Current Status Introducing Body:Senate Bill Number:1260 Primary Sponsor:Committee (02) Type of Legislation:GB Subject:Life insurance, requirements for actuaries Residing Body:House Companion Bill Number:1144 4138 Date Tabled:Mar 19, 1992 Computer Document Number:BBM/9709.BD Introduced Date:Feb 04, 1992 Last History Body:House Last History Date:Mar 19, 1992 Last History Type:Tabled Scope of Legislation:Statewide Sponsor Committee:Banking and Insurance Sponsor Committee Number:02 Type of Legislation:General Bill
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN
---- ------ ------------ ------------------------------ ---
1260 House Mar 19, 1992 Tabled
1260 House Mar 19, 1992 Reconsidered vote whereby the
Bill was given third reading
1260 House Mar 18, 1992 Recalled from Legislative
Council
1260 House Mar 04, 1992 Read third time, enrolled for
ratification
1260 House Mar 03, 1992 Read second time
1260 House Feb 26, 1992 Committee Report: Favorable 26
1260 House Feb 11, 1992 Introduced, read first time, 26
referred to Committee
1260 Senate Feb 06, 1992 Read third time, sent to House
1260 Senate Feb 05, 1992 Read second time, unanimous
consent for third reading on
Thursday, February 6, 1992
1260 Senate Feb 04, 1992 Introduced, read first time,
placed on Calendar without
reference
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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
RECALLED
March 18, 1992
S. 1260
S. Printed 3/18/92--H.
Read the first time February 11, 1992.
TO AMEND SECTION 38-9-180, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE INSURANCE STANDARD VALUATION LAW, SO AS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS REGARDING OPINIONS OF QUALIFIED ACTUARIES FOR LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS IN THIS STATE AND PROVIDE FOR THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF AGGREGATE RESERVES.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 38-9-180 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 38-9-180. (1)(A) The commissioner must annually shall value, or cause to be valued, the reserve liabilities, hereinafter called referred to as reserves, for all outstanding life insurance policies and annuity and pure endowment contracts of every life insurer doing business in this State. However, except that in the case of for an alien insurer such the valuation shall be is limited to the United States business, and may certify the amount of any such the reserves, specifying the mortality table or tables, rate or rates of interest, and methods, net level premium method or other, used in the calculation of such the reserves. In calculating such the reserves, he may use group methods and approximate averages for fractions of a year or otherwise. In lieu of the valuation of the reserves required in this section of any a foreign or an alien insurer, he may accept any valuation made, or caused to be made, by the insurance supervisory official of any a state or other another jurisdiction when such the valuation complies with the minimum standard provided in this section and if the official of any such the state or jurisdiction accepts as sufficient and valid for all legal purposes the certificate of valuation of the commissioner when such the certificate states the valuation to have been made in a specified manner according to which the aggregate reserves would be at least as large as if they had been computed in the manner prescribed by the law of that state or jurisdiction.
(2)(a)(B)(1) Every life insurance company doing business in this State annually shall submit to the commissioner the opinion of a qualified actuary as to whether the reserves and related actuarial items held in support of the policies and contracts specified by the commissioner by regulation are computed appropriately, are based on assumptions which satisfy contractual provisions, are consistent with prior reported amounts, and comply with applicable laws of this State. The commissioner by regulation shall define the specifics of this opinion and add other items necessary to its scope.
(2)(a) Every life insurance company, except as exempted by or pursuant to regulation, also annually must include in the opinion required in item (1) an opinion of the same qualified actuary as to whether the reserves and related actuarial items held in support of the policies and contracts specified by the commissioner by regulation, when considered in light of the assets held by the company with respect to the reserves and related actuarial items, including, but not limited to, the investment earnings on the assets and the considerations anticipated to be received and retained under the policies and contracts, make adequate provision for the company's obligations under the policies and contracts including, but not limited to, the benefits under and expenses associated with the policies and contracts.
(b) The commissioner may provide by regulation for a transition period for establishing higher reserves which the qualified actuary considers necessary in order to render the opinion required by this subsection.
(3) Each opinion required by item (2) is governed by the following provisions:
(a) A memorandum, in form and substance acceptable to the commissioner as specified by regulation, must be prepared to support each actuarial opinion.
