1     
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY AMENDMENTS

2     
2019 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Lyle W. Hillyard

5     
House Sponsor: V. Lowry Snow

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill modifies the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act by amending unclaimed
10     property provisions.
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This bill:
13          ▸     provides and amends definitions;
14          ▸     provides that an indication of apparent owner interest for determining whether
15     property is presumed abandoned includes any other action by the apparent owner
16     which reasonably demonstrates to the holder that the apparent owner knows that the
17     account exists;
18          ▸     specifies when a company is deemed to have knowledge of the death of an insured
19     or annuitant with respect to a life or endowment insurance policy or annuity contract
20     for which an amount is owed on proof of death, but which has not matured by proof
21     of death of the insured or annuitant;
22          ▸     specifies rules for when certain death master file matches occur;
23          ▸     provides that a death master file match does not constitute proof of death for the
24     purpose of a beneficiary, annuitant, or owner of an insurance policy or annuitant
25     contract submitting a claim to an insurance company;
26          ▸     provides that the death master file match or validation of the insured's or annuitant's
27     death does not alter the requirements for a beneficiary, annuitant, or owner of an
28     insurance policy or annuity contract to make a claim to receive proceeds under the

29     terms of the policy or contract;
30          ▸     requires an insurance company to make a good faith effort using other available
31     records and information to validate a death and document the effort taken in certain
32     circumstances; and
33          ▸     makes technical changes.
34     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
35          None
36     Other Special Clauses:
37          None
38     Utah Code Sections Affected:
39     AMENDS:
40          67-4a-102, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 459
41          67-4a-208, as repealed and reenacted by Laws of Utah 2017, Chapter 371
42     ENACTS:
43          67-4a-215, Utah Code Annotated 1953
44     

45     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
46          Section 1. Section 67-4a-102 is amended to read:
47          67-4a-102. Definitions.
48          As used in this chapter:
49          (1) "Administrator" means the deputy state treasurer assigned by the state treasurer.
50          (2) (a) "Administrator's agent" means a person with which the administrator contracts
51     to conduct an examination under Part 10, Verified Report of Property and Examination of
52     Records, on behalf of the administrator.
53          (b) ["Adminstrator's] "Administrator's agent" includes an independent contractor of the
54     person and each individual participating in the examination on behalf of the person or
55     contractor.

56          (3) "Apparent owner" means a person whose name appears on the records of a holder
57     as the owner of property held, issued, or owing by the holder.
58          (4) (a) "Bank draft" means a check, draft, or similar instrument on which a banking or
59     financial organization is directly liable.
60          (b) "Bank draft" includes:
61          (i) a cashier's check; and
62          (ii) a certified check.
63          (c) "Bank draft" does not include:
64          (i) a traveler's check; or
65          (ii) a money order.
66          (5) "Banking organization" means:
67          (a) a bank;
68          (b) an industrial bank;
69          (c) a trust company;
70          (d) a savings bank; or
71          (e) any organization defined by other law as a bank or banking organization.
72          (6) "Business association" means a corporation, joint stock company, investment
73     company other than an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of
74     1940, partnership, unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company,
75     business trust, trust company, land bank, safe deposit company, safekeeping depository,
76     financial organization, banking organization, insurance company, federally chartered entity,
77     utility, sole proprietorship, or other business entity, whether or not for profit.
78          (7) "Cashier's check" means a check that:
79          (a) is drawn by a banking organization on itself;
80          (b) is signed by an officer of the banking organization; and
81          (c) authorizes payment of the amount shown on the check's face to the payee.
82          (8) "Class action" means a legal action:

