House Bill 2247

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 2247

        By Representative Tullis






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to mutual insurance holding

  3         companies; amending s. 628.715, F.S.;

  4         authorizing a mutual insurance holding company

  5         to merge or consolidate with, or acquire the

  6         assets of, a foreign mutual insurance company

  7         under certain circumstances; amending ss.

  8         628.231 and 628.723, F.S.; authorizing

  9         directors of domestic insurers and mutual

10         insurance holding companies to consider certain

11         factors while taking corporate action in

12         discharging their duties; providing an

13         effective date.

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

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17         Section 1.  Paragraph (f) is added to subsection (1) of

18  section 628.715, Florida Statutes, to read:

19         628.715  Merger and acquisitions.--Subject to

20  applicable requirements of this chapter, a mutual insurance

21  holding company may:

22         (1)

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

24  of, a foreign mutual insurance company which redomesticates

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

26  insurance company may approve the redomestication plan, as

27  well as the plan and agreement for merger and reorganization

28  as provided in subsection (2), in a contemporaneous vote.

29         Section 2.  Subsection (5) is added to section 628.231,

30  Florida Statutes, to read:

31         628.231  Directors; number, election.--

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 2247

    733-105-99






  1         (5)  In discharging his or her duties, a director may

  2  consider such factors as the directors deem relevant,

  3  including, but not limited to, the long-term prospects and

  4  interests of the corporation and its shareholders, the social,

  5  economic, legal, or other effects of any action on the

  6  employees, suppliers, or customers of the corporation or its

  7  subsidiaries, the communities and society in which the

  8  corporation or its subsidiaries operate, and the economy of

  9  the state and the nation.  The director may also consider the

10  short-term and long-term interests of the insurer, including,

11  but not limited to, benefits that may accrue to the insured

12  from the insurer's long-term plans, the possibility that such

13  interests may be best served by the continued independence of

14  the insurer, the resources, intent, and past, present, and

15  potential conduct of any person seeking to acquire control of

16  the insurer, and any other relevant factors.

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

18  Florida Statutes, to read:

19         628.723  Directors; number; election.--

20         (5)  In discharging his or her duties, a director may

21  consider such factors as the directors deem relevant,

22  including, but not limited to, the long-term prospects and

23  interests of the corporation and its shareholders, the social,

24  economic, legal, or other effects of any action on the

25  employees, suppliers, or customers of the corporation or its

26  subsidiaries, the communities and society in which the

27  corporation or its subsidiaries operate, and the economy of

28  the state and the nation.  The director may also consider the

29  short-term and long-term interests of the insurer, including,

30  but not limited to, benefits that may accrue to the insured

31  from the insurer's long-term plans, the possibility that such

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 2247

    733-105-99






  1  interests may be best served by the continued independence of

  2  the insurer, the resources, intent, and past, present, and

  3  potential conduct of any person seeking to acquire control of

  4  the insurer, and any other relevant factors.

  5         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  6  law.

  7

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  9                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Authorizes a mutual insurance holding company to merge or
11    consolidate with, or acquire the assets of, a foreign
      mutual insurance company. Authorizes directors of
12    domestic insurers and mutual insurance holding companies
      to consider a variety of factors while taking corporate
13    action in discharging their duties.

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