(b) If the insurance company fails to provide a supporting memorandum at the request of the commissioner within a period specified by regulation or the commissioner determines that the supporting memorandum provided by the insurance company fails to meet the standards prescribed by the regulations or is otherwise unacceptable to the commissioner, the commissioner may engage a qualified actuary at the expense of the company to review the opinion and the basis for the opinion and prepare supporting memorandum required by the commissioner.
(4) Every opinion is governed by the following provisions:
(a) The opinion must be submitted with the annual statement reflecting the valuation of reserve liabilities for each year ending after December 30, 1993.
(b) The opinion must apply to all business in force including individual and group health insurance plans, in form and substance acceptable to the commissioner as specified by regulation.
(c) The opinion must be based on standards adopted by the Actuarial Standards Board and on additional standards the commissioner by regulation prescribes.
(d) For an opinion required to be submitted by a foreign or alien company, the commissioner may accept the opinion filed by that company with the insurance supervisory official of another state if the commissioner determines that the opinion reasonably meets the requirements applicable to a company domiciled in this State.
(e) For the purposes of this subsection, `qualified actuary' means a member in good standing of the American Academy of Actuaries who meets the requirements set forth in regulations.
(f) Except in cases of fraud or wilful misconduct, the qualified actuary must not be liable for damages to a person, other than the insurance company and the commissioner, for an act, an error, an omission, a decision, or conduct with respect to the actuary's opinion.
(g) Disciplinary action by the commissioner against the company or the qualified actuary must be defined in regulations by the commissioner.
(h) A memorandum in support of the opinion and related material provided by the company to the commissioner must be kept confidential by the commissioner and must not be made public or subject to subpoena, other than for the purpose of defending an action seeking damages from a person by reason of action required by this subsection or by regulations promulgated under it. However, the memorandum or other material may be released by the commissioner with the written consent of the company or to the American Academy of Actuaries upon request stating that the memorandum or other material is required for the purpose of professional disciplinary proceedings and setting forth procedures satisfactory to the commissioner for preserving the confidentiality of the memorandum or other material. Once a portion of the confidential memorandum is cited by the company in its marketing, is cited before a governmental agency other than a state insurance department, or is released by the company to the news media all portions of the confidential memorandum are no longer confidential.
(C)(1) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (c) item (3) of this subsection and subsection (3)(D), the minimum standard for the valuation of all such policies and contracts issued prior to before March 24, 1960, shall be is that provided by the laws in effect immediately prior to such before that date except that the minimum standards for the valuation of annuities and pure endowments purchased under group annuity and pure endowment contracts issued prior to such before the effective date shall be is that provided for by the laws in effect immediately prior to such before that date but replacing the interest rates as specified in such the laws by an interest rate of five percent per annum a year.
(b)(2) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (c) item (3) of this subsection and subsection (3)(D), the minimum standard for the valuation of all such policies and contracts issued on or after March 24 23, 1960, shall be is the commissioner's reserve valuation methods defined in subsections (4)(E), (5)(F), and (8) of this section(I), five percent interest for group annuity and pure endowment contracts and three and one-half percent interest for all other such policies and contracts, or in the case of for policies and contracts, other than annuity and pure endowment contracts, issued on or after May 26 25, 1975, four percent interest for such policies issued prior to before January 1, 1979, five and one-half percent interest for single premium life insurance policies, and four and one-half percent interest for all other such policies issued on or after January 1, 1979 December 31, 1978, and the following tables:
(i)(a) for all ordinary policies of life insurance issued on the standard basis, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such the policies, the commissioner's 1941 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table for such the policies issued prior to before the operative date stated in Section 38-63-650, the commissioner's 1958 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table for such the policies issued on or after the operative date of Section 38-63-590 of the Standard Nonforfeiture Law for Life Insurance and prior to before the operative date of Section 38-63-590 of the Standard Nonforfeiture Law for Life Insurance, provided, that if for any category of such policies issued on female risks, all modified net premiums and present values referred to in this section may be calculated according to an age not more than three years younger than the actual age of the insured; for policies issued prior to before January 1, 1979, and not more than six years younger than the actual age of the insured for policies issued on or after January 1, 1979 December 31, 1978, and prior to before the operative date of Section 38-63-600; and for such policies issued on or after the operative date of Section 38-63-600 of the Standard Nonforfeiture Law for Life Insurance (1) the commissioner's 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table or (2), at the election of the company for any one or more specified plans of life insurance, the commissioner's 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table with Ten-Year Select Mortality Factors, or (3) any ordinary mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such the policies.;
