(a) A domestic incorporated insurer, after investing an amount equal to its required minimum paid-in capital in securities specified in Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170), may make investments as it may see fit in the purchase of, or loans upon, properties and securities other than or in addition to or in excess of those set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 1152), Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170), and Article 4 (commencing with Section 1190). Investments under this section shall not exceed, in the aggregate, the lesser of either of the following:

(1) Five percent of the insurer’s admitted assets.

(2) Fifty percent of the excess of admitted assets over the sum of capital paid up, liabilities, and the surplus required by Section 700.02. The percentage or dollar value of admitted assets and capital paid up and liabilities shall be determined by the insurer’s last preceding annual statement of conditions and affairs made as of the preceding December 31 and that has been filed with the commissioner as required by law. The investments shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 1153.5, 1154, 1200, 1201, and 1202 as if they were excess funds investments. This section applies to an insurer other than a life insurer only if the insurer has aggregate capital and surplus of at least ten million dollars ($10,000,000).

(b) An investment originally made by an insurer pursuant to this section that subsequently meets the requirements of an investment contained in Article 2 (commencing with Section 1152), Article 3 (commencing with Section 1170), or Article 4 (commencing with Section 1190) may, at the election of the insurer, be considered to be held pursuant to any provision contained in those articles.

(c) Pursuant to the authority conferred by subdivision (a), notwithstanding Section 1100, an insurer may make discretionary investments in shares of an open-end diversified management investment company, as defined in the federal Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. This subdivision does not prohibit any other discretionary investment, now or in the future, that might otherwise be made by an insurer, whether expressly identified in this section or not.

(d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2027.

(Repealed (in Sec. 3) and added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 627, Sec. 4. (AB 1511) Effective January 1, 2022. Operative January 1, 2027, by its own provisions.)