Section 1401.5 Of Article 6. Assessment Of Insurers From California Insurance Code >> Division 1. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 6.
1401.5
. (a) When the commissioner finds after a public hearing that
a reciprocal or interinsurance exchange has at all times during any
consecutive five-year period terminating on December 31, 1964, or on
the last day of any subsequent calendar year, as shown by its annual
statements, as filed or as adjusted by the commissioner, as the case
may be, maintained a surplus of admitted assets over all liabilities
of at least three million dollars ($3,000,000) the commissioner may
make an order that such reciprocal or interinsurance exchange need
not obtain the certificate provided in Section 1401 and that its
subscribers shall thereafter in perpetuity have no liability for
assessment on policies issued or renewed at any time after such order
becomes final or may, if the reciprocal desires not to become
nonassessable, issue a certificate of capability to reinsure. To
request such an order such reciprocal or interinsurance exchange
shall file a petition with the commissioner, on a form prescribed by
the commissioner. The filing fee for such a petition shall be two
hundred thirty-six dollars ($236). The commissioner shall give notice
of such hearing in the insurance press and in such other ways as he
deems advisable and to the extent he deems advisable. Such an order
is subject to the provisions of Section 12940 and any person with
sufficient relevant interest shall be authorized to bring any
permitted action thereunder.
(b) When any such order of the commissioner becomes final any
domestic reciprocal or interinsurance exchange obtaining such an
order shall no longer be subject to or entitled to the benefits of:
subdivision (c) of Section 1307, subdivision (b) of Section 1374, and
Article 6 (commencing with Section 1390) of this chapter.
(c) At such time as all reciprocal or interinsurance exchanges
conducting insurance business in this state are by law governed for
all purposes as to required minimum surplus (including that for
admission, amendment of certificate of authority and solvency) by the
same standards for minimum paid-in capital and surplus as are then
applicable to capital stock insurers, any domestic reciprocal or
interinsurance exchange may obtain the order provided in subdivision
(a), subject to the provisions in subdivision (a) by showing that it
has maintained such minimum paid-in capital and surplus requirement
applicable to capital stock insurers for at least five consecutive
years in lieu of the three million dollars ($3,000,000) surplus
prescribed in subdivision (a).
(d) If the power of attorney or any policy of any domestic
reciprocal or interinsurance exchange obtaining the order provided by
subdivision (a) contains language directly or indirectly creating a
liability for assessment, in respect to policies issued prior to or
issued after such an order becomes final such power of attorney and
all such policies shall be deemed in law to have been amended to
delete and repeal any and all such assessment provisions as of the
date such order becomes final without any further action on the part
of such a reciprocal or interinsurance exchange, its subscribers, its
attorney in fact or the body exercising the subscriber's rights.