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MINUTES OF THE SENATE BUSINESS & LABOR
STANDING COMMITTEE
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2007, 8:3O A.M.
ROOM W015, WEST OFFICE BUILDING
STATE CAPITOL COMPLEX


Members Present:    Sen. Kevin VanTassell, Chair
        Sen. Dan Eastman
        Sen. Bill Hickman
        Sen.Wayne Niederhauser         Sen. Carlene Walker
        Sen. Ed Mayne
    
Members Excused:    Sen. Gene Davis

Staff Present:    Allison Nicholson, Policy Analyst
        Karen Allred, Committee Secretary

Public Speakers Present:    Mark Dykes, Attorney, Parsons Behle & Latimer
        Alan Spriggs, Summit County Recorder
        Paul Newton, President, Utah Land Title Association
        Burt Matthews, Vice President, Sales, eGlobal ATM

A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

Chair VanTassell called the meeting to order at 8:35 a.m.

Approval of Minutes

    MOTION:
Sen. Hickman moved to approve the minutes of February 1, 2007.

    The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Mayne absent for the vote.

1.    S.B. 77 Insurable Interest Amendments
(R. Romero)

    Sen. Romero introduced the bill and the following amendments were distributed:


1.    Page 2, Lines 28 through 37 :    

             28          (1) As used in this chapter:
  (a) For purposes of this section, "exchange" means an exchange made pursuant to Section 1035, Internal Revenue Code, as may be amended.      



             29          
{   (a)   }        (b)       "Insurable interest" in a person means the following, including a circumstance

             30      described in Subsection (3):
             31          (i) for persons closely related by blood or by law, a substantial interest engendered by
             32      love and affection; or
             33          (ii) in the case of other persons, a lawful and substantial interest in having the life,
             34      health, and bodily safety of the person insured continue.
             35          
{   (b)   }        (c)       "Insurable interest" in property or liability means any lawful and substantial

             36      economic interest in the nonoccurrence of the event insured against.
             37          
{   (c)   }        (d)       "Viatical settlement" is as defined in Section 31A-36-102 .


2.    Page 3, Lines 59 through 62 :    

             59          [(ii) Policyholders] (e) A policy holder in a group insurance [contracts do]
{   contract   }        policy      

             60      does not need an insurable interest if a certificate [holders] holder or [persons] a person other
             61      than the group
{   policyholders who are   }        policyholder who is       specified by the certificate [holders are the recipients]

             62      holder is the recipient of the proceeds of the [policies] group insurance
{   contract   }        policy       .


3.    Page 3, Line 69 through Page 4, Line 117 :    

             69      [interest] interests in the business.
      (c) A trust has an insurable interest in the subject of the insurance to the extent that a beneficiary of the trsut has the insurable interest.      

             70          [(v)]
{   (c)   }        (d)       (i) Subject to Subsection [(9)] (3)      {   (c)   }        (d)       (v), an employer or an employer

             71      sponsored trust [for the benefit of the employer's employees]:
             72          (A) has an insurable interest in the lives of the employer's:
             73          (I) directors;
             74          (II) officers;
             75          (III) managers;
             76          (IV) nonmanagement employees; and


             77          (V) retired employees; and
             78          (B) may insure the lives listed in Subsection [(2)(a)(v)(A)] (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (i)(A):

             79          (I) on an individual or group basis; and
             80          (II) with the written consent of the insured.
             81          [(b) "Insurable interest" in property or liability means any lawful and substantial
             82      economic interest in the nonoccurrence of the event insured against.]
             83          [(c) "Viatical settlement" is as defined in Section 31A-36-102 .]
             84          (ii) (A) A trustee of a trust established by an employer for the sole benefit of the
             85      employer has the same insurable interest in the life and health of any person as does the
             86      employer.
             87          (B) Without limiting the general principle in Subsection (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (ii)(A), a trustee of a

             88      trust established by an employer that provides life, health, disability, retirement, or similar
             89      benefits has an insurable interest in the lives of the following individuals if the individual is to
             90      be provided life, health, disability, retirement, or similar benefits from the trust:
             91          (I) an individual described in Subsection (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (i)(A); or

             92          (II) a dependent or beneficiary of an individual described in Subsection (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (i)(A).

