2019 District of Columbia Code
Title 31 - Insurance and Securities.
Chapter 51 - Credit Life, Accident, and Health Insurance.
§ 31–5102. Definitions.

For the purpose of this chapter:

(1) “Mayor” means the Mayor of the District of Columbia.

(1A) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking.

(2) “Credit life insurance” means insurance issued on the life of a debtor pursuant to or in connection with a specific loan or other credit transaction.

(3) “Credit accident and health insurance” means insurance against the disability of a debtor which provides indemnity for payments on a specific loan or other credit transaction.

(4) “Creditor” means the lender of money or vendor of goods, services, or property, including a lessor under a lease intended as a security, for which payment is arranged through a loan or other credit transaction, and includes any successor to the right, title, or interest of any such lender, vendor, or lessor.

(5) “Debtor” means a borrower of money or purchaser of goods, services, or property, including a lessee under a lease intended as a security, for which payment is arranged through a loan or other credit transaction.

(6) “District” means the District of Columbia.

(7) “Indebtedness” means the amount payable by a debtor to a creditor in connection with a loan or other credit transaction.

(8) Repealed.

(Sept. 25, 1962, 76 Stat. 580, Pub. L. 87-686, § 2; May 21, 1997, D.C. Law 11-268, § 10(m), 44 DCR 1730; Mar. 24, 1998, D.C. Law 12-81, § 25(a), 45 DCR 745; June 11, 2004, D.C. Law 15-166, § 4(dd), 51 DCR 2817.)

1981 Ed., § 35-1002.

1973 Ed., § 35-1602.

D.C. Law 15-166, in par. (1A), substituted “Commissioner of the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking” for “Commissioner of Insurance and Securities”.

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 4(dd) of Consolidation of Financial Services Emergency Amendment Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-381, February 27, 2004, 51 DCR 2653).

Department of Insurance abolished: The Department of Insurance, including the Superintendent, was abolished and the functions thereof transferred to the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia by Reorganization Plan No. 5 of 1952. Reorganization Order No. 43, dated June 23, 1953, as amended, established, under the direction and control of a Commissioner, a Department of Insurance headed by a Superintendent. The Order provided for the organization of the Department, abolished the previously existing Department of Insurance, and provided that all functions and positions of the previous Department would be transferred to the new Department of Insurance, including the duties, powers, and authorities of all officers and employees; and that all personnel, property, records and unexpended balances relating to the functions and positions transferred would also be transferred to the new Department. The executive functions of the Board of Commissioners were transferred to the Commissioner of the District of Columbia by § 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967. The functions of the Superintendent of Insurance were transferred to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1983, effective March 31, 1983. Pursuant to the provisions of D.C. Law 11-268, the Department of Insurance and Securities Regulation was established and the duties of the Superintendent of Insurance and the Insurance Administration were assumed by the Commissioner of Insurance and Securities, and the Insurance Administration in the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs was abolished.

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to a single Commissioner. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.