BILL REQ. #:  Z-0478.2 

Read first time 01/23/09.   Referred to Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance.

     AN ACT Relating to insurance; and amending RCW 48.02.190, 48.13.450, 48.14.020, 48.14.090, and 48.66.045.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 48.02.190 and 2008 c 328 s 6003 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) As used in this section:
     (a) "Organization" means every insurer, as defined in RCW 48.01.050, having a certificate of authority to do business in this state, every health care service contractor, as defined in RCW 48.44.010, every health maintenance organization, as defined in RCW 48.46.020, or self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangement, as defined in RCW 48.125.010, registered to do business in this state. "Class one" organizations shall consist of all insurers as defined in RCW 48.01.050. "Class two" organizations shall consist of all organizations registered under provisions of chapters 48.44 and 48.46 RCW. "Class three" organizations shall consist of self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangements as defined in RCW 48.125.010.
     (b)(i) "Receipts" means (A) net direct premiums consisting of direct gross premiums, as defined in RCW 48.18.170, paid for insurance written or renewed upon risks or property resident, situated, or to be performed in this state, less return premiums and premiums on policies not taken, dividends paid or credited to policyholders on direct business, and premiums received from policies or contracts issued in connection with qualified plans as defined in RCW 48.14.021, and (B) prepayments to health care service contractors, as defined in RCW 48.44.010, health maintenance organizations, as defined in RCW 48.46.020, or participant contributions to self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangements, as defined in RCW 48.125.010, less experience rating credits, dividends, prepayments returned to subscribers, and payments for contracts not taken.
     (ii) Participant contributions, under chapter 48.125 RCW, used to determine the receipts in this state under this section shall be determined in the same manner as premiums taxable in this state are determined under RCW 48.14.090.
     (c) "Regulatory surcharge" means the fees imposed by this section.
     (2) The annual cost of operating the office of insurance commissioner shall be determined by legislative appropriation. A pro rata share of the cost shall be charged to all organizations as a regulatory surcharge. Each class of organization shall contribute a sufficient amount to the insurance commissioner's regulatory account to pay the reasonable costs, including overhead, of regulating that class of organization.
     (3) The regulatory surcharge shall be calculated separately for each class of organization. The regulatory surcharge collected from each organization shall be that portion of the cost of operating the insurance commissioner's office, for that class of organization, for the ensuing fiscal year that is represented by the organization's portion of the receipts collected or received by all organizations within that class on business in this state during the previous calendar year. However, the regulatory surcharge must not exceed one-eighth of one percent of receipts and the minimum regulatory surcharge shall be one thousand dollars.
     (4) The commissioner shall annually, on or before June 1st, calculate and bill each organization for the amount of the regulatory surcharge. The regulatory surcharge shall be due and payable no later than June 15th of each year. However, if the necessary financial records are not available or if the amount of the legislative appropriation is not determined in time to carry out such calculations and bill such regulatory surcharge within the time specified, the commissioner may use the regulatory surcharge factors for the prior year as the basis for the regulatory surcharge and, if necessary, the commissioner may impose supplemental fees to fully and properly charge the organizations. Any organization failing to pay the regulatory surcharges by June 30th shall pay the same penalties as the penalties for failure to pay taxes when due under RCW 48.14.060. The regulatory surcharge required by this section is in addition to all other taxes and fees now imposed or that may be subsequently imposed.
     (5) All moneys collected shall be deposited in the insurance commissioner's regulatory account in the state treasury which is hereby created.
     (6) Unexpended funds in the insurance commissioner's regulatory account at the close of a fiscal year shall be carried forward in the insurance commissioner's regulatory account to the succeeding fiscal year and shall be used to reduce future regulatory surcharges. ((During the 2007-2009 fiscal biennium, the legislature may transfer from the insurance commissioner's regulatory account to the Washington state heritage center account such amounts as reflect excess fund balance in the account.))
     (7)(a) Each insurer may annually collect regulatory surcharges remitted in preceding years by means of a policyholder surcharge on premiums charged for all kinds of insurance. The recoupment shall be at a uniform rate reasonably calculated to collect the regulatory surcharge remitted by the insurer.
     (b) If an insurer fails to collect the entire amount of the recoupment in the first year under this section, it may repeat the recoupment procedure provided for in this subsection (7) in succeeding years until the regulatory surcharge is fully collected or a de minimis amount remains uncollected. Any such de minimis amount may be collected as provided in (d) of this subsection.
     (c) The amount and nature of any recoupment shall be separately stated on either a billing or policy declaration sent to an insured. The amount of the recoupment must not be considered a premium for any purpose, including the premium tax or agents' commissions.
     (d) An insurer may elect not to collect the regulatory surcharge from its insured. In such a case, the insurer may recoup the regulatory surcharge through its rates, if the following requirements are met:
     (i) The insurer remits the amount of surcharge not collected by election under this subsection; and
     (ii) The surcharge is not considered a premium for any purpose, including the premium tax or agents' commission.

