest in the transferring
212212 insurer or the assuming insurer or an affiliate of the transferring
213213 insurer or the assuming insurer;
214214 (12) a list and summary of each document, report, and
215215 other material information the independent expert considered in
216216 preparing the report and whether any information requested was not
217217 provided;
218218 (13) the extent to which the independent expert relied
219219 on information provided by or the judgment of another person;
220220 (14) each person on whom the independent expert has
221221 relied and why, in the independent expert's opinion, that reliance
222222 is reasonable;
223223 (15) for each opinion that the independent expert
224224 expresses in the report, the facts and circumstances supporting the
225225 opinion; and
226226 (16) any other information the commissioner requests
227227 be included in the report for purposes of reviewing the transfer.
228228 Sec. 806.053. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS. (a) An insurance
229229 business transfer plan submitted for commissioner approval must
230230 include the following information or an explanation of why the
231231 information is not included:
232232 (1) the name, address, and telephone number and the
233233 direct and indirect controlling persons, if any, of the
234234 transferring insurer and the assuming insurer;
235235 (2) a summary of the plan;
236236 (3) identification and description of the subject
237237 business;
238238 (4) the most recent audited financial statements and
239239 statutory annual and quarterly reports of the transferring insurer
240240 and the assuming insurer filed with each insurer's domiciliary
241241 regulator;
242242 (5) the most recent actuarial report and opinion that
243243 quantify the liabilities associated with the subject business;
244244 (6) pro forma financial statements showing the
245245 projected statutory balance sheet, results of operations, and cash
246246 flows of the assuming insurer for the three years following the
247247 proposed transfer and novation;
248248 (7) officers' certificates of the transferring insurer
249249 and the assuming insurer attesting that each has obtained all
250250 required internal approvals and authorizations regarding the plan
251251 and completed all necessary and appropriate actions relating to the
252252 plan;
253253 (8) a proposal for plan implementation and
254254 administration, including the form of notice to be provided under
255255 the plan to a policyholder whose policy is part of the subject
256256 business;
257257 (9) a full description of how notice will be provided;
258258 (10) a description of any reinsurance arrangements
259259 that would pass to the assuming insurer under the plan;
260260 (11) a description of any guarantee or additional
261261 reinsurance that will cover the subject business following the
262262 transfer and novation;
263263 (12) a description of the assuming insurer's proposed
264264 investment policies and any contemplated third-party claims
265265 management and administration arrangements;
266266 (13) a description of how the transferring insurer and
267267 the assuming insurer will be licensed for guaranty association
268268 coverage purposes;
269269 (14) evidence of approval of or non-objection to the
270270 transfer from the chief insurance regulator of the state of the
271271 transferring insurer's domicile; and
272272 (15) the report of the independent expert prepared
273273 under Section 806.052.
274274 (b) The commissioner may require an insurance business
275275 transfer plan submitted under Subsection (a) to include additional
276276 information the commissioner considers necessary for the plan's
277277 review and approval.
278278 Sec. 806.054. COMMISSIONER REVIEW. (a) Not later than the
279279 60th business day after the date of receipt of a complete insurance
280280 business transfer plan, the commissioner shall review the plan and
281281 determine whether the applicant is authorized to submit the plan to
282282 a court. The commissioner may extend the review period for an
283283 additional 30 business days.
284284 (b) The commissioner shall authorize the submission of the
285285 insurance business transfer plan to the court unless the
286286 commissioner finds that the transfer would have a material adverse
287287 impact on the interests of policyholders, reinsurers, or claimants
288288 that are part of the subject business.
289289 (c) If the commissioner determines that the insurance
290290 business transfer would have a material adverse impact on the
291291 interests of policyholders, reinsurers, or claimants that are part
292292 of the subject business, the commissioner shall notify the
293293 applicant and specify any modifications, supplements, amendments,
294294 or additional information or documentation with respect to the
295295 insurance business transfer plan that the applicant must provide to
296296 the commissioner before the commissioner will approve the plan's
297297 submission to a court.
298298 (d) If the commissioner determines that the insurance
299299 business transfer plan may be submitted to a court, the
300300 commissioner shall provide that determination in writing to the
301301 applicant.
302302 Sec. 806.055. CONSEQUENCES OF MATERIAL ADVERSE IMPACT
303303 DETERMINATION. (a) Not later than the 30th day after the date the
304304 commissioner notifies the applicant of a material adverse impact
305305 under Section 806.054, the applicant may file an amended insurance
306306 business transfer plan providing the modifications, supplements,
307307 amendments, or additional information or documentation requested
308308 by the commissioner. The applicant may request in writing an
309309 extension of time of an additional 30 days.
