Senate Bill 2048

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.



    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 2048

    By Senators Diaz-Balart and Horne





    24-1063-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to insurance; amending s.

  3         628.231, F.S.; prescribing factors that

  4         directors of a domestic insurer may consider in

  5         carrying out their duties; amending s. 628.715,

  6         F.S.; authorizing a mutual insurance holding

  7         company to merge or consolidate with or acquire

  8         the assets of a foreign mutual insurance

  9         company; amending s. 628.723, F.S.; prescribing

10         factors that directors of a mutual insurance

11         holding company may consider in carrying out

12         their duties; providing an effective date.

13

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

15

16         Section 1.  Subsection (5) is added to section 628.231,

17  Florida Statutes, to read:

18         628.231  Directors; number, election.--

19         (5)  In discharging their duties, directors may

20  consider such factors as they consider to be relevant,

21  including the long-term prospects and interests of the

22  corporation and its shareholders; the social, economic, legal,

23  or other effects of any action on the employees, suppliers, or

24  customers of the corporation or its subsidiaries; the

25  communities and society in which the corporation or its

26  subsidiaries operate; and the economy of the state and nation.

27  The directors may also consider the short-term and long-term

28  interests of the insurer, including benefits that may accrue

29  to the insurer from its long-term plans, and the possibility

30  that these interests may be best served by the continued

31  independence of the insurer; the resources, intent, and

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 2048
    24-1063-99




  1  conduct, past, stated, and potential, of any person seeking to

  2  acquire control of the insurer; and any other relevant

  3  factors.

  4         Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 628.715, Florida

  5  Statutes, is amended to read:

  6         628.715  Merger and acquisitions.--Subject to

  7  applicable requirements of this chapter, a mutual insurance

  8  holding company may:

  9         (1)(a)  Merge or consolidate with, or acquire the

10  assets of, a mutual insurance holding company licensed

11  pursuant to this act or any similar entity organization

12  pursuant to laws of any other state;

13         (b)  Either alone or together with one or more

14  intermediate stock holding companies, or other subsidiaries,

15  directly or indirectly acquire the stock of a stock insurance

16  company or a mutual insurance company that reorganizes under

17  this act or the law of its state of organization;

18         (c)  Together with one or more of its stock insurance

19  company subsidiaries, acquire the assets of a stock insurance

20  company or a mutual insurance company;

21         (d)  Acquire a stock insurance company through the

22  merger of such stock insurance subsidiary with a stock

23  insurance company or interim stock insurance company

24  subsidiary of the mutual insurance holding company; or

25         (e)  Acquire the stock or assets of any other person to

26  the same extent as would be permitted for any not-for-profit

27  corporation under chapter 617 or, if the mutual insurance

28  holding company writes insurance, a mutual insurance company;

29  or.

30         (f)  Merge or consolidate with, or acquire the assets

31  of, a foreign mutual insurance company which redomesticates

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 1999                                  SB 2048
    24-1063-99




  1  pursuant to s. 628.520. The members of the foreign mutual

  2  insurance company may approve in a contemporaneous vote both

  3  the redomestication plan and the agreement for merger and

  4  reorganization as provided in subsection (2).

  5         Section 3.  Subsection (5) is added to section 628.723,

  6  Florida Statutes, to read:

  7         628.723  Directors; number; election.--

  8         (5)  In discharging their duties, directors may

  9  consider such factors as they consider to be relevant,

10  including the long-term prospects and interests of the

11  corporation and its shareholders; the social, economic, legal,

12  or other effects of any action on the employees, suppliers, or

13  customers of the corporation or its subsidiaries; the

14  communities and society in which the corporation or its

15  subsidiaries operate; and the economy of the state and nation.

16  The directors may also consider the short-term and long-term

17  interests of the insurer, including benefits that may accrue

18  to the insurer from its long-term plans, and the possibility

19  that these interests may be best served by the continued

20  independence of the insurer; the resources, intent, and

21  conduct, past, stated, and potential, of any person seeking to

22  acquire control of the insurer; and any other relevant

23  factors.

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

25

26            *****************************************

27                          SENATE SUMMARY

28    Prescribes factors that directors of a domestic insurer
      or a mutual insurance holding company may consider in
29    carrying out their duties. Authorizes a mutual insurance
      holding company to merge or consolidate with or acquire
30    the assets of a foreign mutual insurance company.

31

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