85R10320 SMT/GCB-D
 
  By: Burkett H.B. No. 2909
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the regulation of certain licensed activities and
  related organizations.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
  ARTICLE 1. TITLE ATTORNEY LICENSE; ATTORNEY'S TITLE INSURANCE
  COMPANY
         SECTION 1.01.  Section 35.001(2), Insurance Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
               (2)  "Regulated entity" means each insurer,
  organization, person, or program regulated by the department,
  including:
                     (A)  a domestic or foreign, stock or mutual, life,
  health, or accident insurance company;
                     (B)  a domestic or foreign, stock or mutual, fire
  or casualty insurance company;
                     (C)  a Mexican casualty company;
                     (D)  a domestic or foreign Lloyd's plan;
                     (E)  a domestic or foreign reciprocal or
  interinsurance exchange;
                     (F)  a domestic or foreign fraternal benefit
  society;
                     (G)  a domestic or foreign title insurance
  company;
                     (H)  [an attorney's title insurance company;
                     [(I)]  a stipulated premium company;
                     (I) [(J)]  a nonprofit legal service corporation;
                     (J) [(K)]  a health maintenance organization;
                     (K) [(L)]  a statewide mutual assessment company;
                     (L) [(M)]  a local mutual aid association;
                     (M) [(N)]  a local mutual burial association;
                     (N) [(O)]  an association exempt under Section
  887.102;
                     (O) [(P)]  a nonprofit hospital, medical, or
  dental service corporation, including a company subject to Chapter
  842;
                     (P) [(Q)]  a county mutual insurance company;
                     (Q) [(R)]  a farm mutual insurance company; and
                     (R) [(S)]  an agency or agent of an insurer,
  organization, person, or program described by this subdivision.
         SECTION 1.02.  Section 82.002(a), Insurance Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  This chapter applies to each company regulated by the
  commissioner, including:
               (1)  a domestic or foreign, stock or mutual, life,
  health, or accident insurance company;
               (2)  a domestic or foreign, stock or mutual, fire or
  casualty insurance company;
               (3)  a Mexican casualty company;
               (4)  a domestic or foreign Lloyd's plan insurer;
               (5)  a domestic or foreign reciprocal or interinsurance
  exchange;
               (6)  a domestic or foreign fraternal benefit society;
               (7)  a domestic or foreign title insurance company;
               (8)  [an attorney's title insurance company;
               [(9)]  a stipulated premium insurance company;
               (9) [(10)]  a nonprofit legal service corporation;
               (10) [(11)]  a health maintenance organization;
               (11) [(12)]  a statewide mutual assessment company;
               (12) [(13)]  a local mutual aid association;
               (13) [(14)]  a local mutual burial association;
               (14) [(15)]  an association exempt under Section
  887.102;
               (15) [(16)]  a nonprofit hospital, medical, or dental
  service corporation, including a company subject to Chapter 842;
               (16) [(17)]  a county mutual insurance company; and
               (17) [(18)]  a farm mutual insurance company.
         SECTION 1.03.  Section 83.002(a), Insurance Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  This chapter applies to each company regulated by the
  commissioner, including:
               (1)  a domestic or foreign, stock or mutual, life,
  health, or accident insurance company;
               (2)  a domestic or foreign, stock or mutual, fire or
  casualty insurance company;
               (3)  a Mexican casualty company;
               (4)  a domestic or foreign Lloyd's plan insurer;
               (5)  a domestic or foreign reciprocal or interinsurance
  exchange;
               (6)  a domestic or foreign fraternal benefit society;
               (7)  a domestic or foreign title insurance company;
               (8)  [an attorney's title insurance company;
               [(9)]  a stipulated premium insurance company;
               (9) [(10)]  a nonprofit legal service corporation;
               (10) [(11)]  a statewide mutual assessment company;
               (11) [(12)]  a local mutual aid association;
               (12) [(13)]  a local mutual burial association;
               (13) [(14)]  an association exempt under Section
  887.102;
               (14) [(15)]  a nonprofit hospital, medical, or dental
  service corporation, including a company subject to Chapter 842;
               (15) [(16)]  a county mutual insurance company; and
               (16) [(17)]  a farm mutual insurance company.
         SECTION 1.04.  Section 554.001, Insurance Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         Sec. 554.001.  APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. This chapter
  applies to each insurer or health maintenance organization engaged
  in the business of insurance or the business of a health maintenance
  organization in this state, regardless of form and however
  organized, including:
               (1)  a stock life, health, or accident insurance
  company;
               (2)  a mutual life, health, or accident insurance
  company;
               (3)  a stock fire or casualty insurance company;
               (4)  a mutual fire or casualty insurance company;
               (5)  a Mexican casualty insurance company;
               (6)  a Lloyd's plan;
               (7)  a reciprocal or interinsurance exchange;
               (8)  a fraternal benefit society;
               (9)  a title insurance company;
               (10)  [an attorney's title insurance company;
               [(11)]  a stipulated premium company;
               (11) [(12)]  a nonprofit legal services corporation;
               (12) [(13)]  a statewide mutual assessment company;
               (13) [(14)]  a local mutual aid association;
               (14) [(15)]  a local mutual burial association;
               (15) [(16)]  an association exempt under Section
  887.102;
               (16) [(17)]  a nonprofit hospital, medical, or dental
  service corporation, including a corporation subject to Chapter
  842;
               (17) [(18)]  a county mutual insurance company;
               (18) [(19)]  a farm mutual insurance company; and
               (19) [(20)]  an insurer or health maintenance
  organization engaged in the business of insurance or the business
  of a health maintenance organization in this state that does not
  hold a certificate of authority issued by the department or is not
  otherwise authorized to engage in business in this state.
