Bill Text: TX HB3496 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled


Bill Title: Relating to farm mutual insurance companies.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-06-15 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB3496 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-HB3496-Enrolled.html
 
 
  H.B. No. 3496
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to farm mutual insurance companies.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         
         SECTION 1.  Section 221.001, Insurance Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
  follows:
         (b)  This chapter does not apply to:
               (1)  a fraternal benefit society, including a fraternal
  benefit society operating under Chapter 885;
               (2)  a group hospital service corporation operating
  under Chapter 842;
               (3)  a stipulated premium company operating under
  Chapter 884;
               (4)  a mutual assessment association, company, or
  corporation regulated under Chapter 887; [or]
               (5)  a purely cooperative or mutual fire insurance
  company carried on by its members solely for the protection of their
  own property and not for profit, except as provided by Section
  221.002(b)(13); or
               (6)  a farm mutual insurance company operating under
  Chapter 911, unless the company is acting as a fronting insurer.
         (c)  In this section, "fronting insurer" means a farm mutual
  insurance company:
               (1)  issuing an insurance policy that is the result of:
                     (A)  marketing by an insurer not affiliated with
  the farm mutual insurance company;
                     (B)  an application submitted by a consumer to an
  insurer not affiliated with the farm mutual insurance company; or
                     (C)  an agreement with an insurer that is not a
  farm mutual insurance company solely for the purpose of being
  regulated under Chapter 911; or
               (2)  that cedes 85 percent or more of the farm mutual
  insurance company's direct written premium to one or more
  nonaffiliated reinsurers.
         SECTION 2.  Section 252.005, Insurance Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 252.005.  EXCEPTION. This chapter does not apply to:
               (1)  a farm mutual insurance company operating under
  Chapter 911, unless the company is acting as a fronting insurer as
  defined by Section 221.001(c); or
               (2)  a mutual insurance company engaged in business
  under Chapter 12, Title 78, Revised Statutes, before that chapter's
  repeal by Section 18, Chapter 40, Acts of the 41st Legislature, 1st
  Called Session, 1929, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 60, General
  Laws, Acts of the 41st Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1929, that
  retains the rights and privileges under the repealed law to the
  extent provided by those sections.
         SECTION 3.  Section 911.065, Insurance Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
         (c)  A farm mutual insurance company may provide in its
  constitution or bylaws that a policyholder may vote electronically
  or by mail without making a personal appearance at a policyholders' 
  meeting.
         SECTION 4.  Section 2210.006(b), Insurance Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  This chapter does not apply to:
               (1)  a farm mutual insurance company operating under
  Chapter 911, unless the company is acting as a fronting insurer, as
  defined by Section 221.001(c);
               (2)  a nonaffiliated county mutual fire insurance
  company described by Section 912.310 that is writing exclusively
  industrial fire insurance policies as described by Section
  912.310(a)(2); or
               (3)  a mutual insurance company or a statewide mutual
  assessment company engaged in business under Chapter 12 or 13,
  Title 78, Revised Statutes, respectively, before those chapters'
  repeal by Section 18, Chapter 40, Acts of the 41st Legislature, 1st
  Called Session, 1929, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 60, General
  Laws, Acts of the 41st Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1929, that
  retains the rights and privileges under the repealed law to the
  extent provided by those sections.
         SECTION 5.  (a) Sections 221.001 and 252.005, Insurance
  Code, as amended by this Act, do not affect tax liability accruing
  before the 2017 calendar year. That liability continues in effect
  as if this Act had not been enacted, and the former law is continued
  in effect for the collection of taxes due and for civil and criminal
  enforcement of the liability for those taxes.
         (b)  Section 2210.006(b), Insurance Code, as amended by this
  Act, applies only to participation in the Texas Windstorm Insurance
  Association on or after the effective date of this Act, including
  the payment of assessments the liability for which accrues on or
  after that date. Participation in the Texas Windstorm Insurance
  Association before the effective date of this Act, including the
  payment of assessments the liability for which accrued before that
  date, is governed by the law as it existed immediately before that
  date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 3496 was passed by the House on May 4,
  2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 143, Nays 0, 2 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 3496 on May 24, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 138, Nays 7,
  2 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 3496 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 22, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor       
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