(ii)(b) for all industrial life insurance policies issued on the standard basis, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such the policies, the 1941 Standard Industrial Mortality Table for such policies issued prior to before the operative date stated in Section 38-63-650; for all policies issued on or after such operative date, either the 1941 Standard Industrial Mortality Table or the commissioner's 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table or any industrial mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such policies, according to which of these tables is used to calculate adjusted premiums and present values as specified in Section 38-63-580.;
(iii)(c) for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such the policies, the 1937 Standard Annuity Mortality Table or, at the option of the company, the Annuity Mortality Table for 1949, Ultimate, or any a modification of either of these tables approved by the commissioner.;
(iv)(d) for group annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such the policies, the Group Annuity Mortality Table for 1951, any a modification of such the table approved by the commissioner or, at the option of the insurer, any of the tables or modifications of tables specified for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts.;
(v)(e) for total and permanent disability benefits in or supplementary to ordinary policies or contracts, for policies or contracts issued on or after January 1, 1966 December 31, 1965, the tables of Period 2 disablement rates and the 1930 to 1950 termination rates of the 1952 Disability Study of the Society of Actuaries, with due regard to the type of benefit or any tables of disablement rates and termination rates, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that are approved by regulation promulgated by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such the policies; for policies or contracts issued on or after January 1, 1961 December 31, 1960, and prior to before January 1, 1966, either such the tables or, at the option of the company, the Class (3) Disability Table (1926) and for policies issued prior to before January 1, 1961, the Class (3) Disability Table (1926) or such other table as may be approved by the Commissioner. Any such The table shall, for active lives, must be combined with a mortality table permitted for calculating the reserves for life insurance policies.;
(vi)(f) for accidental death benefits in or supplementary to policies, for policies issued on or after January 1, 1966 December 31, 1965, the 1959 Accidental Death Benefits Table, or any accidental death benefits table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such the policies; for policies issued on or after January 1, 1961 December 31, 1960, and prior to before January 1, 1966, either such the table or, at the option of the company, the Inter-Company Double Indemnity Mortality Table; and for policies issued prior to before January 1, 1961, the Inter-Company Double Indemnity Mortality Table, or such other table as may be approved by the commissioner. Any such The table shall must be combined with a mortality table permitted for calculating the reserves for life insurance policies.;
(vii)(g) for any extra benefits provided in life or endowment contracts or policies under which there is payable a series of coupons or guaranteed dividends or a series of constant or variable pure endowments maturing either during the term of the contract and the continuation of the life of the insured or maturing as a series after the death of the insured, such the table or basis of reserves as may be approved by the commissioner.;
(viii)(h) for group life insurance, life insurance issued on the substandard basis and other special benefits, such the tables as may be approved by the commissioner.;
(c)(3) Except as provided in item (3) subsection (D), the minimum standard for the valuation of all individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued on or after the operative date of this item (c), as defined herein in this section, and for all annuities and pure endowments purchased on or after such the operative date under group annuity and pure endowment contracts, shall be is the commissioner's reserve valuation methods defined in items (4) subsections (E) and (5) of this section (F) and the following tables and interest rates:
(i)(a) for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued prior to before January 1, 1979, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such the contracts, the 1971 Individual Annuity Mortality Table, or any a modification of this table approved by the commissioner, and six percent interest for single premium immediate annuity contracts, and four percent interest for all other individual annuity and pure endowment contracts.;
(ii)(b) for individual single premium immediate annuity contracts issued on or after January 1, 1979 December 31, 1978, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such the contracts, the 1971 Individual Annuity Mortality Table or any individual annuity mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such the contracts, or any a modification of these tables approved by the commissioner, and seven and one-half percent interest.;
(iii)(c) for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued on or after January 1, 1979 December 31, 1978, other than single premium immediate annuity contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such the contracts, the 1971 Individual Annuity Mortality Table or any individual annuity mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such the contracts, or any a modification of these tables approved by the commissioner, and five and one-half percent interest for single premium deferred annuity and pure endowment contracts and four and one-half percent interest for all other such individual annuity and pure endowment contracts.;
(iv)(d) for all annuities and pure endowments purchased prior to before January 1, 1979, under group annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits purchased under such the contracts, the 1971 Group Annuity Mortality Table, or any a modification of this table approved by the commissioner, and six percent interest.;
(v)(e) for all annuities and pure endowments purchased on or after January 1, 1979 December 31, 1978, under group annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits purchased under such the contracts, the 1971 Group Annuity Mortality Table or any a group annuity mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such the annuities and pure endowments, or any a modification of these tables approved by the commissioner, and seven and one-half percent interest.
