(A)(1) The creation of a protected cell does not create, with respect to that protected cell, a legal person separate from the SPFC.

(2) Notwithstanding the provision of item (1), a protected cell must have its own distinct name or designation that includes the words "protected cell". The SPFC shall transfer all assets attributable to the protected cell to one or more separately established and identified protected cell accounts bearing the name or designation of that protected cell.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 38-90-485

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Department: means the South Carolina Department of Insurance. See South Carolina Code 38-90-10
  • Director: means the Director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance or the director's designee. See South Carolina Code 38-90-10
  • General account: means the assets and liabilities of a sponsored captive insurance company other than protected cell assets and protected cell liabilities. See South Carolina Code 38-90-10
  • insurance: includes annuities. See South Carolina Code 38-1-20
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Person: means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, or any similar entity or combination thereof. See South Carolina Code 38-90-10
  • Protected cell: means an identified pool of assets and liabilities of a sponsored captive insurance company for one or more participants that is segregated and insulated from the remainder of the sponsored captive insurance company's assets and liabilities as set forth in this chapter. See South Carolina Code 38-90-10
  • Protected cell account: means a specifically identified bank or custodial account established by a sponsored captive insurance company for the purpose of segregating the protected cell assets of one protected cell from the protected cell assets of other protected cells and from the assets of the sponsored captive insurance company's general account. See South Carolina Code 38-90-10
  • Protected cell assets: means all assets, contract rights, and general intangibles, identified with and attributable to a specific protected cell of a sponsored captive insurance company. See South Carolina Code 38-90-10
  • Protected cell liabilities: means all liabilities and other obligations identified with and attributable to a specific protected cell of a sponsored captive insurance company. See South Carolina Code 38-90-10
  • Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. Source: FDIC

(3) Although it is not a separate legal person, the property of a SPFC in a protected cell is subject to orders of a court by name as it would have been if the protected cell were a separate legal person.

(4) The property of a SPFC in a protected cell must be served in its own name with process in all civil actions or proceedings involving or relating to the activities of that protected cell or a breach by the SPFC of a duty to the protected cell or to a counterparty to a transaction linked or attributed to it by serving the SPFC in the manner described in § 15-9-270.

(5) A protected cell exists only at the pleasure of the SPFC. At the cessation of business of a protected cell in accordance with the plan approved by the director, the SPFC voluntarily shall close out the protected cell account.

(B) Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit a SPFC from contracting with, or arranging for, an investment advisor, commodity trading advisor, or other third party to manage the assets of a protected cell, if all remuneration, expenses, and other compensation of the third party advisor or manager are payable from the assets of that protected cell and not from the assets of other protected cells or the assets of the SPFC’s general account, unless approved by the director.

(C) Creditors with respect to a protected cell are not entitled to have recourse against the protected cell assets of other protected cells or the assets of the SPFC’s general account. If an obligation of a SPFC relates only to the general account, the obligation of the SPFC extends only to that creditor, with respect to that obligation, and is entitled to have recourse only to the assets of the SPFC’s general account.

(D) The assets of the protected cell may not be used to pay expenses or claims other than those attributable to the protected cell. Protected cell assets are available only to the SPFC contract counterparty and other creditors of the SPFC that are creditors only with respect to that protected cell and, accordingly, are entitled, in conformity with this article, to have recourse to the protected cell assets attributable to that protected cell and absolutely are protected from the creditors of the SPFC that are not creditors with respect to that protected cell and who, accordingly, are not entitled to have recourse to the protected cell assets attributable to that protected cell. If an obligation of a SPFC to a person or counterparty arises from a SPFC contract or related insurance securitization transaction, or is otherwise incurred, with respect to a protected cell:

(1) that obligation of the SPFC extends only to the protected cell assets attributable to that protected cell, and the person or counterparty, with respect to that obligation, is entitled to have recourse only to the protected cell assets attributable to that protected cell; and

(2) that obligation of the SPFC does not extend to the protected cell assets of another protected cell or the assets of the SPFC’s general account, and that person, with respect to that obligation, is not entitled to have recourse to the protected cell assets of another protected cell or the assets of the SPFC’s general account. The SPFC’s capitalization held separate and apart from the capitalization of its protected cell or cells as required by § 38-90-480(D) must be available at all times to pay expenses of or claims against the SPFC and may not be used to pay expenses or claims attributable to any protected cell.

(E) Notwithstanding another provision of law, a SPFC may allow for a security interest in accordance with applicable law to attach to protected cell assets or a protected cell account when in favor of a creditor of the protected cell or to facilitate the insurance securitization, including, without limitation, the issuance of the SPFC contract, to the extent those protected cell assets are not required at all times to support the risk, but without otherwise affecting the discharge of liabilities under the SPFC contract, or as otherwise approved by the director.

(F) A SPFC shall establish administrative and accounting procedures necessary to properly identify the one or more protected cells of the SPFC and the protected cell assets and protected cell liabilities to each protected cell. The directors of a SPFC shall keep protected cell assets and protected cell liabilities:

(1) separate and separately identifiable from the assets and liabilities of the SPFC’s general account; and

(2) attributable to one protected cell separate and separately identifiable from protected cell assets and protected cell liabilities attributable to other protected cells.

(G) All contracts or other documentation reflecting protected cell liabilities clearly must indicate that only the protected cell assets are available for the satisfaction of those protected cell liabilities. In all SPFC insurance securitizations involving a protected cell, the contracts or other documentation effecting the transaction must contain provisions identifying the protected cell to which the transaction is attributed. In addition, the contracts or other documentation clearly must disclose that the assets of that protected cell, and only those assets, are available to pay the obligations of that protected cell. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection and subject to the provisions of this article and another applicable law or regulation, the failure to include this language in the contracts or other documentation may not be used as the sole basis by creditors, insureds or reinsureds, insurers or reinsurers, or other claimants to circumvent the provisions of this section.

(H) A SPFC with protected cells annually shall file with the department accounting statements and financial reports required by this article which, among other things, must:

(1) detail the financial experience of each protected cell and the SPFC separately; and

(2) provide the combined financial experience of the SPFC and all protected cells.

(I) A SPFC with protected cells shall notify the director in writing within ten business days of a protected cell becoming insolvent.