Senate Bill 1812

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1812

    By Senators Saunders and Campbell





    25-1382-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to insurance; amending s.

  3         626.753, F.S.; revising restrictions on certain

  4         activities of nonresident general lines agents

  5         and solicitors; amending s. 626.792, F.S.;

  6         revising restrictions on the activities of

  7         nonresident life agents; amending s. 626.835,

  8         F.S.; revising restrictions on the activities

  9         of nonresident health agents; providing an

10         effective date.

11

12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

13

14         Section 1.  Section 626.753, Florida Statutes, is

15  amended to read:

16         626.753  Sharing commissions; penalty.--

17         (1)(a)  An agent may divide or share in commissions

18  only with his or her own employed solicitors and with other

19  agents appointed and licensed to write the same kind or kinds

20  of insurance.

21         (b)  A resident agent and a nonresident agent, subject

22  to the provisions of s. 626.741, may divide among themselves

23  commissions as to kinds of insurance for which both are

24  appointed and licensed.

25         (c)  This section shall not be construed to prevent the

26  payment or receipt of renewal commissions or other deferred

27  commissions or pensions to or by any person solely because

28  such person has ceased to hold a license to act as an

29  insurance agent, and shall not prevent the payment of renewal

30  commissions or other deferred commissions to any incorporated

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1812
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  1  insurance agency solely because any of its stockholders has

  2  ceased to hold a license to act as an insurance agent.

  3         (2)  No such licensee shall share a commission with any

  4  corporation unless such corporation is an insurance agency.

  5         (3)  A resident general lines agent may share

  6  commissions derived from the sale of crop hail or

  7  multiple-peril crop insurance with a production credit

  8  association organized under 12 U.S.C.A. ss. 2071-2077 or a

  9  federal land bank association organized under U.S.C.A. ss.

10  2091-2098 if the association has specifically approved the

11  insurance activity by its employees. The amount of commission

12  to be shared shall be determined by the general lines agent

13  and the company paying the commission.

14         (4)  In addition to other penalties provided therefor,

15  the license of any licensee violating or participating in the

16  violation of this section shall be revoked.

17         Section 2.  Section 626.792, Florida Statutes, 1998

18  Supplement, is amended to read:

19         626.792  Nonresident agents.--

20         (1)  The department may issue a license as life agent

21  to a person not resident of this state, upon compliance with

22  the applicable provisions of this code, if the state or

23  province of Canada of such person's residence will accord the

24  same privilege to a resident of this state.

25         (2)  The department may enter into reciprocal

26  agreements with the appropriate official of any other state or

27  province of Canada waiving the written examination of any

28  applicant resident in such other state or province if:

29         (a)  A written examination is required of an applicant

30  for a life insurance agent's license in such other state or

31  province;

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1812
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  1         (b)  The appropriate official of the other state or

  2  province certifies that the applicant holds a currently valid

  3  license as a life insurance agent in such other state or

  4  province and either passed such a written examination or was

  5  the holder of a life insurance agent's license prior to the

  6  time a written examination was required; and

  7         (c)  In such other state or province, a resident of

  8  this state is privileged to procure a life insurance agent's

  9  license upon the foregoing conditions and without

10  discrimination as to fees or otherwise in favor of the

11  residents of such other state or province.

12         (3)  No such applicant or licensee shall have a place

13  of business in this state, nor be an officer, director,

14  stockholder, or partner in any corporation or partnership

15  doing business in this state as a life insurance agency.

16         (3)(4)  If the laws of a another state or province of

17  Canada require the sharing of commissions with resident agents

18  of that state or province on applications for life insurance,

19  or for life insurance including health insurance, written by

20  nonresident agents, then the same provisions shall apply when

21  resident agents of that state or province, licensed as

22  nonresident agents of this state, write applications for

23  insurance on residents of this state.

24         (4)(5)  The department may shall not issue a

25  nonresident life insurance agent's license to any nonresident

26  who at the time of issuance and throughout the existence of

27  the Florida license does not hold a resident license as life

28  agent issued by the nonresident's state or province of Canada.

