2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 33. Insurance and Insurance Companies › Chapter 2. Regulation of Insurance Companies › Part 11. Affiliation and Merger -- Holding Company Systems -- Own Risk and Solvency Assessment › 33-2-1104. Acquisition or divestiture of control of or merger with domestic insurer -- filing requisites

33-2-1104. Acquisition or divestiture of control of or merger with domestic insurer -- filing requisites.
(1) (a) A person other than the issuer may not make a tender offer for or a request or invitation for tenders of or enter into any agreement to exchange securities for, seek to acquire, or acquire, in the open market or otherwise, any voting security of a domestic insurer if, after the consummation of the transaction, the person would, directly or indirectly or by conversion or by exercise of any right to acquire, be in control of the insurer.
(b) A person may not enter into an agreement to merge with or otherwise to acquire control of a domestic insurer unless, at the time any offer, request, or invitation is made or any agreement is entered into or prior to the acquisition of the securities if an offer or agreement is not involved, the person has filed with the commissioner and has sent to the insurer, and the insurer has sent to its shareholders, a statement as provided in subsection (3) containing the information required by this section and the offer, request, invitation, agreement, or acquisition has been approved by the commissioner in the manner prescribed in this section.
(2) (a) A controlling person of a domestic insurer seeking to divest its controlling interest in the domestic insurer in any manner shall file a statement as provided in subsection (3) with the commissioner for approval of its proposed divestiture at least 30 days prior to the cessation of control.
(b) The information in the notice must remain confidential until the conclusion of the transaction unless the commissioner, at the commissioner's discretion, determines confidential treatment will interfere with enforcement of this section.
(3) The statement to be filed with the commissioner must be made under oath or affirmation and must contain the following:
(a) the name and address of each person by whom or on whose behalf the merger or other acquisition of control referred to in subsection (1) is to be effected, who is called the "acquiring party":
(i) if the person is an individual, the principal occupation and all offices and positions held during the past 5 years and any conviction of crimes other than minor traffic violations during the past 10 years;
(ii) if the person is not an individual:
(A) a report of the nature of its business operations during the past 5 years or for a lesser period that the person and any predecessors have been in existence;
(B) an informative description of the business intended to be done by the person and the person's subsidiaries; and
(C) a list of all individuals who are or who have been selected to become directors or executive officers of the person or who perform or will perform functions appropriate to the positions. The list must include for each individual the information required by subsection (3)(a)(i).
(b) the source, nature, and amount of the consideration used or to be used in effecting the merger or other acquisition of control, a description of any transaction in which funds were or are to be obtained for any purpose, and the identity of persons furnishing the consideration, provided that when a source of consideration is a loan made in the lender's ordinary course of business, the identity of the lender must remain confidential if the person filing the statement requests;
(c) fully audited financial information as to the earnings and financial condition of each acquiring party for the preceding 5 fiscal years of each acquiring party, or for a lesser period that the acquiring party and any predecessors have been in existence, and similar unaudited information as of a date not earlier than 90 days prior to the filing of the statement;
(d) any plans or proposals that each acquiring party may have to liquidate the insurer, to sell its assets or merge or consolidate it with any person, or to make any other material change in its business or corporate structure or management;
(e) the number of shares of any security referred to in subsection (1) that each acquiring party proposes to acquire and the terms of the offer, request, invitation, agreement, or acquisition referred to in subsection (1) and a statement as to the method by which the fairness of the proposal was arrived at;
(f) the amount of each class of any security referred to in subsection (1) that is beneficially owned or concerning which there is a right to acquire beneficial ownership by each acquiring party;
(g) a full description of any contracts, arrangements, or understandings with respect to any security referred to in subsection (1) in which any acquiring party is involved, including but not limited to transfer of any of the securities, joint ventures, loan or option arrangements, puts or calls, guarantees of loans, guarantees against loss or guarantees of profits, division of losses or profits, or the giving or withholding of proxies. The description must identify the persons with whom the contracts, arrangements, or understandings have been entered into.
(h) a description of the purchase of any security referred to in subsection (1) by an acquiring party during the 12 calendar months preceding the filing of the statement, including the dates of purchase, names of the purchasers, and consideration paid or agreed to be paid for the security;
(i) a description of any recommendations to purchase any security referred to in subsection (1) during the 12 calendar months preceding the filing of the statement made by any acquiring party or by anyone based upon interviews or at the suggestion of the acquiring party;
(j) copies of all tender offers for, requests or invitations for tenders of, exchange offers for, and agreements to acquire or exchange any securities referred to in subsection (1) and, if distributed, of additional soliciting material relating to the offers or agreements;
(k) the terms of any agreement, contract, or understanding made with any broker-dealer as to solicitation of securities referred to in subsection (1) for tender and the amount of any fees, commissions, or other compensation to be paid to broker-dealers with regard to the solicitation;
(l) an agreement by which the person required to file the statement referred to in subsection (1) agrees to provide the annual enterprise risk report for as long as control exists;
(m) an acknowledgment by the person required to file the statement referred to in subsection (1) that the person and all affiliates within its control in the insurance holding company system agree to provide information to the commissioner upon request if the commissioner determines the information is necessary to evaluate enterprise risk to the insurer; and
(n) additional information that the commissioner may by rule prescribe as necessary or appropriate for the protection of policyholders and securityholders of the insurer or in the public interest.
(4) If the person required to file the statement referred to in subsection (1) is a partnership, limited partnership, syndicate, or other group, the commissioner may require that the information called for by subsection (3) must be given with respect to each partner of the partnership or limited partnership, each member of the syndicate or group, and each person who controls the partner or member. If any partner, member, or person is a corporation or the person required to file the statement referred to in subsection (1) is a corporation, the commissioner may require that the information required by subsection (3) be given with respect to the corporation, each officer and director of the corporation, and each person who is directly or indirectly the beneficial owner of more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the corporation.
(5) If any material change occurs in the facts set forth in the statement filed with the commissioner and sent to the insurer pursuant to this section, an amendment describing the change, together with copies of all documents and other material relevant to the change, must be filed with the commissioner and sent to the insurer within 2 business days after the person learns of the change. The insurer shall send the amendment to its shareholders.
(6) If any offer, request, invitation, agreement, or acquisition referred to in subsection (1) is proposed to be made by means of a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 or in circumstances requiring the disclosure of similar information under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or under a state law requiring similar registration or disclosure, the person required to file the statement referred to in subsection (1) may use the documents in furnishing the information called for by that statement.
(7) As used in this section:
(a) "domestic insurer" includes any person controlling a domestic insurer unless the person, as determined by the commissioner, is either directly or through its affiliates primarily engaged in a business other than the business of insurance;
(b) "person" does not include a securities broker holding, in the usual and customary broker's function, less than 20% of the voting securities of an insurance company or of any person who controls an insurance company.
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 64, L. 1971; R.C.M. 1947, 40-5511(a) thru (c); amd. Sec. 1090, Ch. 56, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 24, Ch. 370, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 9, L. 2017.