After May 26, 1975, any an insurer may file with the commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this item (c) after a specified date before January 1, 1979, which shall be is the operative date of this item (c) for such the insurer. However, provided that an insurer may elect a different effective date for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts from that elected for group annuity and pure endowment contracts. If an insurer makes no such election, the effective date of this item (c) for the insurer shall be is January 1, 1979.
(3)(a)(D)(1) The calendar year statutory valuation interest rates as defined in this subsection must be used in determining the minimum standard for the valuation of:
(i)(a) all life insurance policies issued in a particular calendar year, on or after the operative date of Section 38-63-600 of the Standard Nonforfeiture Law for Life Insurance,;
(ii)(b) all individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued in a particular calendar year on or after January 1, 1983, December 31, 1982;
(iii)(c) all annuities and pure endowments purchased in a particular calendar year on or after January 1, 1983 December 31, 1982, under group annuity and pure endowment contracts,;
(iv)(d) the net increase, if any, in a particular calendar year after January 1, 1983, in amounts held under guaranteed interest contracts shall be the calendar year statutory valuation interest rates as defined in this subsection (3).
(b)(2) The calendar year statutory valuation interest rates, I, shall must be determined as follows and the results rounded to the nearer one-quarter of one percent:
(i)(a) for life insurance,
W
I= .03 + W (R1 - .03) + 2 (R2 - .09).;
(ii)(b) for single premium immediate annuities and for annuity benefits involving life contingencies arising from other annuities with cash settlement options and from guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options,
I= .03 + W (R - .03),
where R 1 is the lessor of R and .09, R 2 is the greater of R and .09, R is the reference interest rate defined in this subsection (3), and W is the weighting factor defined in this subsection (3).;
(iii)(c) for other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on an issue year basis, except as stated in (ii) above subitem (b) of this item, the formula for life insurance stated in (i) above shall apply subitem (a) of this item applies to annuities and guaranteed interest contracts with guarantee durations in excess of ten years and the formula for single premium immediate annuities stated in (ii) above shall apply subitem (b) applies to annuities and guaranteed interest contracts with guarantee duration of ten years or less,;
(iv)(d) for other annuities with no cash settlement options and for guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options, the formula for single premium immediate annuities stated in (ii) above shall apply, subitem (b) applies;
(v)(e) for other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a change in fund basis, the formula for single premium immediate annuities stated in (ii) above shall apply subitem (b) applies.
However, if the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for any life insurance policies issued in any a calendar year determined without reference to this sentence differs from the corresponding actual rate for similar policies issued in the immediately preceding calendar year by less than one-half of one percent, the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for such the life insurance policies shall must be equal to the corresponding actual rate for the immediately preceding calendar year. For purposes of applying the immediately preceding sentence, the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for life insurance policies issued in a calendar year shall must be determined for 1980, (using the reference interest rate defined for 1979), and shall must be determined for each subsequent calendar year regardless of when Section 38-63-600 of the Standard Nonforfeiture Law for Life Insurance becomes operative.
