Department of Treasury v. Fabe, 508 U.S. 491, 7 (1993)

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Cite as: 508 U. S. 491 (1993)

Opinion of the Court

pre-emption provisions of the McCarran-Ferguson Act, 15 U. S. C. § 1012.3

The District Court granted summary judgment for the

United States. Relying upon the tripartite standard for divining what constitutes the "business of insurance," as articulated in Union Labor Life Ins. Co. v. Pireno, 458 U. S. 119 (1982), the court considered three factors:

"'first, whether the practice has the effect of transferring or spreading a policyholder's risk; second, whether the practice is an integral part of the policy relationship between the insurer and the insured; and third, whether the practice is limited to entities within the insurance

ure, shall be allowed in this class only to the extent of the pecuniary loss sustained from the act, transaction, or proceeding out of which the penalty or forfeiture arose, with reasonable and actual costs occasioned thereby. The remainder of such claims shall be postponed to the class of claims under division (H) of this section.

"(F) Class 6. Claims filed late or any other claims other than claims under divisions (G) and (H) of this section.

"(G) Class 7. Surplus or contribution notes, or similar obligations, and premium refunds on assessable policies. Payments to members of domestic mutual insurance companies shall be limited in accordance with law.

"(H) Class 8. The claims of shareholders or other owners."

3 Section 1012 reads: "(a) State regulation "The business of insurance, and every person engaged therein, shall be subject to the laws of the several States which relate to the regulation or taxation of such business.

"(b) Federal regulation "No Act of Congress shall be construed to invalidate, impair, or supersede any law enacted by any State for the purpose of regulating the business of insurance, or which imposes a fee or tax upon such business, unless such Act specifically relates to the business of insurance: Provided, That after June 30, 1948, the Act of July 2, 1890, as amended, known as the Sherman Act, and the Act of October 15, 1914, as amended, known as the Clayton Act, and the Act of September 26, 1914, known as the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended, . . . shall be applicable to the business of insurance to the extent that such business is not regulated by State Law."

497

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