Section 33-48-3. Limitations on producer who has control of licensed property and casualty insurer; limitations on reinsurance intermediary

   (a) No producer which has control of a licensed property and casualty insurer may directly or indirectly place business with such insurer in any transaction in which such producer, at the time the business is placed, is acting as such on behalf of the insured for any compensation, commission, or other thing of value, unless:

   (1) There is a written contract between the controlling producer and the insurer, which contract has been approved by the board of directors of the insurer;

   (2) Such producer, prior to the effective date of the policy, shall deliver written notice to the prospective insured disclosing the relationship between such producer and the controlled insurer. Such disclosure, signed by the insured, shall be retained in the underwriting file until the filing of the report on examination covering the period in which the coverage is in effect. Except that, if the business is placed through a subproducer who is not a controlling producer, the controlling producer shall retain in his records a signed commitment from the subproducer that the subproducer is aware of the relationship between the insurer and the producer and that the subproducer has or will notify the insured;

   (3) All funds collected for the account of the insurer by the controlling producer must be paid, net of commissions, cancellations, and other adjustments, to the insurer no less often than quarterly;

   (4) In addition to any other required loss reserve certification, the controlled insurer shall annually, on April 1 of each year, file with the Commissioner an opinion of an independent casualty actuary or other independent loss reserve specialist acceptable to the Commissioner reporting loss ratios for each line of business written and attesting to the adequacy of loss reserves established for losses incurred, including losses incurred but not reported, and outstanding as of the end of the current year on business placed by such producer;

   (5) The controlled insurer shall annually report to the Commissioner the amount of commissions paid to such producer, the percentage such amount represents of the net premiums written, and comparable amounts and percentages paid to noncontrolling producers for placements of the same kinds of insurance; and

   (6) Every controlled insurer shall have an audit committee of the board of directors composed of independent directors. Prior to approval of the annual financial statement, the audit committee shall meet with management, the insurer's independent certified public accountants, and an independent casualty actuary or other independent loss reserve specialist acceptable to the Commissioner to review the adequacy of the insurer's loss reserves.

(b) No reinsurance intermediary which has control of an assuming insurer may directly or indirectly place business with such insurer in any transaction in which such reinsurance intermediary is acting as a broker on behalf of the ceding insurer. No reinsurance intermediary which has control of a ceding insurer may directly or indirectly accept business from such insurer in any transaction in which such reinsurance intermediary is acting as a producer on behalf of the assuming insurer. The prohibitions in this subsection shall not apply to a reinsurance intermediary which makes a full and complete written disclosure to the parties of its relationship with the assuming or ceding insurer prior to completion of the transaction.

Code 1981, § 33-48-3, enacted by Ga. L. 1991, p. 1424, § 8.