83          (a) certified by the court as a class action; or
84          (b) treated by the court as a class action without being formally certified as a class
85     action.
86          (9) "Confidential information" means records, reports, and information that is
87     confidential under Section 67-4a-1402.
88          (10) (a) "Deposit in a financial institution" means a demand, savings, or matured time
89     deposit with a banking or financial organization.
90          (b) "Deposit in a financial institution" includes:
91          (i) any interest or dividends on a deposit; and
92          (ii) a deposit that is automatically renewable.
93          (11) "Domicile" means:
94          (a) for a corporation, the state of the corporation's incorporation;
95          (b) for a business association other than a corporation, whose formation requires a
96     filing with a state, the state of the business association's filing;
97          (c) for a federally chartered entity or an investment company registered under the
98     Investment Company Act of 1940, the state of the entity's or company's home office; and
99          (d) for any other holder, the state of the holder's principal place of business.
100          (12) "Electronic" means relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic,
101     wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities.
102          (13) "Electronic mail" means a communication by electronic means that is
103     automatically retained and stored and may be readily accessed or retrieved.
104          (14) "Financial organization" means:
105          (a) a savings and loan association; or
106          (b) a credit union.
107          (15) (a) "Game-related digital content" means digital content that exists only in an
108     electronic game or electronic-game platform.
109          (b) "Game-related digital content" includes:

110          (i) game-play currency, including a virtual wallet, even if denominated in United States
111     currency; and
112          (ii) the following, if for use or redemption only within the game or platform or another
113     electronic game or electronic-game platform:
114          (A) points sometimes referred to as gems, tokens, gold, and similar names; and
115          (B) digital codes.
116          (c) "Game-related digital content" does not include an item that the issuer:
117          (i) permits to be redeemed for use outside a game or platform for:
118          (A) money; or
119          (B) goods or services that have more than minimal value; or
120          (ii) otherwise monetizes for use outside a game or platform.
121          (16) (a) "Gift card" means a record that:
122          (i) is usable at:
123          (A) a single merchant; or
124          (B) a specified group of merchants;
125          (ii) is prefunded before the record is used; and
126          (iii) can be used for purchases of goods or services.
127          (b) "Gift card" includes a prepaid commercial mobile radio service as defined in 47
128     C.F.R. Sec. 20.3.
129          (17) "Holder" means a person obligated to hold for the account of, or to deliver or pay
130     to, the owner property subject to this chapter.
131          (18) "Insurance company" means an association, corporation, or fraternal or mutual
132     benefit organization, whether or not for profit, engaged in the business of providing life
133     endowments, annuities, or insurance, including:
134          (a) accident insurance;
135          (b) burial insurance;
136          (c) casualty insurance;

137          (d) credit life insurance;
138          (e) contract performance insurance;
139          (f) dental insurance;
140          (g) disability insurance;
141          (h) fidelity insurance;
142          (i) fire insurance;
143          (j) health insurance;
144          (k) hospitalization insurance;
145          (l) illness insurance;
146          (m) life insurance, including endowments and annuities;
147          (n) malpractice insurance;
148          (o) marine insurance;
149          (p) mortgage insurance;
150          (q) surety insurance;
151          (r) wage protection insurance; and
152          (s) worker compensation insurance.
153          (19) "Last known address" means a description of the location of the apparent owner
154     sufficient for the purpose of the delivery of mail.
155          (20) (a) "Loyalty card" means a record given without direct monetary consideration
156     under an award, reward, benefit, loyalty, incentive, rebate, or promotional program that may be
157     used or redeemed only to obtain goods or services or a discount on goods or services.
158          (b) "Loyalty card" does not include a record that may be redeemed for money or
159     otherwise monetized by the issuer.
160          (21) (a) "Mineral" means any substance that is ordinarily and naturally considered a
161     mineral, regardless of the depth at which the substance is found.
162          (b) "Mineral" includes:
163          (i) building stone;

164          (ii) cement material;
165          (iii) chemical raw material;
166          (iv) coal;
167          (v) colloidal and other clay;
168          (vi) fissionable and nonfissionable ore;
169          (vii) gas;
170          (viii) gemstone;
171          (ix) gravel;
172          (x) lignite;
173          (xi) oil;
174          (xii) oil shale;
175          (xiii) other gaseous liquid or solid hydrocarbon;
176          (xiv) road material;
177          (xv) sand;
178          (xvi) steam and other geothermal resources;
179          (xvii) sulphur; and
180          (xviii) uranium.
181          (22) (a) "Mineral proceeds" means an amount payable:
182          (i) for extraction, production, or sale of minerals; or
183          (ii) for the abandonment of an interest in minerals.
184          (b) "Mineral proceeds" includes an amount payable:
185          (i) for the acquisition and retention of a mineral lease, including a bonus, royalty,
186     compensatory royalty, shut-in royalty, minimum royalty, or delay rental;
187          (ii) for the extraction, production, or sale of minerals, including a net revenue interest,
188     royalty, overriding royalty, extraction payment, or production payment; and
189          (iii) under an agreement or option, including a joint-operating agreement, unit
190     agreement, pooling agreement, and farm-out agreement.