310310 (b) If the applicant does not make an amended filing within
311311 the time period provided by Subsection (a), including any extension
312312 of time granted by the commissioner, the insurance business
313313 transfer plan filing terminates and a subsequent filing by the
314314 applicant:
315315 (1) is considered a new filing; and
316316 (2) must comply with all provisions of this chapter as
317317 if the previous filing had never been made.
318318 (c) The commissioner's time for review as provided under
319319 Section 806.054 for an amended insurance business transfer plan
320320 received under Subsection (a) commences on the date the
321321 commissioner receives all modifications, supplements, amendments,
322322 or additional information or documentation requested by the
323323 commissioner under Section 806.054(c).
324324 SUBCHAPTER C. APPLICATION FOR COURT APPROVAL
325325 Sec. 806.101. APPLICATION. (a) Not later than the 30th day
326326 after the date an applicant receives notice of the commissioner's
327327 determination under Section 806.054(d) that the applicant may
328328 submit the insurance business transfer plan to a court, the
329329 applicant shall file a verified petition with a district court in a
330330 county with a population of more than one million seeking approval
331331 of the plan. On written request by the applicant, the commissioner
332332 may extend the period for filing the petition for an additional 30
333333 days.
334334 (b) The applicant's petition must:
335335 (1) include the insurance business transfer plan;
336336 (2) identify any documents and witnesses that the
337337 applicant intends to present at a hearing regarding the petition;
338338 and
339339 (3) state each reason the applicant asks the court to
340340 find no material adverse impact to policyholders, reinsurers, or
341341 claimants affected by the proposed insurance business transfer.
342342 (c) Not later than the 30th day after the date of filing of
343343 the petition, the applicant shall file a request for the court to
344344 enter a preliminary scheduling order, which must include a date and
345345 time for a status conference. The status conference must occur not
346346 later than the 14th day after the date the comment period required
347347 by Section 806.102 concludes.
348348 (d) The commissioner must be a party to the proceedings
349349 before the court concerning a petition filed under this section and
350350 shall be served with copies of all filings as required by the Texas
351351 Rules of Civil Procedure. The commissioner's position in the
352352 proceedings is not limited by the commissioner's initial review of
353353 the insurance business transfer plan that is the subject of the
354354 petition.
355355 Sec. 806.102. NOTICE AND COMMENT PERIOD. (a) Not later
356356 than the 45th day after receipt of the preliminary scheduling order
357357 under Section 806.101(c), the applicant shall provide notice of the
358358 application for court approval of the insurance business transfer
359359 plan. The notice commences a comment period that expires on the
360360 61st day after the date the notice is provided.
361361 (b) The notice provided to policyholders under this section
362362 must include:
363363 (1) the date and time of the status conference;
364364 (2) the name, address, and telephone number of the
365365 assuming insurer and the transferring insurer;
366366 (3) a statement that a policyholder may comment on or
367367 object to the transfer and novation;
368368 (4) the procedures and deadline for submitting
369369 comments or objections on the insurance business transfer plan;
370370 (5) a summary of any effect that the transfer and
371371 novation will have on the policyholder's rights;
372372 (6) a statement that the assuming insurer is
373373 authorized, as provided by this chapter, to assume the subject
374374 business and that court approval of the insurance business transfer
375375 plan will extinguish all rights of policyholders under policies
376376 that are part of the subject business against the transferring
377377 insurer;
378378 (7) a statement that policyholders will not have the
379379 opportunity to opt out of or otherwise reject the transfer and
380380 novation;
381381 (8) contact information for the department from which
382382 the policyholder may obtain additional information; and
383383 (9) either:
384384 (A) information on how an electronic copy of the
385385 insurance business transfer plan may be accessed; or
386386 (B) if policyholders are unable to readily access
387387 electronic copies, hard copies by first-class mail.
388388 Sec. 806.103. PARTICIPATION IN COURT PROCEEDINGS.
389389 (a) Only a party to the insurance business transfer plan, or a
390390 third party or other person who files a request to provide comments
391391 or objections or to be heard in the matter on the basis that the
392392 person believes the person will be materially adversely affected by
393393 approval and implementation of the plan, may present evidence or
394394 comments to the court at a hearing.
395395 (b) Participation by a third party does not confer standing
396396 as a party on that third party.
397397 (c) Each person participating in the hearing shall:
398398 (1) follow the process established by the court; and
399399 (2) pay the person's own costs and attorney fees.