Sec. 2   RCW 48.13.450 and 2008 c 234 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 48.13.450 through 48.13.475 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Agent" means a national bank, state bank, trust company, or broker/dealer that maintains an account in its name in a clearing corporation or that is a member of the federal reserve system and through which a custodian participates in a clearing corporation, including the treasury/reserve automated debt entry securities system (TRADES) or treasury direct systems; except that with respect to securities issued by institutions organized or existing under the laws of a foreign country or securities used to meet the deposit requirements pursuant to laws of a foreign country as a condition of doing business therein, "agent" may include a corporation that is organized or existing under the laws of a foreign country and that is legally qualified under those laws to accept custody of securities.
     (2) "Broker/dealer" means a broker or dealer as defined in RCW 62A.8-102(1)(c), that is registered with and subject to the jurisdiction of the securities and exchange commission, maintains membership in the securities investor protection corporation, and has a tangible net worth equal to or greater than two hundred fifty million dollars.
     (3) "Clearing corporation" means a corporation as defined in RCW 62A.8-102(1)(e) that is organized for the purpose of effecting transactions in securities by computerized book-entry, except that with respect to securities issued by institutions organized or existing under the laws of any foreign country or securities used to meet the deposit requirements pursuant to the laws of a foreign country as a condition of doing business therein, "clearing corporation" may include a corporation that is organized or existing under the laws of any foreign country and is legally qualified under such laws to effect transactions in securities by computerized book-entry. "Clearing corporation" also includes treasury/reserve automated debt entry securities system and treasury direct book-entry securities systems established pursuant to 31 U.S.C. Sec. 3100 et seq., 12 U.S.C. pt. 391, and 5 U.S.C. pt. 301.
     (4) "Commissioner" means the insurance commissioner of the state of Washington.
     (5) "Custodian" means:
     (a) A national bank, state bank, or trust company that shall, at all times acting as a custodian, be no less than adequately capitalized as determined by the standards adopted by United States banking regulators and that is regulated by either state banking laws or is a member of the federal reserve system and that is legally qualified to accept custody of securities; except that with respect to securities issued by institutions organized or existing under the laws of a foreign country, or securities used to meet the deposit requirements pursuant to laws of a foreign country as a condition of doing business therein, "custodian" may include a bank or trust company incorporated or organized under the laws of a country other than the United States that is regulated as such by that country's government or an agency thereof that shall at all times acting as a custodian be no less than adequately capitalized as determined by the standards adopted by the international banking authorities and legally qualified to accept custody of securities; or
     (b) A broker/dealer.
     (6) "Custodied securities" means securities held by the custodian or its agent or in a clearing corporation, including the treasury/reserve automated debt ((equity)) entry securities system (TRADES) or treasury direct systems.
     (7) "Securities" means instruments as defined in RCW 62A.8-102(1)(o).
     (8) "Securities certificate" has the same meaning as in RCW 62A.8-102(1)(d).
     (9) "Tangible net worth" means shareholders equity, less intangible assets, as reported in the broker/dealer's most recent annual or transition report pursuant to section 13 or 15(d) of the securities exchange act of 1934 (S.E.C. Form 10-K) filed with the securities and exchange commission.
     (10) "Treasury/reserve automated debt entry securities system" ("TRADES") and "treasury direct" mean book-entry securities systems established pursuant to 31 U.S.C. Sec. 3100 et seq., 12 U.S.C. pt. 391, and 5 U.S.C. pt. 301, with the operation of TRADES and treasury direct subject to 31 C.F.R. pt. 357 et seq.