(c)(3) The weighting factors referred to in the formulas stated above in this subsection are given in the following tables:
(i)(a) weighting Factors for Life Insurance: Guarantee Duration Weighting
(Years) Factors
10 or less .50
More than 10, but not
more than 20 .45
More than 20 .35
For life insurance, the guarantee duration is the maximum number of years the life insurance can may remain in force on a basis guaranteed in the policy or under options to convert to plans of life insurance with premium rates or nonforfeiture values or both which are guaranteed in the original policy;
(ii)(b) weighting factor for single premium immediate annuities and for annuity benefits involving life contingencies arising from other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options:
Weighting
Factors
.80
(iii)(c) weighting factors for other annuities and for guaranteed interest contracts, except as stated in (ii) above, shall be subitem (b) of this item are as specified in tables a, b sub-subitem (i), (ii), and c below, (iii) according to the rules and definitions in d, e, sub-subitems (iv), (v), and f below vi:
a.(i) for annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on an issue year basis:
Guarantee Weighting Factor
Duration for Plan Type
(Years) A B C
5 or less: .80 .60 .50
More than five, but
not more than 10: .75 .60 .50
More than 10, but
not more than 20: .65 .50 .45
More than 20: .45 .35 .35;
b.(ii) For annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on a change in fund basis, the factors shown in a. above sub-subitem (i) of this subitem increased by:
Plan Type
A B C
.15 .25 .05;
c.(iii) for annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on an issue year basis (other than those with no cash settlement options), which do not guarantee interest on considerations received more than one year after issue or purchase and for annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on a change in fund basis which do not guarantee interest rates on considerations received more than twelve months beyond the valuation date, the factors shown in a. sub-subitem (i) of this subitem or derived in b. sub-subitem (ii) increased by:
Plan Type
A B C
.05 .05 .05;
d.(iv) for other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, the guarantee duration is the number of years for which the contract guarantees interest rates in excess of the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for life insurance policies with guarantee duration in excess of twenty years. For other annuities with no cash settlement options and for guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options, the guarantee duration is the number of years from the date of issue or date of purchase to the date annuity benefits are scheduled to commence.
e.(d) Plan type as used in the above tables is defined as:
(i) Plan Type A: At any time policyholder may withdraw funds only:
(1)a. with an adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurer, or;
(2)b. without such the adjustment but in installments over five years or more, or;
(3)c. as an immediate life annuity,; or
(4)d. no withdrawal permitted.;
(ii) Plan Type B: Before expiration of the interest rate guarantee, policyholder may withdraw funds only:
(1)a. with an adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurer, or;
(2)b. without such the adjustment but in installments over five years or more,; or
(3)c. no withdrawal permitted. At the end of interest rate guarantee, funds may be withdrawn without such the adjustment in a single sum or installments over less than five years.;
(iii) Plan Type C: Policyholder may withdraw funds before expiration of interest rate guarantee in a single sum or installments over less than five years either:
(1)a. without adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurer,; or
(2)b. subject only to a fixed surrender charge stipulated in the contract as a percentage of the fund.
f. An insurer may elect to value guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options and annuities with cash settlement options on either an issue year basis or on a change in fund basis. Guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options and other annuities with no cash settlement options must be valued on an issue year basis. As used in this subsection (3), an issue year basis of valuation refers to a valuation basis under which the interest rate used to determine the minimum valuation standard for the entire duration of the annuity or guaranteed interest contract is the calendar year valuation interest rate for the year of issue or year of purchase of the annuity or guaranteed interest contract, and the change in fund basis of valuation refers to a valuation basis under which the interest rate used to determine the minimum valuation standard applicable to each change in the fund held under the annuity or guaranteed interest contract is the calendar year valuation interest rate for the year of the change in the fund.
(d)(4) The Reference Interest Rate referred to in subitem (b) item (2) of this subsection (3) shall be is defined as:
(i)(a) for all life insurance, the lesser of the average over a period of thirty-six months and the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June thirtieth of the calendar year next preceding the year of issue, of Moody's Corporate Bond Yield Average--Monthly Average Corporates, as published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.;
(ii)(b) for single premium immediate annuities and for annuity benefits involving life contingencies arising from other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June thirtieth of the calendar year of issue or year of purchase, of Moody's Corporate Bond Yield Average--Monthly Average Corporates, as published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.;
(iii)(c) for other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a year of issue basis, except as stated in (ii) above, subitem (b) with guarantee duration in excess of ten years, the lesser of the average over a period of thirty-six months and the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June thirtieth of the calendar year of issue or purchase, of Moody's Corporate Bond Yield Average--Monthly Average Corporates, as published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.;
(iv)(d) for other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a year of issue basis, except as stated in (ii) above subitem (b), with guarantee duration of ten years or less, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June thirtieth of the calendar year of issue or purchase, of Moody's Corporate Bond Yield Average--Monthly Average Corporates, as published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.;
(v)(e) for other annuities with no cash settlement options and for guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June thirtieth of the calendar year of issue or purchase, of Moody's Corporate Bond Yield Average--Monthly Average Corporates, as published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.;
(vi)(f) for other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a change in fund basis, except as stated in (ii) above subitem (b), the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June thirtieth of the calendar year of the change in the fund, of Moody's Corporate Bond Yield Average--Monthly Average Corporates, as published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.;
(e)(5) In the event that If Moody's Corporate Bond Yield Average--Monthly Average Corporates is no longer published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or in the event that if the National Association of Insurance Commissioners determines that Moody's Corporate Bond Yield Average--Monthly Average Corporates as published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., is no longer appropriate for the determination of the reference interest rate, then an alternative method for determination of the reference interest rate, which is adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and approved by regulation promulgated by the commissioner, may be substituted.