191          (23) (a) "Money order" means a payment order for a specified amount of money.
192          (b) "Money order" includes an express money order and a personal money order on
193     which the remitter is the purchaser.
194          (c) "Money order" does not include a cashier's check.
195          (24) "Municipal bond" means a bond or evidence of indebtedness issued by a
196     municipality or other political subdivision of a state.
197          (25) (a) "Nonfreely transferable security" means a security that cannot be delivered to
198     the administrator by the Depository Trust Clearing Corporation or a similar custodian of
199     securities providing post-trade clearing and settlement services to financial markets or cannot
200     be delivered because there is no agent to effect transfer.
201          (b) "Nonfreely transferable security" includes a worthless security.
202          (26) (a) "Owner" means a person that has a legal, beneficial, or equitable interest in
203     property subject to this chapter or the person's legal representative when acting on behalf of the
204     owner.
205          (b) "Owner" includes:
206          (i) a depositor, for a deposit;
207          (ii) a beneficiary, for a trust other than a deposit in trust;
208          (iii) a creditor, claimant, or payee, for other property; and
209          (iv) the lawful bearer of a record that may be used to obtain money, a reward, or a thing
210     of value.
211          (27) "Payroll card" means a record that evidences a payroll card account as defined in
212     12 C.F.R. Part 1005, Electronic Fund Transfers (Regulation E).
213          (28) "Person" means:
214          (a) an individual;
215          (b) an estate;
216          (c) a business association;
217          (d) a public corporation;

218          (e) a government entity;
219          (f) an agency;
220          (g) a trust;
221          (h) an instrumentality; or
222          (i) any other legal or commercial entity.
223          (29) (a) "Property" means tangible property described in Section 67-4a-205 or a fixed
224     and certain interest in intangible property held, issued, or owed in the course of a holder's
225     business or by a government entity.
226          (b) "Property" includes:
227          (i) all income from or increments to the property;
228          (ii) property referred to as or evidenced by:
229          (A) money, virtual currency, interest, or a dividend, check, draft, or deposit;
230          (B) a credit balance, customer's overpayment, stored-value card, payroll card, security
231     deposit, refund, credit memorandum, unpaid wage, unused ticket for which the issuer has an
232     obligation to provide a refund, mineral proceeds, or unidentified remittance; and
233          (C) a security except for:
234          (I) a worthless security; or
235          (II) a security that is subject to a lien, legal hold, or restriction evidenced on the records
236     of the holder or imposed by operation of law, if the lien, legal hold, or restriction restricts the
237     holder's or owner's ability to receive, transfer, sell, or otherwise negotiate the security;
238          (iii) a bond, debenture, note, or other evidence of indebtedness;
239          (iv) money deposited to redeem a security, make a distribution, or pay a dividend;
240          (v) an amount due and payable under an annuity contract or insurance policy;
241          (vi) an amount distributable from a trust or custodial fund established under a plan to
242     provide health, welfare, pension, vacation, severance, retirement, death, stock purchase,
243     profit-sharing, employee-savings, supplemental-unemployment insurance, or a similar benefit;
244     and

