Bill Text: CA SB713 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Insurer and State Compensation Insurance Fund investments.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-06-17 - Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96. [SB713 Detail]
Download: California-2021-SB713-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Senate
April 13, 2021 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
March 10, 2021 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 713
| Introduced by Senator Rubio |
February 19, 2021 |
An act to amend Section 11797 of, and to amend, repeal, and add Section 1210 of, the Insurance Code, relating to insurance.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 713, as amended, Rubio.
Insurer and State Compensation Insurance Fund investments.
Existing law generally regulates the business of insurance in the state, including the types and amounts of investments that insurers may make. Existing law establishes the California Organized Investment Network (COIN) within the Department of Insurance to, among other things, pursue active measures to encourage insurers to make investments in California’s underserved and low-to-moderate-income communities. Existing law authorizes a domestic incorporated insurer to make discretionary investments after investment of an amount equal to its required minimum paid-in capital in specified securities. Under existing law, those discretionary investments may include the purchase of, or loans upon, properties and securities, but are limited to the lesser of 5% of the insurer’s admitted assets or 50% of the excess of admitted assets over the sum of capital paid up, liabilities, and a required
surplus.
This bill would, until January 1, 2027, increase that limitation if the Insurance Commissioner approves has approved the amount and terms of the investment in advance and the investment has been identified by COIN has identified the investment in an investment opportunity bulletin or otherwise deemed it to be a qualified investment under COIN.
investment. The bill would require the commissioner to submit a report to the committees of the Senate and Assembly having jurisdiction over insurance on or before December 31, 2025, regarding the investments made due to the increased limitation.
Existing law establishes the State Compensation Insurance Fund to be administered by a board of directors for the purpose of transacting workers’ compensation insurance and other public employment-related insurances. Existing law requires the board to invest and reinvest all moneys in the State Compensation Insurance Fund in excess of current requirements in the same manner as is authorized in certain provisions applicable to private insurance carriers. Existing law prohibits the board from investing or reinvesting in certain investments, including real estate and call options on common stock. Existing law, until January 1, 2025, authorizes the board to invest or reinvest an aggregated
maximum of 20% of the moneys that are in excess of the admitted assets over the liabilities and required reserves in specified investments, including the stock of certain corporations and specified mortgage-related investment instruments.
This bill would extend that investment authorization until January 1, 2027. The bill, until January 1, 2027, would also authorize the State Compensation Insurance Fund to make discretionary investments in properties and securities, and to invest in money market mutual funds, as specified.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1210 of the Insurance Code is amended to read:1210.
(a) A domestic incorporated insurer, after investing an amount equal to its required minimum paid-in capital in securities specified in Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170), may make investments as it may see fit in the purchase of, or loans upon, properties and securities other than or in addition to or in excess of those set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 1150), Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170), and Article 4 (commencing with Section 1190). Investments under this section shall not exceed, in the aggregate, the lesser of either of the following:(1) Five percent of the insurer’s admitted assets.
(2) Fifty percent of the excess of admitted assets over the sum of capital paid up, liabilities, and the surplus required by Section 700.02. The percentage or dollar value of admitted assets and capital paid up and liabilities shall be determined by the insurer’s last preceding annual statement of conditions and affairs made as of the preceding December 31st and that has been filed with the commissioner as required by law. The investments shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 1153.5, 1154, 1200, 1201, and 1202 as if they were excess funds investments. This section applies to an insurer other than a life insurer only if the insurer has aggregate capital and surplus of at least ten million dollars ($10,000,000).
(b) An investment originally made by an insurer pursuant to this
section that subsequently meets the requirements of an investment contained in Article 2 (commencing with Section 1150), Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170), or Article 4 (commencing with Section 1190) may, at the election of the insurer, be considered to be held pursuant to any provision contained in those articles.
(c) Pursuant to the authority conferred by subdivision (a), notwithstanding Section 1100, an insurer may make discretionary investments in shares of an open-end diversified management investment company, as defined in the federal Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. This subdivision does not prohibit any other discretionary investment, now or in the future, that might otherwise be made by an insurer, whether expressly identified in this section or not.
(d) (1) The limitation in subdivision (a) shall be increased for an insurer if both of the following apply:
(A)The amount and other terms of the investment have been approved by the commissioner for the insurer in advance.
(A) The commissioner has approved the amount and other terms of the investment for the insurer before the insurer makes the investment.
(B) The investment has been identified by the
California Organized Investment Network (COIN)
has identified the investment in an investment opportunity bulletin, or otherwise deemed the investment to be a qualified investment, pursuant to Article 10.1 (commencing with Section 926) of Chapter 1.
(2) On or before December 31, 2025, the commissioner shall submit a report to the committees of the Senate and Assembly having jurisdiction over insurance on investments made pursuant to paragraph (1), with a focus on impact investments, high-impact investments, and community development investments, as defined in Article 10.1 (commencing with Section 926) of Chapter 1.
(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2027,
and as of that date is repealed.
SEC. 2.
Section 1210 is added to the Insurance Code, to read:1210.
