HOUSE BILL No. 5694

 

March 23, 2004, Introduced by Rep. Vagnozzi and referred to the Committee on Insurance.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1956 PA 218, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "The insurance code of 1956,"                                               

                                                                                

    by amending section 2210 (MCL 500.2210), as amended by 1998 PA              

                                                                                

    222.                                                                        

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 2210.  (1) As used in this section:                                    

                                                                                

2       (a) "Employee benefit plan" means that term as defined by the               

                                                                                

3   employee retirement income security act of 1974,  Public Law                

                                                                                

4   93-406, 88 Stat. 829  29 USC 1001 to 1461.                                  

                                                                                

5       (b) "Employer" means an individual, sole proprietorship,                    

                                                                                

6   partnership, firm, corporation, association, or any other legal             

                                                                                

7   entity  , which  that has 1 or more employees and is legally                

                                                                                

8   doing business in this state.                                               

                                                                                

9       (c) "Trust" means a trust established by an employer.                       

                                                                                

10      (2) Notwithstanding any other section of this act, an                       

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   employer or a trust has an insurable interest in, and may, with             

                                                                                

2   the written consent of the insured, insure on an individual or              

                                                                                

3   group basis for its benefit the lives of the employer's                     

                                                                                

4   directors, officers, or managers.  , nonmanagement employees, and           

                                                                                

5   retired employees.  An employer or a trust  may  shall not insure           

                                                                                

6   the lives of the employer's nonmanagement employees and its                 

                                                                                

7   retired employees.  only if those persons give written consent to           

                                                                                

8   be insured and the coverage is limited to an amount reasonably              

                                                                                

9   commensurate with the employer's projected unfunded liabilities             

                                                                                

10  to nonmanagement and retired employees for employee benefit                 

                                                                                

11  plans, calculated according to accepted actuarial principles.  An           

                                                                                

12  employer shall not retaliate in any manner against an employee              

                                                                                

13  or a retired employee  for refusing consent to be insured.                 

                                                                                

14      (3) Notwithstanding any other section of this act, a trust                  

                                                                                

15  maintained for the purpose of providing for the cost of benefits            

                                                                                

16  under an employee benefit plan maintained for employees or                  

                                                                                

17  retired employees has an insurable interest in, and may, with the           

                                                                                

18  acquiescence of the insured, insure on an individual or group               

                                                                                

19  basis for its benefit the lives of the employer's directors,                

                                                                                

20  officers, or managers.  , nonmanagement employees, and retired              

                                                                                

21  employees.  A trust  may  shall not insure the life of a                    

                                                                                

22  nonmanagement employee  and  or a retired employee.  only if that           

                                                                                

23  person is given written notice of the coverage, he or she has not           

                                                                                

24  notified either the employer or the trust in writing that he or             

                                                                                

25  she does not want to be insured for the coverage, and the                   

                                                                                

26  coverage is limited to an amount reasonably commensurate with the           

                                                                                

27  employer's projected unfunded liabilities to nonmanagement and              


                                                                                

1   retired employees for employee benefit plans, calculated                    

                                                                                

2   according to accepted actuarial principles.  An employer or a               

                                                                                

3   trust shall not retaliate in any manner against an employee  or a           

                                                                                

4   retired employee  for providing the written notice that he or she           

                                                                                

5   does not want to be insured for the coverage.                               

                                                                                

6       (4) The proceeds of any policy or certificate issued pursuant               

                                                                                

7   to subsection (2) or (3) are exempt from the claims of any                  

                                                                                

8   creditor or dependent of the insured.