             93          (iii) (A) For the purpose of exchanging life insurance, the individuals described in
             94      Subsection (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (i)(A) include an individual who was formerly included under Subsection

             95      (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (i)(A) if the life insurance to be exchanged:

             96          (I) is purchased or acquired while the individual is a current director, officer, manager,
             97      or employee; and
             98          (II) is exchanged for life insurance in an amount that does not exceed the amount of the
             99      insurance being exchanged.
             100          (B) Written consent of an individual described in this Subsection (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (iii) is not

             101      required at the time of the exchange of the life insurance.
             102          (C) This Subsection (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (iii) shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with

             103      Subsection (2)(c).


             104          (iv) (A) If an employer or trustee establishes an insurable interest as provided in this
             105      Subsection (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       and all of the employer's business is acquired, purchased, merged into, or

             106      otherwise transferred to a subsequent employer, the insurable interest of the original employer
             107      or trustee in an individual described in Subsection (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (i)(A) is automatically transferred to:

             108          (I) the subsequent employer; or
             109          (II) the trustee of a trust established by the subsequent employer for the subsequent
             110      employer's sole benefit.
             111          (B) A subsequent employer or a trustee of a trust described in Subsection
             112      (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (iv)(A)(II) may exchange life insurance that is purchased or acquired in an individual

             113      described in Subsection (3)
{   (c)   }        (d)       (i)(A) by the original employer or trustee without establishing a

             114      new insurable interest at the time of the exchange of the insurance.
             115          (v) The extent of an employer's or employer sponsored trust's insurable interest for a
             116      nonmanagement
{   and   }        or       retired employee under Subsection (3)      {   (c)   }        (d)       (i) is limited to an amount

             117      commensurate with the employer's unfunded liabilities
  at the time insurance on the nonmanagement or retired employee is procured       .


4.    Page 6, Lines 156 through 157 :    

             156          [(5)] (6) (a) An insurance policy is not invalid because
{   the policyholder lacks insurable

             157      interest or because  
}
  :

(i) the insurance policy is issued or procured in violation of Subsection (2); or
(ii)  
consent has not been given.


5.    Page 7, Lines 198 through 199 :    


             198          (iii)
{   is   }        are       not in lieu of an insurable interest that is not expressly included in this section

             199      but exists in common law.


    
     MOTION: Sen. Walker moved to adopt the amendments.

    The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Mayne absent for the vote.

    Sen. Romero proposed to further amend the bill as follows:

    On line 46, delete "or" and insert "and"

     MOTION: Sen. Hickman moved to adopt the amendment.

    The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Mayne absent for the vote.

    Mark Dykes, attorney, Parsons Behle & Lattimer, further clarified the bill.

     MOTION: Sen. Walker moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended.

    The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Mayne absent for the vote.

    Chair Van Tassell and Sen. Hickman declared a conflict of interest.


2.    S.B. 219 Real Estate Modifications (D. Stowell)

    
Sen. Stowell introduced the bill and proposed to amend the bill as follows:


1.    Page 3, Lines 84 through 85 :    

             84          (9)
{   Neither   }        Subject to federal bankruptcy law, neither       the recordation of an affidavit under Subsection (8) nor the reexecution and

             85      rerecording of a document under Subsection (7)
  shall       :

    

     MOTION: Sen. Hickman moved to adopt the amendment.

    The motion passed unanimously.
    
    Alan Spriggs, Summit County Recorder, further clarified the bill and answered questions     from the committee.

    Paul Newton, President, Utah Land Title Association, spoke in support of the bill.



    
    MOTION:
Sen. Neiderhauser moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended.

    The motion passed unanimously.

     MOTION: Sen. Hickman moved to place S.B. 219 on the Consent Calendar.

    The motion passed unanimously.

3.    H.B. 88 Automated Teller Machine Changes for International Accounts (Julie Fisher)

    
Rep. Julie Fisher introduced the bill.

    Burt Matthews, Vice President, Sales, eGlobal ATM, spoke in support of the bill and     answered questions from the committee.

     MOTION: Sen. Eastman moved to pass the bill out favorably.

    The motion passed unanimously.

     MOTION: Sen. Hickman moved to adjourn.

    The motion passed unanimously at 9:17 a.m.





                _________________________________
                Sen. Kevin VanTassell, Committee Chair