(a) The purpose of this section and G.S. 58-7-26 is to protect the interest of insureds, claimants, ceding insurers, assuming insurers, and the public generally. The General Assembly declares its intent is to ensure adequate regulation of insurers and reinsurers and adequate protection for those to whom they owe obligations. In furtherance of that interest, the General Assembly provides a mandate that upon the insolvency of an alien insurer or reinsurer that provides security to fund its United States obligations in accordance with this section and G.S. 58-7-26, the assets representing the security shall be maintained in the United States and claims shall be filed with and valued by the state insurance commissioner with regulatory oversight, and the assets shall be distributed, in accordance with the insurance laws of the state in which the trust is domiciled that are applicable to the liquidation of domestic United States insurance companies. The General Assembly declares that the matters contained in this section and G.S. 58-7-26 are fundamental to the business of insurance in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 1011-1012.
(b) Credit for reinsurance shall be allowed a domestic ceding insurer as either an asset or a reduction from liability on account of reinsurance ceded only when the reinsurer meets the requirements of subdivisions (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) of this subsection. Credit shall be allowed under subdivision (1), (2), or (3) of this subsection only with regard to cessions of those kinds or classes of business in which the assuming insurer is licensed or otherwise permitted to write or assume in its state of domicile or, in the case of a United States branch of an alien assuming insurer, in the state through which it is entered and licensed to transact insurance or reinsurance. Credit shall be allowed under subdivision (3) or (4) of this subsection only if the applicable requirements of subdivision (6) of this section have been satisfied.
(1) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer that is licensed to transact insurance or reinsurance in this State.
(2) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer that is accredited as a reinsurer in this State. An accredited reinsurer is one that:
a. Files with the Commissioner evidence of its submission to this State's jurisdiction;
b. Submits to this State's authority to examine its books and records;
c. Is licensed to transact insurance or reinsurance in at least one state, or in the case of a United States branch of an alien assuming insurer is entered through and licensed to transact insurance or reinsurance in at least one state;
d. Files annually with the Commissioner a copy of its annual statement filed with the insurance regulator of its state of domicile, a copy of its most recent audited financial statement, and a fee of seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) and either
1. Maintains a policyholders' surplus in an amount that is not less than twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) and whose accreditation has not been denied by the Commissioner within 90 days after its submission; or
2. Maintains a policyholders' surplus in an amount less than twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) and whose accreditation has been approved by the Commissioner.
Credit shall not be allowed a domestic ceding insurer if the assuming insurer's accreditation has been revoked by the Commissioner after notice and opportunity for a hearing.
(3) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer that is domiciled in, or in the case of a United States branch of an alien assuming insurer is entered through, a state that uses standards regarding credit for reinsurance substantially similar to those applicable under this section and the assuming insurer or United States branch of an alien assuming insurer:
a. Maintains a policyholders' surplus in an amount not less than twenty million dollars ($20,000,000); and
b. Submits to the authority of this State to examine its books and records.
The requirement in sub-subdivision (3)a. of this subsection does not apply to reinsurance ceded and assumed under pooling arrangements among insurers in the same holding company system.
(4) a. Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer that maintains a trust fund in a qualified United States financial institution, as defined in G.S. 58-7-26(b), for the payment of the valid claims of its United States ceding insurers, their assigns and successors in interest. The assuming insurer shall report annually to the Commissioner information substantially the same as that required to be reported on the NAIC Annual Statement form by licensed insurers to enable the Commissioner to determine the sufficiency of the trust fund. The assuming insurer shall submit to examination of its books and records by the Commissioner and bear the expense of examination.
b. Repealed by Session Laws 2001-223, s. 3.1. For applicability, see note.
b1. Credit for reinsurance shall not be granted under this subdivision unless the form of the trust and any amendments to the trust have been approved by:
1. The insurance regulator of the state where the trust is domiciled; or
2. The insurance regulator of another state who, pursuant to the terms of the trust instrument, has accepted principal regulatory oversight of the trust.
b2. The form of the trust and any trust amendments also shall be filed with the insurance regulator of every state in which the ceding insurer beneficiaries of the trust are domiciled. The trust instrument shall provide that contested claims shall be valid and enforceable upon the final order of any court of competent jurisdiction in the United States. The trust shall vest legal title to its assets in its trustees for the benefit of the assuming insurer's United States ceding insurers, their assigns, and successors in interest. The trust and the assuming insurer shall be subject to examination as determined by the Commissioner.
b3. The trust shall remain in effect for as long as the assuming insurer has outstanding obligations due under the reinsurance agreements subject to the trust. No later than February 28 of each year, the trustees of the trust shall report to the Commissioner in writing the balance of the trust, shall list the trust's investments at the end of the preceding year, and shall certify the date of termination of the trust, if so planned, or shall certify that the trust will not expire before the following December 31.
c. The following requirements apply to the following categories of assuming insurer:
1. The trust fund for a single assuming insurer shall consist of funds in trust in an amount not less than the assuming insurer's liabilities attributable to reinsurance ceded by United States ceding insurers, and, in addition, the assuming insurer shall maintain a surplus in trust of not less than twenty million dollars ($20,000,000).
