(1) Any insurer desiring to surrender its certificate of authority, withdraw from this state, or discontinue the writing of any one or multiple kinds or lines of insurance in this state shall give 90 days’ notice in writing to the office setting forth its reasons for such action. Any insurer who does not write any premiums in a kind or line of insurance within a calendar year shall have that kind or line of insurance removed from its certificate of authority; however, such line of insurance shall be restored to the insurer’s certificate upon the insurer demonstrating that it has available the expertise necessary and meets the other requirements of this code to write that line of insurance.
(2) If the office determines, based upon its review of the notice and other required information, that the plan of an insurer withdrawing from this state makes adequate provision for the satisfaction of the insurer’s obligations and is not hazardous to policyholders or the public, the office shall approve the surrender of the insurer’s certificate of authority. The office shall, within 45 days from receipt of a complete notice and all required or requested additional information, approve, disapprove, or approve with conditions the plan submitted by the insurer. Failure to timely take action with respect to the notice shall be deemed an approval of the surrender of the certificate of authority.
(3) Upon office approval of the surrender of the certificate of authority of a domestic property and casualty insurer that is a corporation, the insurer may initiate the dissolution of the corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of part I of chapter 607.
(4) Any insurer withdrawing from this state or discontinuing the writing of all kinds of insurance in this state shall surrender its certificate of authority.
(5) This section does not apply to life insurance and corresponding lines of insurance as long as the insurer has in force life insurance policies and corresponding lines in this state.
(6) This section does not apply to insurers during the calendar year in which they first receive their certificate of authority.
(7) This section does not apply to insurers who have discontinued writing in accordance with an order issued by the office.
(8) Notwithstanding subsection (7), any insurer desiring to surrender its certificate of authority, withdraw from this state, or discontinue the writing of any one or multiple kinds or lines of insurance in this state is expected to have availed itself of all reasonably available reinsurance. Reasonably available reinsurance shall include unrealized reinsurance, which is defined as reinsurance recoverable on known losses incurred and due under valid reinsurance contracts that have not been identified in the normal course of business and have not been reported in financial statements filed with the Office of Insurance Regulation. Within 90 days after surrendering its certificate of authority, withdrawing from this state, or discontinuing the writing of any one or multiple kinds or lines of insurance in this state, the insurer shall certify to the Director of the Office of Insurance Regulation that the insurer has engaged an independent third party to search for unrealized reinsurance, and that the insurer has made all relevant books and records available to such third party. The compensation to such third party may be a percentage of unrealized reinsurance identified and collected.
(9) The commission may adopt rules to administer this section.
History.—s. 2, ch. 63-149; s. 1, ch. 67-10; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; s. 21, ch. 78-95; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 63, 64, 809(1st), ch. 82-243; s. 35, ch. 89-360; ss. 21, 187, 188, ch. 91-108; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 1, ch. 2002-25; s. 807, ch. 2003-261; s. 76, ch. 2003-281; s. 102, ch. 2004-5; s. 52, ch. 2014-209.