By: Smithee (Senate Sponsor - Nichols) H.B. No. 2819

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 2021; May 4, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Business & Commerce; May 13, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 13, 2021, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to temporary licenses for insurance professionals.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 4001.153, Insurance Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 4001.153. APPLICATION FOR AND ISSUANCE OF TEMPORARY LICENSE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the [The] department shall issue a temporary license immediately on receipt of a properly completed application executed by the applicant in the form required by Section 4001.102 and accompanied by:

(1) the nonrefundable filing fee set by the department; and

(2) a certificate signed by an officer or properly authorized representative of an agent, insurer, or health maintenance organization stating that:

(A) the applicant is being considered for appointment by the agent, insurer, or health maintenance organization as its full-time agent;

(B) the agent, insurer, or health maintenance organization desires that the applicant be issued a temporary license; and

(C) the applicant will complete training as prescribed by Section 4001.160 under the agent's, insurer's, or health maintenance organization's supervision.

(b) The department may deny a license application under this subchapter if the department determines that any of the grounds exist for license denial or disciplinary action under Section 4005.101, Insurance Code, or Chapter 53, Occupations Code.

SECTION 2. Section 4001.155, Insurance Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 4001.155. TERM OF TEMPORARY LICENSE. A temporary license is valid for 180 [90] days after the date of issuance.

SECTION 3. Section 4001.156(a), Insurance Code, is repealed.

SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to an application for a temporary insurance agent's license submitted on or after the effective date of this Act. An application for a temporary insurance agent's license submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before that date, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.

* * * * *