Section 33-24-3. Insurable interest -- Personal insurance

   (a) An insurable interest, with reference to personal insurance, is an interest based upon a reasonable expectation of pecuniary advantage through the continued life, health, or bodily safety of another person and consequent loss by reason of such person's death or disability or a substantial interest engendered by love and affection in the case of individuals closely related by blood or by law.

(b) An individual has an unlimited insurable interest in his or her own life, health, and bodily safety and may lawfully take out a policy of insurance on his or her own life, health, or bodily safety and have the policy made payable to whomsoever such individual pleases, regardless of whether the beneficiary designated has an insurable interest.

(c) The trustee of a trust established by an individual settlor has an insurable interest in the life of that individual settlor and has the same insurable interest in the life of any other individual as does such individual settlor. The trustee of a trust has the same insurable interest in the life of any other individual as does any beneficiary of the trust with respect to proceeds of insurance on the life of such individual or any portion of such proceeds that are allocable to such beneficiary's interest in such trust. If multiple beneficiaries of a trust have an insurable interest in the life of the same individual, the trustee of such trust has the same aggregate insurable interest in such individual's life as such beneficiaries with respect to proceeds of insurance on the life of such individual or any portion of such proceeds that is allocable in the aggregate to such beneficiaries' interest in the trust.

(d) A corporation, foreign or domestic, has an insurable interest in the life of any individual:

   (1) Holding at least 10 percent of the issued and outstanding shares of such corporation; or

   (2) In whom the shareholders holding a majority of the issued and outstanding shares have an insurable interest, whether arising out of their status as shareholders of the corporation or otherwise,

and in the life or physical or mental ability of any of its directors, officers, or employees or the directors, officers, or employees of any of its subsidiaries or any other person whose death or physical or mental disability might cause financial loss to the corporation; or, pursuant to any contractual arrangement with any shareholder concerning the reacquisition of shares owned by him or her at the time of his or her death or disability, on the life or physical or mental ability of that shareholder for the purpose of carrying out such contractual arrangement; or, pursuant to any contract obligating the corporation as part of compensation arrangements or pursuant to a contract obligating the corporation as guarantor or surety, on the life of the principal obligor. The trustee of a trust established by a corporation for the sole benefit of the corporation has the same insurable interest in the life or physical or mental ability of any person as does the corporation. The trustee of a trust established by a corporation providing life, health, disability, retirement, or similar benefits to employees of the corporation or its affiliates and acting in a fiduciary capacity with respect to such employees, retired employees, or their dependents or beneficiaries has an insurable interest in the lives of employees for whom such benefits are to be provided. As used in this subsection, the term "employee" shall include any and all directors, officers, employees, or retired employees. The term "employee" shall include any former employee, but only for the purpose of replacing existing life insurance that will be surrendered in exchange for new life insurance in an amount not exceeding the insurance being surrendered.

(e) The insurable interest of a corporation or trustee which has been established pursuant to subsection (d) of this Code section shall be conveyed automatically to another corporation or to the trustee of a trust established by such other corporation for its sole benefit which has acquired by purchase, merger, or otherwise all or part of the first corporation's business. A corporation or the trustee of a trust established by such corporation for its sole benefit may exchange any policy of insurance issued to itself or to another corporation or the trustee of a trust established by such other corporation for its sole benefit from which the exchanging corporation has acquired by purchase, merger, or otherwise all or part of such other corporation's business for a new policy of insurance issued to itself without establishing a new insurable interest at the time of such exchange.

(f) A shareholder in a corporation has an insurable interest in the life of any other shareholder pursuant to any contractual arrangement between or among such shareholders concerning the purchase by surviving shareholders of shares owned by a deceased or disabled shareholder, for the purpose of carrying out such contractual arrangement.

(g) A partnership, limited liability company, business trust, or other business entity established under the laws of any state or of the United States shall have the same insurable interests as a corporation, as set forth in subsections (d) and (e) of this Code section, including, without limitation, insurable interests in such entity's partners, members, or holders of other equity ownership interests and in officers, directors, employees, and those of any subsidiaries of any such entity. The partners of a partnership, the owners of a limited liability company, and the owners of equity interests in any form of business entity have the same insurable interest in the lives of the other partners, members, or equity interest owners as do shareholders of corporations.

(h) An insurable interest must exist at the time the contract of personal insurance becomes effective but need not exist at the time the loss occurs.

(i) Any personal insurance contract procured or caused to be procured upon another individual is void unless the benefits under the contract are payable to the individual insured or such individual's personal representative or to a person having, at the time when the contract was made, an insurable interest in the individual insured. In the case of a void contract, the insurer shall not be liable on the contract but shall be liable to repay to the person or persons who have paid the premiums all premium payments without interest.

(j) A charitable institution as defined under Sections 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6), 501(c)(8), and 501(c)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall have an insurable interest in the life of any donor.

(k) The insurable interests set forth in this Code section are not exclusive but are cumulative of and not in lieu of insurable interests existing in common law and not expressly set forth in this Code section. No part of this Code section specifically recognizing any insurable interest shall create any presumption or implication that such insurable interest did not exist prior to July 1, 2006. To the contrary, an insurable interest shall be presumed with respect to any life insurance policy issued prior to July 1, 2006, to any person whose insurable interest is recognized in this Code section.

Code 1933, § 56-2404, enacted by Ga. L. 1960, p. 289, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 317, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1109, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1123, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1721, § 3; Ga. L. 1995, p. 776, § 2; Ga. L. 2003, p. 482, § 1; Ga. L. 2006, p. 869, § 1/HB 1484.