An agency shall designate an individual that has an individual producer, surplus lines producer, limited line producer, consultant, managing general agent, or reinsurance intermediary license to act on the agency’s behalf in order for the licensee to do business for the agency in this state.
Terms Used In Utah Code 31A-23a-302
Agency: means :
(a)
a person other than an individual, including a sole proprietorship by which an individual does business under an assumed name; and
advises another person about insurance needs and coverages;
(b)
is compensated by the person advised on a basis not directly related to the insurance placed; and
(c)
except as provided in Section 31A-23a-501, is not compensated directly or indirectly by an insurer or producer for advice given. See Utah Code 31A-1-301
Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
Form: means one of the following prepared for general use:
License: includes a certificate of authority issued to an insurer. See Utah Code 31A-1-301
Managing general agent: means a person that:
(i)
manages all or part of the insurance business of an insurer, including the management of a separate division, department, or underwriting office;
(ii)
acts as an agent for the insurer whether it is known as a managing general agent, manager, or other similar term;
(iii)
produces and underwrites an amount of gross direct written premium equal to, or more than, 5% of the policyholder surplus as reported in the last annual statement of the insurer in any one quarter or year:
(A)
with or without the authority;
(B)
separately or together with an affiliate; and
(C)
directly or indirectly; and
(iv)
(A)
adjusts or pays claims in excess of an amount determined by the commissioner; or
producer: means a person licensed or required to be licensed under the laws of this state to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance. See Utah Code 31A-1-301
Reinsurance: means an insurance transaction where an insurer, for consideration, transfers any portion of the risk it has assumed to another insurer. See Utah Code 31A-1-301
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
Surplus: means the excess of assets over the sum of paid-in capital and liabilities. See Utah Code 31A-1-301
An agency shall notify an individual designee that the individual’s designation is terminated by the agency and of the reason for termination at an interval and in the form the commissioner establishes by rule made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(4)
(a)
An agency licensed under this chapter shall report to the commissioner the cause of termination of a designation if:
(i)
the reason for termination is a reason described in Subsection 31A-23a-111(5)(b); or
(ii)
the agency has knowledge that the individual licensee is found to have engaged in an activity described in Subsection 31A-23a-111(5)(b) by:
An agency is immune from civil action, civil penalty, or damages if the agency complies in good faith with this Subsection (4) in reporting to the commissioner the cause of termination of a designation.
(d)
Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, an agency is not immune from an action or resulting penalty imposed on the reporting agency as a result of proceedings brought by or on behalf of the department if the action is based on evidence other than the report submitted in compliance with this Subsection (4).
(5)
An agency licensed under this chapter may act in a capacity for which it is licensed only through an individual who is licensed under this chapter to act in the same capacity.
(6)
An agency licensed under this chapter shall designate and report to the commissioner in accordance with any rule made by the commissioner in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the name of the designated responsible licensed individual who has authority to act on behalf of the agency in the matters pertaining to compliance with this title and orders of the commissioner.
(7)
If an agency has a contract with or designates a licensee in reports submitted under Subsection (2) or (6), there is a rebuttable presumption that the contracted or designated licensee acts on behalf of the agency.
(8)
(a)
When a license is held by an agency, both the agency itself and any individual contracted or designated under the agency license shall be considered to be the holder of the agency license for purposes of this section.
(b)
If an individual contracted or designated under the agency license commits an act or fails to perform a duty that is a ground for suspending, revoking, or limiting the agency license, or assessing a forfeiture under Subsection 31A-2-308(1)(b)(i) or (1)(c)(i), the commissioner may assess a forfeiture, suspend, revoke, or limit the license of, or take a combination of these actions against:
(i)
the individual;
(ii)
the agency, if the agency:
(A)
is reckless or negligent in its supervision of the individual; or
(B)
knowingly participates in the act or failure to act that is the ground for assessing a forfeiture, or suspending, revoking, or limiting the license; or
(iii)
(A)
the individual; and
(B)
the agency if the agency meets the requirements of Subsection (8)(b)(ii).
