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
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 CommitteeView additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
(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.