Section 27-44-9 Assessments.
Section 27-44-9
Assessments.
(a) For the purpose of providing the funds necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the association, the board of directors shall assess the member insurers, separately for each account, at such time and for such amounts as the board finds necessary. Assessments shall be due not less than 30 days after prior written notice to the member insurers and shall accrue interest at six percent per annum on and after the due date.
(b) There shall be three classes of assessments, as follows:
(1) Class A assessments shall be made for the purpose of meeting administrative costs and other general expenses and examinations conducted under the authority of Section 27-44-12(5) not related to a particular impaired or insolvent insurer.
(2) Class B assessments shall be made to the extent necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the association under Section 27-44-8 with regard to an impaired or insolvent domestic insurer.
(3) Class C assessments shall be made to the extent necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the association under Section 27-44-8 with regard to an insolvent foreign or alien insurer.
(c)(1) The amount of any Class A assessment shall be determined by the board and may be made on a non-pro rata basis. Such assessment shall not exceed $50.00 per company in any one calendar year. The amount of any Class B or C assessment shall be allocated for assessment purposes among the accounts in the proportion that the premiums received by the impaired or insolvent insurer on the policies covered by each account for the last calendar year preceding the assessment in which the impaired or insolvent insurer received premiums bears to the premiums received by such insurer for such calendar year on all covered policies.
(2) Class C assessments against member insurers for each account shall be in the proportion that the premiums received on business in this state by each assessed member insurer on policies covered by each account for the calendar year preceding the assessment bears to such premiums received on business in this state for the calendar year preceding the assessment by all assessed member insurers.
(3) Class B assessments for each account shall be made separately for each state in which the impaired or insolvent domestic insurer was authorized to transact insurance at any time, in the proportion that the premiums received on business in such state by the impaired or insolvent insurer on policies covered by such account for the last calendar year preceding the assessment in which the impaired or insolvent insurer received premiums bears to such premiums received in all such states for such calendar year by the impaired or insolvent insurer. The assessments against member insurers shall be in the proportion that the premiums received on business in each such state by each assessed member insurer on policies covered by each account for the calendar year preceding the assessment bears to such premiums received on business in each state for the calendar year preceding assessment by all assessed member insurers.
(4) Assessments for funds to meet the requirements of the association with respect to an impaired or insolvent insurer shall not be made until necessary to implement the purposes of this chapter. Classification of assessments under subsection (b) and computation of assessments under this subsection shall be made with a reasonable degree of accuracy, recognizing that exact determinations may not always be possible.
(d) The association may abate or defer, in whole or in part, the assessment of a member insurer if, in the opinion of the board, payment of the assessment would endanger the ability of the member insurer to fulfill its contractual obligations. In the event an assessment against a member insurer is abated, or deferred in whole or in part, the amount by which such assessment is abated or deferred may be assessed against the other member insurers in a manner consistent with the basis for assessments set forth in this section.
(e) The total of all assessments upon a member insurer for each account shall not in any one calendar year exceed one percent of such insurer's premiums received in this state during the calendar year preceding the assessment on the policies covered by the account. If the maximum assessment, together with the other assets of the association in either account, does not provide in any one year in either account an amount sufficient to carry out the responsibilities of the association, the necessary additional funds shall be assessed as soon thereafter as permitted by this chapter.
(f) The board may, by an equitable method as established in the plan of operation, refund to member insurers, in proportion to the contribution of each insurer to that account, the amount by which the assets of the account exceed the amount the board finds is necessary to carry out during the coming year the obligations of the association with regard to that account, including assets accruing from net realized gains and income from investments. A reasonable amount may be retained in any account to provide funds for the continuing expenses of the association and for future losses if refunds are impractical.
(g) The association shall issue to each insurer paying an assessment under this chapter, other than a Class A assessment, a certificate of contribution, in a form prescribed by the commissioner, for the amount of the assessment so paid. All outstanding certificates shall be of equal dignity and priority without reference to amounts or dates of issue. A certificate of contribution may be shown by the insurer in its financial statement as an asset in such form and for such amount, if any, and period of time as the commissioner may approve.
(Acts 1982, No. 82-561, p. 922, §9.)