(4)(E) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (5)(F) and (8)(I), reserves according to the commissioner's reserve valuation method, for the life insurance and endowment benefits of policies providing for a uniform amount of insurance and requiring the payment of uniform premiums, shall be are the excess, if any, of the present value, at the date of valuation, of such future guaranteed benefits provided for by such the policies, over the then present value of any future modified net premiums therefor. The modified net premiums for any such the policy shall be such are the uniform percentage of the respective contract premiums for such the benefits that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all such the modified net premiums shall be is equal to the sum of the then present value of such the benefits provided for by the policy and the excess of item (a)(1) over item (b)(2), as follows:
(a)(1) A net level annual premium equal to the present value, at the date of issue, of such the benefits provided for after the first policy year, divided by the present value, at the date of issue, of an annuity of one per annum payable on the first and each subsequent anniversary of such the policy on which a premium falls due; provided,. However, that such the net level annual premium shall may not exceed the net level annual premium on the nineteen year premium whole life plan for insurance of the same amount at an age one year higher than the age of issue of such the policy.
(b)(2) A net one year term premium for such the benefits provided for in the first policy year. For any a life insurance policy issued on or after January 1, 1986 December 31, 1985, for which the contract premium in the first policy year exceeds that of the second year and for which no comparable additional benefit is provided in the first year for such the excess and which provides an endowment benefit or a cash surrender value or a combination thereof of them in an amount greater than such the excess premium, the reserve according to the commissioner's reserve valuation method as of any a policy anniversary occurring on or before the assumed ending date defined herein in this section as the first policy anniversary on which the sum of any an endowment benefit and any cash surrender value then available is greater than such the excess premium shall, except as otherwise provided in subsection (8)(I), be is the greater of the reserve as of such the policy anniversary calculated as described in the preceding paragraph and the reserve as of such the policy anniversary calculated as described in that paragraph, but with (i) the value defined in item (a) of that paragraph (1) being reduced by fifteen percent of the amount of such the excess first year premium, (ii) all present values of benefits and premiums being determined without reference to premiums or benefits provided for by the policy after the assumed ending date, (iii) the policy being assumed to mature on such the date as an endowment, and (iv) the cash surrender value provided on such the date being considered as an endowment benefit. In making the above comparison the mortality and interest bases stated in subsection (2)(a)(C)(1) and (3)(D) shall be used.
Reserves according to the commissioner's reserve valuation method for: (i) life insurance policies providing for a varying amount of insurance or requiring the payment of varying premiums, (ii) group annuity and pure endowment contracts purchased under a retirement plan or plan of deferred compensation, established or maintained by an employer (including a partnership or sole proprietorship) or by an employee organization, or by both, other than a plan providing individual retirement accounts or individual retirement annuities under Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, (iii) disability and accidental death benefits in all policies and contracts, and (iv) all other benefits, except life insurance and endowment benefits in life insurance policies and benefits provided by all other annuity and pure endowment contracts, shall must be calculated by a method consistent with the principles of subsection (3) of this section (D), except that any extra premiums charged because of impairments or special hazards shall must be disregarded in the determination of modified net premiums.
(5)(F) This subsection shall apply applies to all annuity and pure endowment contracts other than group annuity and pure endowment contracts purchased under a retirement plan or plan of deferred compensation, established or maintained by an employer (including a partnership or sole proprietorship), or by an employee organization, or by both, other than a plan providing individual retirement accounts or individual retirement annuities under Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended. Reserves according to the commissioner's annuity reserve method for benefits under annuity or pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such the contracts, shall be is the greatest of the respective excesses of the present values, at the date of valuation, of the future guaranteed benefits, including guaranteed nonforfeiture benefits, provided for by such the contracts at the end of each respective contract year, over the present value, at the date of valuation, of any future valuation considerations derived from future gross considerations, required by the terms of such the contract, that become payable prior to before the end of such the respective contract year. The future guaranteed benefits shall must be determined by using the mortality table, if any, and the interest rate, or rates, specified in such the contracts for determining guaranteed benefits. The valuation considerations are the portions of the respective gross considerations applied under the terms of such the contracts to determine nonforfeiture values.