2. In the case of a group including incorporated and individual unincorporated underwriters:
I. For reinsurance ceded under reinsurance agreements with an inception, amendment, or renewal date on or after August 1, 1995, the trust shall consist of an account in trust in an amount not less than the group's several liabilities attributable to business ceded by United States domiciled ceding insurers to any member of the group.
II. For reinsurance ceded under reinsurance agreements with an inception date on or before July 31, 1995, and not amended or renewed after that date, notwithstanding the other provisions of this section and G.S. 58-7-26, the trust shall consist of an account in trust in an amount not less than the group's several insurance and reinsurance liabilities attributable to business written in the United States.
In addition to these trusts, the group shall maintain in trust a surplus of which one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) shall be held jointly for the benefit of the United States domiciled ceding insurers of any member of the group for all years of account. Each incorporated member of the group shall not be engaged in any business other than underwriting as a member of the group and shall be subject to the same level of regulation and solvency control by the group's domiciliary insurance regulator as are the unincorporated members. Within 90 days after its financial statements are due to be filed with the group's domiciliary insurance regulator, the group shall provide to the Commissioner an annual certification by the group's domiciliary insurance regulator of the solvency of each underwriter member or, if a certification is unavailable, financial statements prepared by independent public accountants of each underwriter member of the group.
d. Repealed by Session Laws 2001-223, s. 3.1. For applicability, see note.
(5) Credit shall be allowed when the reinsurance is ceded to an assuming insurer not meeting the requirements of subdivisions (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this subsection, but only with respect to the insurance of risks located in jurisdictions where the reinsurance is required by applicable law or regulation of that jurisdiction.
(6) If the assuming insurer is not licensed or accredited to transact insurance or reinsurance in this State, the credit permitted by subdivisions (3) and (4) of this subsection shall not be allowed unless the assuming insurer agrees in the reinsurance agreements:
a. That if the assuming insurer fails to perform its obligations under the terms of the reinsurance agreement, the assuming insurer, at the ceding insurer's request, shall submit to the jurisdiction of any court of competent jurisdiction in any state of the United States, shall comply with all requirements necessary to give the court jurisdiction, and shall abide by the final decision of the court or of any appellate court if there is an appeal; and
b. To designate the Commissioner or a designated attorney as its true and lawful attorney upon whom may be served any lawful process in any action, suit, or proceeding begun by or on behalf of the ceding company.
This subdivision does not affect the obligation of the parties to a reinsurance agreement to arbitrate their disputes, if the obligation is created in the agreement.
(7) If the assuming insurer does not meet the requirements of subdivision (1), (2), or (3) of this subsection, the credit permitted by subdivision (4) of this subsection shall not be allowed unless the assuming insurer agrees in the trust agreements to the following conditions:
a. Notwithstanding any other provisions in the trust instrument, if the trust fund is inadequate because it contains an amount less than the amount required by sub-subdivision of this subsection, or if the grantor of the trust has been declared insolvent or placed into receivership, rehabilitation, liquidation, or similar proceedings under the laws of its state or country of domicile, the trustee shall comply with an order of the public official with regulatory oversight over the trust or with an order of a court of competent jurisdiction directing the trustee to transfer to the public official with regulatory oversight all of the assets of the trust fund.
b. The assets shall be distributed by, and claims shall be filed with and valued by, the public official with regulatory oversight in accordance with the laws of the state in which the trust is domiciled that are applicable to the liquidation of domestic insurance companies.
c. If the public official with regulatory oversight determines that the assets of the trust fund or any part thereof are not necessary to satisfy the claims of the United States ceding insurers of the grantor of the trust, those assets shall be returned by the public official with regulatory oversight to the trustee for distribution in accordance with the trust agreement.
d. The grantor shall waive any right otherwise available to it under United States law that is inconsistent with this provision.
(c) This section applies to all reinsurance cessions made on or after January 1, 1992, under reinsurance agreements that have an inception, anniversary, or renewal date on or after January 1, 1992. (1991, c. 681, s. 22; 1993, c. 452, s. 42; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 678, s. 8; 1995, c. 193, s. 13; c. 360, s. 2(g); 2001-223, s. 3.1; 2009-451, s. 21.15(a).)
Sections: Previous 58-6-20 58-6-25 58-7-1 58-7-5 58-7-10 58-7-15 58-7-16 58-7-21 58-7-26 58-7-30 58-7-31 58-7-33 58-7-35 58-7-37 58-7-40 Next
Last modified: March 23, 2014