BILL REQ. #:  S-4376.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/01/12.   

     AN ACT Relating to notice given to owners of life insurance policies about alternative transactions; and amending RCW 48.102.100.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 48.102.100 and 2009 c 104 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) With respect to each policy issued by an insurance company, the insurance company shall notify the owner of an individual life insurance policy when the insured person under such a policy is age sixty or older, or is known to be terminally ill or chronically ill, that there may be alternative transactions available to that owner at the time of each of the following:
     (a) When a life insurance company receives from such an owner a request to surrender, in whole or in part, an individual policy;
     (b) When a life insurance company receives from such an owner a request to receive an accelerated death benefit under an individual policy;
     (c) When a life insurance company sends to such an owner all notices of lapse of an individual policy; or
     (d) At any other time that the commissioner may require by rule.
     (2)(a) The commissioner shall approve a document calculated to appraise the consumer of his or her rights as an owner of a life insurance policy. The document shall be made available at no cost to all insurance companies and life insurance producers and written in lay terms.
     (b) The document shall advise the consumer:
     (i) That life insurance is a critical part of a broader financial plan, and that the consumer is encouraged, and has a right, to seek additional financial advice and opinions;
     (ii) That possible alternatives to lapse exist; and
     (iii) Of the definitions of common industry terms.
     (c) In addition to the information described in (a) and (b) of this subsection, the document must contain the following statement in large, bold, or otherwise conspicuous typeface calculated to draw the eye: "Life insurance is a critical part of a broader financial plan. There are many options available, and you have the right to shop around and seek advice from different financial advisers in order to find the option best suited to your needs."
     (d) The document may include brief descriptions of common products available from providers. These products must be discussed in general terms for informative purposes only, and not identifiable to any specific provider.
     (e) The document will be considered part of the notice required in subsection (1) of this section.
     (3) The requirements of this section do not apply to term life insurance policies.
     (4) "Term life insurance" means a life insurance policy that provides coverage for a specific period of time and is exempt from the provisions of chapter 48.76 RCW.