400400 Sec. 806.104. COURT APPROVAL OF PLAN. (a) The applicant
401401 shall present the insurance business transfer plan for approval by
402402 the court following the expiration of the comment period under
403403 Section 806.102.
404404 (b) At any time before the court issues an order approving
405405 the insurance business transfer plan, the applicant may withdraw
406406 the plan without prejudice.
407407 (c) If the court finds that the implementation of the
408408 insurance business transfer plan would not materially adversely
409409 affect the interests of policyholders, reinsurers, or claimants
410410 that are part of the subject business, the court shall enter a
411411 judgment and implementation order. The judgment and implementation
412412 order must:
413413 (1) order implementation of the plan;
414414 (2) order a statutory novation with respect to all
415415 policyholders or reinsured persons and their respective policies
416416 and reinsurance agreements under the subject business:
417417 (A) extinguishing all rights of policyholders
418418 under policies that are part of the subject business against the
419419 transferring insurer; and
420420 (B) providing that:
421421 (i) the transferring insurer has no further
422422 rights, obligations, or liabilities with respect to those policies;
423423 and
424424 (ii) the assuming insurer has all rights,
425425 obligations, and liabilities as if the assuming insurer were the
426426 original insurer of those policies;
427427 (3) release the transferring insurer from all
428428 obligations or liabilities under policies that are part of the
429429 subject business;
430430 (4) authorize and order the transfer of property or
431431 liabilities, including the ceded reinsurance of transferred
432432 policies and contracts on the subject business, notwithstanding any
433433 nonassignment provisions in any reinsurance contract;
434434 (5) order the applicant to provide notice of the
435435 transfer and novation in accordance with Section 806.004; and
436436 (6) make other provisions with respect to incidental,
437437 consequential, and supplementary matters as necessary to ensure the
438438 plan is fully and effectively carried out.
439439 (d) On filing of the court's order under Subsection (c), the
440440 subject business vests in and becomes the liabilities of the
441441 assuming insurer.
442442 Sec. 806.105. COURT DISAPPROVAL OF PLAN. If the court finds
443443 that the insurance business transfer plan should not be approved,
444444 the court by order may:
445445 (1) deny the petition; or
446446 (2) provide the applicant leave to file an amended
447447 insurance business transfer plan and petition.
448448 Sec. 806.106. RIGHT TO APPEAL. This chapter may not be
449449 construed to affect a party's right to appeal an order of the court.
450450 SUBCHAPTER D. FEES AND COSTS
451451 Sec. 806.151. FILING FEE. At the time of filing an
452452 application with the commissioner for review and approval of an
453453 insurance business transfer plan, an applicant shall pay a
454454 nonrefundable fee to the department of $10,000.
455455 Sec. 806.152. COMMISSIONER COSTS. (a) The commissioner
456456 may retain independent attorneys, appraisers, actuaries, certified
457457 public accountants, authorized consultants, or other professionals
458458 and specialists to assist the commissioner in connection with the
459459 review of an insurance business transfer plan under this chapter.
460460 (b) An applicant shall reimburse the commissioner for any
461461 cost incurred under Subsection (a).
462462 Sec. 806.153. INDEPENDENT EXPERT COSTS AND FEES. (a) The
463463 transferring insurer and the assuming insurer are jointly obligated
464464 to pay any compensation, costs, and expenses of the independent
465465 expert, and any consultants retained by the independent expert and
466466 approved by the commissioner, incurred in fulfilling the
467467 obligations of the independent expert under this chapter.
468468 (b) This chapter may not be construed to create a duty of the
469469 independent expert to any party other than the commissioner or the
470470 court.
471471 Sec. 806.154. FAILURE TO PAY COSTS OR FEES. (a) A fee or
472472 cost provided by this subchapter must be paid not later than the
473473 30th day after the date of demand for payment.
474474 (b) If a party fails to pay a required fee or cost within the
475475 time period described by Subsection (a), the commissioner may:
476476 (1) if the court has not filed an implementation
477477 order, request that the court dismiss the petition for approval of
478478 the insurance business transfer plan; or
479479 (2) if the court has filed an implementation order,
480480 suspend or revoke the assuming insurer's certificate of authority
481481 to transact insurance business in this state.
482482 Sec. 806.155. DEPOSIT OF AMOUNTS COLLECTED. The department
483483 shall deposit any amounts collected under this chapter relating to
484484 the review of an insurance business transfer plan application to
485485 the credit of the Texas Department of Insurance operating account.
486486 SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
487487 an insurance business transfer under a contract entered into or
488488 agreement made on or after the effective date of this Act.
489489 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.