245          (vii) an amount held under a preneed funeral or burial contract, other than a contract
246     for burial rights or opening and closing services, where the contract has not been serviced
247     following the death or the presumed death of the beneficiary.
248          (c) "Property" does not include:
249          (i) property held in a plan described in Section 529A, Internal Revenue Code;
250          (ii) game-related digital content;
251          (iii) a loyalty card;
252          (iv) an in-store credit for returned merchandise; [or]
253          (v) patronage capital of an electric, telephone, or agricultural cooperative; or
254          [(v)] (vi) a gift card.
255          (30) "Putative holder" means a person believed by the administrator to be a holder,
256     until:
257          (a) the person pays or delivers to the administrator property subject to this chapter; or
258          (b) the administrator or a court makes a final determination that the person is or is not a
259     holder.
260          (31) "Record" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is
261     stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.
262          (32) "Security" means:
263          (a) a security as defined in Revised Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code; or
264          (b) a security entitlement as defined in Revised Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial
265     Code, including a customer security account held by a registered broker-dealer, to the extent
266     the financial assets held in the security account are not:
267          (i) registered on the books of the issuer in the name of the person for which the
268     broker-dealer holds the assets;
269          (ii) payable to the order of the person;
270          (iii) specifically endorsed to the person; or
271          (iv) an equity interest in a business association not included in this Subsection (32).

272          (33) "Sign" means, with present intent to authenticate or adopt a record:
273          (a) to execute or adopt a tangible symbol; or
274          (b) to attach to or logically associate with the record an electronic symbol, sound, or
275     process.
276          (34) "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
277     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular
278     possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
279          (35) (a) "Stored-value card" means a reloadable or non-reloadable record:
280          (i) with a monetary value or amount that can be:
281          (A) used to purchase or otherwise acquire goods or services;
282          (B) used to obtain cash; or
283          (C) redeemed for cash value; and
284          (ii) of which the issuer or the issuer's agent has a record of the name and last known
285     address of the apparent owner and the address is in the state of Utah.
286          (b) "Stored-value card" does not include:
287          (i) a record described in Subsection (35)(a) that is purchased or acquired by an
288     intermediary or other party for resale, for sale on consignment, or as a gift to the card user,
289     when the issuer does not know the name and address of the ultimate buyer or recipient of the
290     record;
291          (ii) a loyalty card;
292          (iii) a gift card; or
293          (iv) game-related digital content.
294          (36) "Utility" means a person that owns or operates for public use a plant, equipment,
295     real property, franchise, or license for:
296          (a) the transmission of communications or information;
297          (b) the production, storage, transmission, sale, delivery, or furnishing of electricity,
298     water, steam, or gas; or

299          (c) the provision of sewage or septic services, or trash, garbage, or recycling disposal.
300          (37) (a) "Virtual currency" means a digital representation of value used as a medium of
301     exchange, unit of account, or store of value, which does not have legal tender status recognized
302     by the United States.
303          (b) "Virtual currency" does not include:
304          (i) the software or protocols governing the transfer of the digital representation of
305     value;
306          (ii) game-related digital content;
307          (iii) a loyalty card;
308          (iv) membership rewards; or
309          (v) a gift card.
310          (38) "Worthless security" means a security whose cost of liquidation and delivery to
311     the administrator would exceed the value of the security on the date a report is due under this
312     chapter.
313          Section 2. Section 67-4a-208 is amended to read:
314          67-4a-208. Indication of apparent owner interest in property.
315          (1) The period after which property is presumed abandoned is measured from the later
316     of:
317          (a) the date the property is presumed abandoned under this part; or
318          (b) the latest indication of interest by the apparent owner in the property.
319          (2) Under this chapter, an indication of an apparent owner's interest in property
320     includes:
321          (a) a record communicated by the apparent owner to the holder or agent of the holder
322     concerning the property or the account in which the property is held;
323          (b) an oral communication by the apparent owner to the holder or agent of the holder
324     concerning the property or the account in which the property is held, if the holder or the
325     holder's agent contemporaneously makes and preserves a record of the fact of the apparent

