South Carolina General Assembly
110th Session, 1993-1994

Bill 4711


                    Current Status
Introducing Body:               House
Bill Number:                    4711
Ratification Number:            419
Act Number:                     374
Primary Sponsor:                Harvin
Type of Legislation:            GB
Subject:                        Insurance agents, continuing
                                education requirements
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:   19940419
Computer Document Number:       BBM/10909JM.94
Governor's Action:              S
Date of Governor's Action:      19940502
Introduced Date:                19940209
Last History Body:              ------
Last History Date:              19940502
Last History Type:              Act No. 374
Scope of Legislation:           Statewide
All Sponsors:                   Harvin
Type of Legislation:            General Bill

History

Bill   Body    Date          Action Description              CMN  Leg Involved
----   ------  ------------  ------------------------------  ---  ------------
4711   ------  19940502      Act No. 374
4711   ------  19940502      Signed by Governor
4711   ------  19940427      Ratified R 419
4711   Senate  19940419      Read third time, enrolled for
                             ratification
4711   Senate  19940407      Read second time
4711   Senate  19940406      Introduced, read first time,
                             placed on Calendar without
                             reference
4711   House   19940405      Read third time, sent to
                             Senate
4711   House   19940330      Read second time
4711   House   19940302      Committee Report: Favorable     26
4711   House   19940209      Introduced, read first time,    26
                             referred to Committee
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A374, R419, H4711)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 38-43-106, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR INSURANCE AGENTS AND THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES, SO AS TO ADD TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH UNDERWRITERS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Advisory Committee; membership increased

SECTION 1. Section 38-43-106(C) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 141 of 1991 and last amended by Section 661 of Act 181 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"(C) The Chief Insurance Commissioner shall administer these continuing education requirements and shall approve courses of instruction which qualify for these purposes. In administering this program, the commissioner, in his discretion, may promulgate regulations whereby agents provide to a continuing education administrator established within the Department of Insurance proof of compliance with continuing education requirements as a condition of license renewal or, in the alternative, contract with an outside service provider to provide recordkeeping services as the continuing education administrator. The costs of the continuing education administrator must be paid from the continuing insurance education fees paid by agents in the manner provided by this section, except that course approval responsibilities may not be designated to the continuing education administrator. The continuing education administrator shall compile and maintain, in conjunction with insurers and agents, records reflecting the continuing insurance education status of all licensed or qualified agents subject to the requirements of this section. The continuing education administrator shall furnish to the insurer, within ninety days of the agent's renewal date, as specified by regulation, a report of the continuing insurance education status of all of its agents. All licensed agents shall provide evidence of their continuing insurance education status to the continuing education administrator at least one hundred twenty days before the annual renewal date. Any continuing insurance education approved courses taken subsequent to one hundred twenty days before the renewal date must be applied to the following biennial continuing insurance education required period.

The commissioner shall promulgate regulations prescribing the overall parameters of continuing education requirements, and these regulations shall expressly authorize the commissioner to recognize product-specific training offered by insurers, subject to those parameters and guidelines as are promulgated by the regulations. The commissioner shall appoint an advisory committee to make recommendations with respect to courses offered for approval, but the commissioner shall retain authority with respect to course approvals, subject to those regulations as are promulgated. When the advisory committee is approved, it shall meet regularly as needed, but no less than semiannually, to review new course applications. Also, the advisory committee shall review modifications of courses previously approved and review previously promulgated regulations to make recommendations regarding any need for modifications, deletions, or new regulations. The advisory committee must be comprised of two representatives from each of the following associations, groups, or categories:

(1) the Carolina's Association of Professional Insurance Agents;

(2) the Independent Insurance Agents of South Carolina;

(3) the South Carolina Association of Automobile Insurance Agents; (4) the South Carolina Association of Life Underwriters;

(5) the Association of South Carolina Life Insurance Companies;

(6) the Direct Writers Insurance Companies;

(7) the Association of South Carolina Property and Casualty Insurance Companies; and

(8) insurers that are not members of national insurance trade associations.

The advisory committee must also be comprised of one representative from the South Carolina Association of Health Underwriters.

Advisory committee members must be appointed by the commissioner from recommendations made by the respective associations, groups, or categories to the commissioner."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Approved the 2nd day of May, 1994.