29         (5)(6)  The licensee shall, throughout the existence of

30  the Florida nonresident life license and appointment, hold a

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1812
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  1  license as a resident life agent in his or her state of

  2  residence.

  3         (6)(7)  Any individual who holds a Florida nonresident

  4  agent's license, upon becoming a resident of this state may,

  5  for a period not to exceed 90 days, continue to transact

  6  insurance in this state under the nonresident license and

  7  appointment.  Such individual must make application for

  8  resident licensure and must become licensed as a resident

  9  agent within 90 days after becoming a resident of this state.

10         (7)(8)  Upon becoming a resident of this state, an

11  individual who holds a Florida nonresident agent's license is

12  no longer eligible for licensure as a nonresident agent if

13  such individual fails to make application for a resident

14  license and become licensed as a resident agent within 90

15  days. His license and any appointments shall be canceled

16  immediately.  He may apply for a resident license pursuant to

17  s. 626.785.

18         Section 3.  Section 626.835, Florida Statutes, 1998

19  Supplement, is amended to read:

20         626.835  Nonresident agents.--

21         (1)  The department may issue a license as a health

22  agent to a person not a resident of this state, if the state

23  or province of Canada of such person's residence will accord

24  the same privilege to a resident of this state.

25         (2)  The department may enter into reciprocal

26  agreements with the appropriate official of any other state or

27  province of Canada waiving the written examination of any

28  applicant resident in such other state or province if:

29         (a)  A written examination is required of an applicant

30  for a health insurance agent's license in such other state or

31  province;

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1812
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  1         (b)  The appropriate official of the other state or

  2  province certifies that the applicant holds a currently valid

  3  license as a health insurance agent in such other state or

  4  province and either has passed such a written examination or

  5  was the holder of a health insurance agent's license prior to

  6  the time a written examination was required; and

  7         (c)  In such other state or province, a resident of

  8  this state is privileged to procure a health insurance agent's

  9  license upon the foregoing conditions and without

10  discrimination as to fees or otherwise in favor of the

11  residents of such other state or province.

12         (3)  No such applicant or licensee shall have a place

13  of business in this state, nor be an officer, director,

14  stockholder, or partner in any corporation or partnership

15  doing business in this state as a health insurance agency.

16         (3)(4)  If the laws of another state or province of

17  Canada require the sharing of commissions with resident agents

18  of that state or province on applications for health insurance

19  written by nonresident agents, then the same provisions shall

20  apply when resident agents of that state or province, licensed

21  as nonresident agents of this state, write applications for

22  insurance on residents of this state.

23         (4)(5)  The department shall not issue a nonresident

24  health insurance agent's license to any nonresident who at the

25  time of issuance and throughout the existence of the Florida

26  license does not hold a resident license as health agent

27  issued by the nonresident's state or province of Canada.

28         (5)(6)  The licensee shall, throughout the existence of

29  his or her Florida nonresident health license and appointment,

30  hold a license as a resident health agent in his or her state

31  of residence.

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    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 1812
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  1         (6)(7)  Any individual who holds a Florida nonresident

  2  agent's license, upon becoming a resident of this state may,

  3  for a period not to exceed 90 days, continue to transact

  4  insurance in this state under the nonresident license and

  5  appointment.  Such individual must make application for

  6  resident licensure and must become licensed as a resident

  7  agent within 90 days of becoming a resident of this state.

  8         (7)(8)  Upon becoming a resident of this state, an

  9  individual who holds a Florida nonresident agent's license is

10  no longer eligible for licensure as a nonresident agent if

11  such individual fails to make application for a resident

12  license and become licensed as a resident agent within 90

13  days. His or her license and any appointments shall be

14  canceled immediately.  The individual may apply for a resident

15  license pursuant to s. 626.831.

16         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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18            *****************************************

19                          SENATE SUMMARY

20    Deletes certain restrictions on the activities of
      nonresident general lines agents and solicitors, life
21    agents, and health agents. (See bill for details.)

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