         SECTION 1.05.  Section 703.001, Insurance Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         Sec. 703.001.  DEFINITION. In this chapter, "covered
  entity" means a health maintenance organization or insurer
  regulated by the department, including:
               (1)  a stock life, health, or accident insurance
  company;
               (2)  a mutual life, health, or accident insurance
  company;
               (3)  a stock fire or casualty insurance company;
               (4)  a mutual fire or casualty insurance company;
               (5)  a Mexican casualty insurance company;
               (6)  a Lloyd's plan;
               (7)  a reciprocal or interinsurance exchange;
               (8)  a fraternal benefit society;
               (9)  a title insurance company;
               (10)  [an attorney's title insurance company;
               [(11)]  a stipulated premium company;
               (11) [(12)]  a nonprofit legal services corporation;
               (12) [(13)]  a statewide mutual assessment company;
               (13) [(14)]  a local mutual aid association;
               (14) [(15)]  a local mutual burial association;
               (15) [(16)]  an association exempt under Section
  887.102;
               (16) [(17)]  a nonprofit hospital, medical, or dental
  service corporation, including a corporation subject to Chapter
  842;
               (17) [(18)]  a county mutual insurance company; and
               (18) [(19)]  a farm mutual insurance company.
         SECTION 1.06.  Section 802.051, Insurance Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         Sec. 802.051.  APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter
  applies to each company regulated by the commissioner, including:
               (1)  a stock life, health, or accident insurance
  company;
               (2)  a mutual life, health, or accident insurance
  company;
               (3)  a stock fire or casualty insurance company;
               (4)  a mutual fire or casualty insurance company;
               (5)  a Mexican casualty company;
               (6)  a Lloyd's plan;
               (7)  a reciprocal or interinsurance exchange;
               (8)  a fraternal benefit society;
               (9)  a title insurance company;
               (10)  [an attorney's title insurance company;
               [(11)]  a stipulated premium insurance company;
               (11) [(12)]  a nonprofit legal service corporation;
               (12) [(13)]  a health maintenance organization;
               (13) [(14)]  a statewide mutual assessment company;
               (14) [(15)]  a local mutual aid association;
               (15) [(16)]  a local mutual burial association;
               (16) [(17)]  an association exempt under Section
  887.102;
               (17) [(18)]  a nonprofit hospital, medical, or dental
  service corporation, including a company subject to Chapter 842;
               (18) [(19)]  a county mutual insurance company; and
               (19) [(20)]  a farm mutual insurance company.
         SECTION 1.07.  Section 2551.053(a), Insurance Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A [Except as provided by Section 2552.053(b), a] title
  insurance company must have a paid-up capital of at least $1 million
  and a surplus of at least $1 million.
         SECTION 1.08.  Section 2602.003(2), Insurance Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
               (2)  "Agent" includes:
                     (A)  a title insurance agent, as defined by
  Section 2501.003; and
                     (B)  [a title attorney, as defined by Section
  2552.002; and
                     [(C)]  a direct operation or a title insurance
  company's wholly owned subsidiary or affiliate that performs the
  services usually and customarily performed by a title insurance
  agent.
         SECTION 1.09.  Chapter 2552, Insurance Code, is repealed.
  ARTICLE 2. EMERGENCY MANAGING GENERAL AGENT LICENSE
         SECTION 2.01.  Section 4053.052, Insurance Code, is
  repealed.
  ARTICLE 3.  BINGO UNIT MANAGER LICENSE
         SECTION 3.01.  Section 2001.431(4), Occupations Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
               (4)  "Unit manager" means an individual who is 
  [licensed under this subchapter to be] responsible for the
  revenues, authorized expenses, and inventory of a unit.
         SECTION 3.02.  The heading to Section 2001.437, Occupations
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 2001.437.  UNIT MANAGER[; LICENSE].
         SECTION 3.03.  Section 2001.437(c), Occupations Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (c)  [A person may not provide services as a unit manager to
  licensed authorized organizations that form a unit unless the
  person holds a unit manager license under this subchapter.] A
  person designated as an agent under Section 2001.438(b) is not a
  unit manager on account of that designation for purposes of this
  section.
         SECTION 3.04.  Sections 2001.437(d), (e), (f), and (g),
  Occupations Code, are repealed.
  ARTICLE 4. TRANSITION AND EFFECTIVE DATE
         SECTION 4.01.  The changes in law made by this Act do not
  affect the right of any individual licensed before the effective
  date of this Act to engage in the applicable occupation for the
  remainder of the term for which the license was issued.
         SECTION 4.02.  This Act takes effect immediately if it
  receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
  house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  
  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
  effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.