Iowa Code § 515E.4 — IA Code / Title XIII / Chapter 515E / Section 515E.4
Risk retention groups not organized in this state.
Status: in_force

Risk retention groups chartered in other states and seeking to do business as a risk retention group in this state must observe and abide by the laws of this state as provided in this section. However, a risk retention group failing to qualify under the definitional requirement of the federal Act, will not benefit from this exemption from state law. The commissioner, therefore, may apply any of the laws that otherwise may be preempted by the federal Act because the nonexempt group will not qualify for the preemption.

(1) Before offering insurance in this state, a risk retention group shall submit to the commissioner all of the following:

(1) (a) A statement identifying the state or states in which the risk retention group is chartered and licensed as a liability insurance company, date of chartering, its principal place of business, and other information, including information on its membership, as the commissioner of this state requires to verify that the risk retention group is qualified under section 515E.2, subsection 11.

(1) (b) A copy of its plan of operations or a feasibility study and revisions of the plan or study submitted to its state of domicile. However, the provision relating to the submission of a plan of operation or a feasibility study does not apply with respect to a line or classification of liability insurance which was defined in the Product Liability Risk Retention Act of 1981 before October 27, 1986, and was offered before that date by a risk retention group which had been organized and operating for not less than three years before that date.

(1) (c) A statement of registration which designates the commissioner as its agent for the purpose of receiving service of legal documents or process for which a filing fee set by the commissioner shall be paid.

(1) (d) The risk retention group shall submit a copy of any revision to its plan of operation or feasibility study required by section 515E.3 at the same time that such revision is submitted to the commissioner of its chartering state.

(2) A risk retention group doing business in this state shall submit to the commissioner all of the following:

(2) (a) A copy of the group’s financial statement submitted to its state of domicile, which shall be certified by an independent public accountant and contain a statement of opinion on loss and loss adjustment expense reserves made by a member of the American academy of actuaries or a qualified loss reserve specialist under criteria established by the national association of insurance commissioners.

(2) (b) A copy of each examination of the risk retention group as certified by the commissioner or public official conducting the examination.

(2) (c) Upon request by the commissioner, a copy of any audit performed with respect to the risk retention group.

(2) (d) Information required to verify its continuing qualification as a risk retention group under section 515E.2, subsection 11.

(3) (a) Premiums paid for coverages within this state to risk retention groups are subject to taxation as provided in section 432.5.

(3) (b) To the extent agents or brokers are used, they shall report and pay the taxes for the premiums for risks which they have placed with or on behalf of a risk retention group not chartered in this state.

(3) (c) To the extent agents or brokers are not used or fail to pay the tax, each risk retention group shall pay the tax for risks insured within the state. Each risk retention group shall report all premiums paid to it for risks insured within the state.

(4) A risk retention group, its agents, and representatives, shall comply with the unfair claim settlement practices law in section 507B.4, subsection 3, paragraph “j”.

(5) A risk retention group shall comply with sections 507B.3 and 507B.4 regarding deceptive, false, or fraudulent acts or practices. However, if the commissioner seeks an injunction regarding such conduct, the injunction must be obtained from a court of competent jurisdiction.

(6) A risk retention group shall submit to an examination by the commissioner to determine its financial condition if the commissioner of the jurisdiction in which the group is chartered has not initiated an examination or does not initiate an examination within sixty days after a request by the commissioner of this state. Any such examination shall be coordinated to avoid unjustified repetition and conducted in an expeditious manner and in accordance with the national association of insurance commissioners’ examiner handbook.

(7) Every application form for insurance from a risk retention agency and every policy issued by a risk retention group shall contain in ten point type on the front page and the declaration page, the following notice:NOTICEThis policy is issued by your risk retention group. Your risk retention group may not be subject to all of the insurance laws and regulations of your state. State insurance insolvency guaranty funds are not available for your risk retention group.

(8) The following acts by a risk retention group are prohibited:

(8) (a) The solicitation or sale of insurance by a risk retention group to a person who is not eligible for membership in the group.

(8) (b) The solicitation or sale of insurance by, or operation of, a risk retention group that is in a hazardous financial condition or is financially impaired.

(9) A risk retention group shall not be allowed to do business in this state if an insurance company is directly or indirectly a member or owner of the risk retention group, other than in the case of a risk retention group all of whose members are insurance companies.

(10) A risk retention group shall not offer insurance policy coverage prohibited by law or declared unlawful by the highest court of this state.

(11) A risk retention group not chartered in this state and doing business in this state shall comply with a lawful order issued in a voluntary dissolution proceeding or in a delinquency proceeding commenced by a state insurance commissioner if there has been a finding of financial impairment after an examination under subsection 6.

88 Acts, ch 1111, §5; 2011 Acts, ch 25, §63; 2012 Acts, ch 1023, §125, 154