(a) A domestic incorporated insurer, after investing an amount equal to its required minimum paid-in capital in securities specified in Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170), may make investments as it may see fit in the purchase of, or loans upon, properties and securities other than or in addition to or in excess of those set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 1150), Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170), and Article 4 (commencing with Section 1190). Investments under this section shall not exceed, in the aggregate, the lesser of either of the following:(1) Five percent of the insurer’s admitted assets.
(2) Fifty percent of the excess of admitted assets over the sum of capital paid up, liabilities, and the surplus required by Section 700.02. The percentage or dollar value of admitted assets and capital paid up and liabilities shall be determined by the insurer’s last preceding annual statement of conditions and affairs made as of the preceding December 31st and that has been filed with the commissioner as required by law. The investments shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 1153.5, 1154, 1200, 1201, and 1202 as if they were excess funds investments. This section applies to an insurer other than a life insurer only if the insurer has aggregate capital and surplus of at least ten million dollars ($10,000,000).
(b) An investment originally made by an insurer pursuant to this section that subsequently meets the requirements of an investment
contained in Article 2 (commencing with Section 1150), Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170), or Article 4 (commencing with Section 1190) may, at the election of the insurer, be considered to be held pursuant to any provision contained in those articles.
(c) Pursuant to the authority conferred by subdivision (a), notwithstanding Section 1100, an insurer may make discretionary investments in shares of an open-end diversified management investment company, as defined in the federal Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. This subdivision does not prohibit any other discretionary investment, now or in the future, that might otherwise be made by an insurer, whether expressly identified in this section or not.
(d) This section shall become operative on January 1,
2027.
SEC. 3.
Section 11797 of the Insurance Code, as amended by Section 12 of Chapter 396 of the Statutes of 2019, is amended to read:11797.
(a) The board of directors shall cause all moneys in the State Compensation Insurance Fund that are in excess of current requirements to be invested and reinvested, from time to time, in the same manner as provided for private insurance carriers pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170) and Article 4 (commencing with Section 1190) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 1, but excluding Sections 1191, 1191.1, 1191.5,(b) (1) (A) Notwithstanding any other law, the State Compensation Insurance Fund may purchase general obligation bonds or other evidence of indebtedness issued by the state, including, but not limited to, warrants issued pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 17000) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government
Code or notes issued pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 17300) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code, in any amount and to enter into purchase contracts with the state for this purpose.
(B) Notwithstanding any other law, the State Compensation Insurance Fund may purchase Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bonds, as defined in Section 26054 of the Public Resources Code.
(2) The bonds or other evidence of indebtedness specified in paragraph (1), upon delivery to the State Compensation Insurance Fund, shall, for all purposes, be valid and binding obligations of the issuer thereof, be validly issued and outstanding in accordance with their stated terms, and not be deemed to be owned by or on behalf of the issuer thereof.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, the State Compensation Insurance Fund may invest in the discretionary investments authorized pursuant to Section 1210, but those investments shall not exceed the lesser of 2.5 percent of its admitted assets or 10 percent of moneys that are in excess of the admitted assets over the liabilities and required reserves.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) or any other law, the State Compensation Insurance Fund may invest in money market mutual funds that comply with Section 1192.9, but shall not invest in a money market mutual fund that holds any assets in foreign investments, as defined in Section 1240. Investments in money market mutual funds made by the State Compensation Insurance Fund shall not exceed the lesser of 2.5 percent of its admitted
assets or 10 percent of moneys that are in excess of the admitted assets over the liabilities and required reserves. The commissioner shall retain all remedies available, including the remedies in subdivision (d) of Section 1192.9, to enforce compliance by the State Compensation Insurance Fund with the money market mutual fund investment authority granted by this subdivision.
(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2027, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2027, deletes or extends that date.
SEC. 4.
Section 11797 of the Insurance Code, as amended by Section 13 of Chapter 396 of the Statutes of 2019, is amended to read:11797.
(a) The board of directors shall cause all moneys in the State Compensation Insurance Fund that are in excess of current requirements to be invested and reinvested, from time to time, in the same manner as provided for private insurance carriers pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170) and Article 4 (commencing with Section 1190) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 1, but excluding Sections 1191, 1191.1, 1191.5, 1192.2, 1192.4, 1192.6, 1192.7, 1192.9, 1192.95, 1192.10, 1194.7, 1194.8, 1194.81, 1194.82, 1194.85, 1198, and 1199.(b) (1) (A) Notwithstanding any other law, the State Compensation Insurance Fund may purchase general
obligation bonds or other evidence of indebtedness issued by the state, including, but not limited to, notes issued pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 17300) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code or warrants issued pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 17000) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code, in any amount and to enter into purchase contracts with the state for this purpose.
(B) Notwithstanding any other law, the State Compensation Insurance Fund may purchase Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bonds, as defined in Section 26054 of the Public Resources Code.
(2) The bonds or other evidence of indebtedness specified in paragraph (1), upon delivery to the State Compensation Insurance Fund, shall, for all purposes, be valid and binding
obligations of the issuer thereof, be validly issued and outstanding in accordance with their stated terms, and not be deemed to be owned by or on behalf of the issuer thereof.
(c) This section shall become operative on January 1,
2027.
