US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

      40-229a.   Security deposits; deposit with financial institution; custodian and arrangements acceptable to commissioner; release and exchange of assets; income; forms prescribed and provided by commissioner; facsimile signatures not recognized; inspection of securities on deposit; no liability of state or officers or employees for default of institution; deposit of real estate; audit of deposits with commissioner; title to assets; redeposit with clearing corporation; security and safety of deposits, rules and regulations. (a) All cash, securities, real estate deeds, mortgages or other assets deposited with the commissioner of insurance pursuant to the provisions of the insurance code of the state of Kansas shall be deposited with any Kansas financial institution acceptable to the commissioner through which a custodial or controlled account, a joint custody receipt arrangement or any combination of these or other measures that are acceptable to the commissioner is used. All such deposits shall be held by such financial institution on behalf of the commissioner in trust for the use and benefit of such company and such company's policyholders and creditors. Such assets shall be released from such deposits only upon written approval of the commissioner. All income from deposits belong to the depositing organization and shall be paid to it as it becomes available. The commissioner, upon written approval, may direct the financial institution to permit exchange of securities or assets upon deposit of specified substituted securities or assets. All forms for deposit, withdrawal or exchange shall be prescribed, prepared and furnished by the commissioner and no facsimile signatures shall be used or recognized. The commissioner or assistant commissioner of insurance or insurance department employee authorized by the commissioner may at any time inspect the securities on deposit in any such financial institution. Nothing in this act shall be construed to hold the state of Kansas, the commissioner, assistant commissioner or authorized employee liable either personally or officially for any default of such financial institution.

      Real estate shall be deposited with the commissioner by the depositing organization executing a deed or assignment conveying title thereto to the commissioner, in trust for the use and benefit of such company. Such deeds or assignment shall be recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which such real estate is situated. When the depositing organization is authorized to withdraw real estate from deposit, the commissioner shall execute deeds to such organization or such other persons, companies or corporations as directed by such organization. The costs of registering such deeds shall be paid by the depositing organization.

      All deposits made with the commissioner shall be audited by the commissioner and the state treasurer not less frequently than once each three years. The commissioner may accept an audit performed by another governmental agency acceptable to the commissioner, in lieu of this audit requirement.

      (b)   Assets, except real estate assets, deposited pursuant to this section shall be held by the custodian on behalf of the commissioner as in trust for the use and benefit of the depositing organization. Such assets shall remain the specific property of the organization and shall not be subject to the claim of any third party against the custodian.

      (c)   The custodian is authorized to redeposit such assets with a clearing corporation as defined in K.S.A. 84-8-102 and amendments thereto, if such clearing corporation is domiciled in the United States. The custodian is authorized to hold such assets through the federal reserve bank book-entry system.

      (d)   The commissioner shall adopt rules and regulations to establish requirements relating to deposits under this section appropriate to assure the security and safety of such deposits, including but not limited to the following:

      (1)   Capital and surplus of the custodian;

      (2)   title in which deposited assets are held;

      (3)   records to be kept by the custodian and the commissioner's access thereto;

      (4)   periodic reports by the custodian to the commissioner;

      (5)   responsibility of the custodian to indemnify the depositor for loss of deposited assets;

      (6)   withdrawal or exchange of deposited assets; and

      (7)   authority of the commissioner to terminate the deposit if the condition of the custodian should threaten the security of the deposited assets.

      (e)   As used in this section:

      (1)   "Commissioner" means the commissioner of insurance; and

      (2)   "financial institution" means banks and savings and loan institutions incorporated under the laws of this state, and banks, savings and loan associations and savings banks organized under the laws of the United States or another state which have main or branch offices in this state. "Main office" and "branch" shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in subsections (f) and (g) of section 1 of 1997 Substitute for Senate Bill No. 86.

      History:   L. 1996, ch. 25, § 1; L. 1997, ch. 64, § 1; July 1.