(6)(G)(1) In no event shall An insurer's aggregate reserves for all life insurance policies, excluding disability and accidental death benefits, issued on or after March 24 23, 1960, must not be less than the aggregate reserves calculated in accordance with the methods set forth in subsections (4)(E), (5)(F), (8)(I), and (9)(J) and the mortality table or tables and rate or rates of interest used in calculating nonforfeiture benefits for such the policies.
(2) The aggregate reserves for all policies, contracts, and benefits must not be less than the aggregate reserves determined by the qualified actuary to be necessary to render the opinion required by subsection (B).
(7)(H) Reserves for all policies and contracts issued prior to before March 24, 1960, may be calculated, at the option of the insurer, according to any the standards which produce greater aggregate reserves for all such the policies and contracts than the minimum reserves required by the laws in effect immediately prior to such before the date.
Reserves for any a category of policies, contracts, or benefits as established by the commissioner, issued on or after March 24 23, 1960, may be calculated, at the option of the insurer, according to any the standards which produce greater aggregate reserves for such the category than those calculated according to the minimum standard provided in this section, but the rate or rates of interest used for policies and contracts, other than annuity and pure endowment contracts, shall must not be higher than the corresponding rate or rates of interest used in calculating any nonforfeiture benefits provided therein.
Any such An insurer which at any time shall have adopted any adopts a standard of valuation producing greater aggregate reserves than those calculated according to the minimum standard provided in this section may, with the approval of the commissioner, may adopt any a lower standard of valuation, but not lower than the minimum provided in this section. However, for purposes of this subsection, the holding of additional reserves previously determined by a qualified actuary to be necessary to render the opinion required by subsection (B) must not be deemed to be the adoption of a higher standard of valuation.
(8)(I) If in any a contract year the gross premium charged by any a life insurer on any a policy or contract is less than the valuation net premium for the policy or contract calculated by the method used in calculating the reserve thereon but using the minimum valuation standards of mortality and rate of interest, the minimum reserve required for such the policy or contract shall be is the greater of either the reserve calculated according to the mortality table, rate of interest, and method actually used for such the policy or contract, or the reserve calculated by the method actually used for such the policy or contract but using the minimum valuation standards of mortality and rate of interest and replacing the valuation net premium by the actual gross premium in each contract year for which the valuation net premium exceeds the actual gross premium. The minimum valuation standards of mortality and rate of interest referred to in this subsection are those standards stated in subsections (2)(a)(C)(1) and (3)(D).
For any a life insurance policy issued on or after January 1, 1986 December 31, 1985, for which the gross premium in the first policy year exceeds that of the second year and for which no comparable additional benefit is provided in the first year for such the excess and which provides an endowment benefit or a cash surrender value or a combination thereof of them in an amount greater than such the excess premium, the foregoing provisions of this subsection (8) shall must be applied as if the method actually used in calculating the reserve for such the policy were the method described in subsection (4)(E), ignoring the second paragraph of subsection (4)(E). The minimum reserve at each policy anniversary of such a the policy shall be is the greater of the minimum reserve calculated in accordance with subsection (4)(E), including the second paragraph of that subsection, and the minimum reserve calculated in accordance with this subsection (8).
(9)(J) In the case of any For a plan of life insurance which provides for future premium determination, the amounts of which are to be determined by the insurer based on then estimates of future experience, or in the case of any for a plan of life insurance or annuity which is of such a nature so that the minimum reserves cannot be determined by the methods described in subsections (4)(E), (5)(F), and (8)(I), the reserves which are held under any such the plan must be:
(a)(1) Be appropriate in relation to the benefits and the pattern of premiums for that plan, and;
(b)(2) Be computed by a method which is consistent with the principles of this Standard Valuation Law, as determined by regulations promulgated by the commissioner.
(10)(K) This section is known as the `Standard Valuation Law'."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor except Section 38-9-180(B) of the 1976 Code, added in Section 1 of this act, takes effect one year after approval.