Pennsylvania Act 1991-19 — GROUP LIFE INSURANCE POLICY LAW - AMEND CREDITORS

Act text

Session of 1991

No. 1991-19

HB 739

AN ACT

Amending the act of May 11, 1949 (P.L.1210, No.367), entitled "An act relating to group life insurance; describing permitted policies and restrictions thereon, the premium basis thereof and rights thereunder; limiting the amount of such insurance; prescribing standard policy provisions; and requiring notice of conversion privileges," further providing for policies issued to creditors.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 3 of the act of May 11, 1949 (P.L.1210, No.367), referred to as the Group Life Insurance Policy Law, amended November 26, 1978 (P.L.1240, No.293), is amended to read:

Section 3. Policies Issued to Creditors.--A policy issued to a creditor to insure debtors of the creditor shall be subject to the following requirements:

(1) The debtors eligible for insurance under the policy shall be all of the debtors of the creditor whose indebtedness is repayable in instalments, or all of any class or classes thereof determined by conditions pertaining to the indebtedness or to the purchase giving rise to the indebtedness. The policy may provide that the term "debtors" shall include the debtors of one or more subsidiary corporations, and the debtors of one or more affiliated corporations, proprietors or partnerships if the business of the policyholder and of such affiliated corporations, proprietors or partnerships is under common control through stock ownership, contract, or otherwise.

(2) The premium for the policy shall be paid by the policyholder, either from the creditor's funds, or from charges collected from the insured debtors, or from both. A policy on which part or all of the premium is to be derived from the collection from the insured debtors of identifiable charges not required of uninsured debtors shall not include, in the class or classes of debtors eligible for insurance, debtors under obligations outstanding at its date of issue without evidence of individual insurability unless at least seventy-five per cent of the then eligible debtors elect to pay the required charges. A policy on which no part of the premium is to be derived from the collection of such identifiable charges must insure all eligible debtors, or all except any as to whom evidence of individual insurability is not satisfactory to the insurer.

(3) The policy may be issued only if the group of eligible debtors is then receiving new entrants at the rate of at least one hundred persons yearly, or may reasonably be expected to receive at least one hundred new entrants during the first policy year, and only if the policy reserves to the insurer the right to require evidence of individual insurability if less than seventy-five per cent of the new entrants become insured.

(4) The amount of insurance on the life of any debtor shall at no time exceed the amount owed by him which is repayable in instalments to the creditor, or [sixty thousand dollars ($60,000)] one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), whichever is less.

(5) The insurance shall be payable to the policyholder. Such payment shall reduce or extinguish the unpaid indebtedness of the debtor to the extent of such payment.

Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

APPROVED--The 11th day of July, A. D. 1991.

ROBERT P. CASEY