326     owner's communication;
327          (c) presentment of a check or other instrument of payment of a dividend, interest
328     payment, or other distribution, or evidence of receipt of a distribution made by electronic or
329     similar means, with respect to an account, underlying security, or interest in a business
330     association;
331          (d) activity directed by an apparent owner in the account in which the property is held,
332     including accessing the account or information concerning the account, or a direction by the
333     apparent owner to increase, decrease, or otherwise change the amount or type of property held
334     in the account;
335          (e) a deposit into or withdrawal from an account at a banking organization or financial
336     organization, [except for] including an automatic deposit or withdrawal previously authorized
337     by the apparent owner [or] other than an automatic reinvestment of dividends or interest; [and]
338          (f) any other action by the apparent owner which reasonably demonstrates to the holder
339     that the apparent owner knows that the account exists; and
340          [(f)] (g) subject to Subsection (5), payment of a premium on an insurance policy.
341          (3) An action by an agent or other representative of an apparent owner, other than the
342     holder acting as the apparent owner's agent, is presumed to be an action on behalf of the
343     apparent owner.
344          (4) A communication with an apparent owner by a person other than the holder or the
345     holder's representative is not an indication of interest in the property by the apparent owner
346     unless a record of the communication evidences the apparent owner's knowledge of a right to
347     the property.
348          (5) If the insured dies or the insured or beneficiary of an insurance policy otherwise
349     becomes entitled to the proceeds before depletion of the cash surrender value of the policy by
350     operation of an automatic premium loan provision or other nonforfeiture provision contained in
351     the policy, the operation does not prevent the policy from maturing or terminating.
352          Section 3. Section 67-4a-215 is enacted to read:

353          67-4a-215. Knowledge of death of insured or annuitant.
354          (1) As used in this section:
355          (a) "Death master file" means:
356          (i) the United States Social Security Administration death master file; or
357          (ii) another database or service that is at least as comprehensive as the United States
358     Social Security Administration death master file for determining that an individual has
359     reportedly died.
360          (b) "Special administrator" means the same as that term is defined in Section 75-1-201.
361          (2) With respect to a life or endowment insurance policy or annuity contract for which
362     an amount is owed on proof of death, but which has not matured by proof of death of the
363     insured or annuitant, the company is deemed to have knowledge of the death of an insured or
364     annuitant when:
365          (a) the company receives a death certificate or court order determining that the insured
366     or annuitant has died;
367          (b) due diligence, performed as required under Section 31A-22-1903, to maintain
368     contact with the insured or annuitant to determine whether the insured or annuitant has died
369     validates the death of the insured or annuitant;
370          (c) the company conducts a comparison for any purpose between a death master file
371     and the names of some of the company's insureds or annuitants and finds a match that provides
372     notice that the insured or annuitant has died, and the company validates the death; or
373          (d) the company:
374          (i) receives notice of the death of the insured or annuitant from a special administrator,
375     beneficiary, policy owner, relative of the insured, or trustee or from a personal representative,
376     executor, or other legal representative of the insured's or annuitant's estate; and
377          (ii) validates the death of the insured or annuitant.
378          (3) A death master file match under Subsection (2)(c) occurs if the criteria for an exact
379     or partial match are satisfied as provided by:

380          (a) a law of this state other than this chapter, including Section 31A-22-1903; or
381          (b) a rule or policy adopted by the Insurance Department.
382          (4) A death master file match does not constitute proof of death for the purpose of a
383     beneficiary, annuitant, or owner of an insurance policy or annuitant contract submitting a claim
384     to an insurance company.
385          (5) The death master file match or validation of the insured's or annuitant's death does
386     not alter the requirements for a beneficiary, annuitant, or owner of the policy or contract to
387     make a claim to receive proceeds under the terms of the policy or contract.
388          (6) If a provision in Section 31A-22-1903 does not establish a time for validation of a
389     death of an insured or annuitant, the insurance company shall make a good faith effort using
390     other available records and information, no later than 90 days after the insurance company has
391     notice of the death, to:
392          (a) validate the death; and
393          (b) document the effort taken.
394          (7) This section does not affect the determination of the extent to which an insurance
395     company, before May 14, 2019:
396          (a) had knowledge of the death of an insured or annuitant; or
397          (b) was required to conduct a death master file comparison to determine whether
398     amounts owed by the company on a life or endowment insurance policy or annuity contract
399     were presumed or abandoned.