Section 33-63-4. Offering, selling, or providing to borrowers guaranteed asset protection waivers

   (a) Guaranteed asset protection waivers may be offered, sold, or provided to borrowers in this state in compliance with this chapter.

(b) Guaranteed asset protection waivers may, at the option of the creditor, be sold for a single payment or may be offered with a monthly or periodic payment option.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any cost to the borrower for a guaranteed asset protection waiver entered into in compliance with the federal Truth in Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. Section 1601, et seq., and its implementing regulations, as they may be amended from time to time, must be separately stated and is not to be considered a finance charge or interest.

(d) A retail installment seller must insure its guaranteed asset protection waiver obligations under a contractual liability or other insurance policy issued by an insurer. A creditor other than a retail installment seller may insure its guaranteed asset protection waiver obligations under a contractual liability policy or other such policy issued by an insurer. Any such insurance policy may be directly obtained by a creditor or retail installment seller or may be procured by an administrator to cover a creditor's or retail installment seller's obligations. However, retail installment sellers that are lessors on motor vehicles are not required to insure obligations related to guaranteed asset protection waivers on such leased vehicles.

(e) The guaranteed asset protection waiver shall remain a part of the finance agreement upon the assignment, sale, or transfer of such finance agreement by the creditor.

(f) Neither the extension of credit, the term of credit, nor the term of the related motor vehicle sale or lease may be conditioned upon the purchase of a guaranteed asset protection waiver.

(g) Any creditor that offers a guaranteed asset protection waiver must report the sale of, and forward funds received on, all such waivers to the designated party, if any, as prescribed in any applicable administrative services agreement, contractual liability policy, other insurance policy or other specified program documents.

(h) Funds received or held by a creditor or administrator and belonging to an insurer, creditor, or administrator pursuant to the terms of a written agreement must be held by such creditor or administrator in a fiduciary capacity.

(i) A retail installment seller that offers, provides, or sells a guaranteed asset protection waiver in connection with the sale of a motor vehicle shall not be required to insure its guaranteed asset protection waiver if the retail installment seller does both of the following:

   (1) Maintains, or has a parent company that maintains, a net worth or stockholders' equity of at least $50 million, provided the parent company guarantees the obligations of the retail installment seller arising from guaranteed asset protection waivers underwritten pursuant to this subsection; and

   (2) Files a copy of its Form 10-K or Form 20-F disclosure statements, or, if it does not file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, a copy of its audited financial statements reported on generally accepted accounting principles. If the retail installment seller's financial statements are consolidated with those of its parent company, then the retail installment seller may comply with the provisions of this paragraph by filing the statements of its parent company. The statement shall be filed with the Commissioner at least 30 days prior to the retail installment seller's initial offering or delivering a guaranteed asset protection waiver, and thereafter the statement shall be filed with the Commissioner annually.

Code 1981, § 33-63-4, enacted by Ga. L. 2008, p. 1097, § 1/SB 470; Ga. L. 2009, p. 8, § 33/SB 46; Ga. L. 2012, p. 1350, § 11/HB 1067.