Sec. 3   RCW 48.14.020 and 2008 c 217 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Subject to other provisions of this chapter, each authorized insurer except title insurers shall on or before the first day of March of each year pay to the state treasurer through the commissioner's office a tax on premiums. Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, such tax shall be in the amount of two percent of all premiums, excluding amounts returned to or the amount of reductions in premiums allowed to holders of industrial life policies for payment of premiums directly to an office of the insurer, collected or received by the insurer under RCW 48.14.090 during the preceding calendar year other than ocean marine and foreign trade insurances, after deducting premiums paid to policyholders as returned premiums, upon risks or property resident, situated, or to be performed in this state. For tax purposes, the reporting of premiums shall be on a written basis or on a paid-for basis consistent with the basis required by the annual statement. For the purposes of this section the consideration received by an insurer for the granting of an annuity shall not be deemed to be a premium.
     (2) In the case of insurers which require the payment by their policyholders at the inception of their policies of the entire premium thereon in the form of premiums or premium deposits which are the same in amount, based on the character of the risks, regardless of the length of term for which such policies are written, such tax shall be in the amount of two percent of the gross amount of such premiums and premium deposits upon policies on risks resident, located, or to be performed in this state, in force as of the thirty-first day of December next preceding, less the unused or unabsorbed portion of such premiums and premium deposits computed at the average rate thereof actually paid or credited to policyholders or applied in part payment of any renewal premiums or premium deposits on one-year policies expiring during such year.
     (3) Each authorized insurer shall with respect to all ocean marine and foreign trade insurance contracts written within this state during the preceding calendar year, on or before the first day of March of each year pay to the state treasurer through the commissioner's office a tax of ninety-five one-hundredths of one percent on its gross underwriting profit. Such gross underwriting profit shall be ascertained by deducting from the net premiums (i.e., gross premiums less all return premiums and premiums for reinsurance) on such ocean marine and foreign trade insurance contracts the net losses paid (i.e., gross losses paid less salvage and recoveries on reinsurance ceded) during such calendar year under such contracts. In the case of insurers issuing participating contracts, such gross underwriting profit shall not include, for computation of the tax prescribed by this subsection, the amounts refunded, or paid as participation dividends, by such insurers to the holders of such contracts.
     (4) The state does hereby preempt the field of imposing excise or privilege taxes upon insurers or their appointed insurance producers, other than title insurers, and no county, city, town or other municipal subdivision shall have the right to impose any such taxes upon such insurers or these insurance producers.
     (5) If an authorized insurer collects or receives any such premiums on account of policies in force in this state which were originally issued by another insurer and which other insurer is not authorized to transact insurance in this state on its own account, such collecting insurer shall be liable for and shall pay the tax on such premiums.

Sec. 4   RCW 48.14.090 and 1963 c 195 s 14 are each amended to read as follows:
     In determining the amount of direct premium taxable in this state, all such premiums written, procured, or received in this state shall be deemed written upon risks or property resident, situated, or to be performed in this state except such premiums as are properly allocated or apportioned and reported as taxable premiums of any other state or states. For tax purposes, the reporting of premiums shall be on a written basis or on a paid-for basis consistent with the basis required by the annual statement.

Sec. 5   RCW 48.66.045 and 2005 c 41 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Every issuer of a medicare supplement insurance policy or certificate providing coverage to a resident of this state issued on or after January 1, 1996, and before June 1, 2010, shall:
     (((1))) (a) Unless otherwise provided for in RCW 48.66.055, issue coverage under its standardized benefit plans B, C, D, E, F, G, K, and L without evidence of insurability to any resident of this state who is eligible for both medicare hospital and physician services by reason of age or by reason of disability or end-stage renal disease, if the medicare supplement policy replaces another medicare supplement standardized benefit plan policy or certificate B, C, D, E, F, G, K, or L, or other more comprehensive coverage than the replacing policy; and
     (((2))) (b) Unless otherwise provided for in RCW 48.66.055, issue coverage under its standardized plans A, H, I, and J without evidence of insurability to any resident of this state who is eligible for both medicare hospital and physician services by reason of age or by reason of disability or end-stage renal disease, if the medicare supplement policy replaces another medicare supplement policy or certificate which is the same standardized plan as the replaced policy. After December 31, 2005, plans H, I, and J may be replaced only by the same plan if that plan has been modified to remove outpatient prescription drug coverage((; and)).
     (2)(a) Unless otherwise provided for in RCW 48.66.055, every issuer of a medicare supplement insurance policy or certificate providing coverage to a resident of this state issued on or after June 1, 2010, shall issue coverage under its standardized plans B, C, D, E, F with high deductible, G, K, L, M, or N without evidence of insurability to any resident of this state who is eligible for both medicare hospital and physician services by reason of age or by reason of disability or end-stage renal disease, if the medicare supplement policy or certificate replaces another medicare supplement policy or certificate or other more comprehensive coverage; and
     (b) Unless otherwise provided for in RCW 48.66.055, issue coverage under its standardized plan A without evidence of insurability to any resident of this state who is eligible for both medicare hospital and physician services by reason of age or by reason of disability or end-stage renal disease, if the medicare supplement policy or certificate replaces another standardized plan A medicare supplement policy or certificate.
     (3) Every issuer of a medicare supplement insurance policy or certificate providing coverage to a resident of this state issued on or after January 1, 1996, shall set rates only on a community-rated basis. Premiums shall be equal for all policyholders and certificate holders under a standardized medicare supplement benefit plan form, except that an issuer may vary premiums based on spousal discounts, frequency of payment, and method of payment including automatic deposit of premiums and may develop no more than two rating pools that distinguish between an insured's eligibility for medicare by reason of:
     (a) Age; or
     (b) Disability or end-stage renal disease.