Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 27-35 - Insurance Holding Company Systems
Section 27-35-5.5. - Group supervision.

§ 27-35-5.5. Group supervision.
(a) Power of the commissioner. With respect to any insurer registered under § 27-35-3, and in accordance with subsection (c) below, the commissioner shall also have the power to participate in a supervisory college for any domestic insurer that is part of an insurance holding company system with international operations in order to determine compliance by the insurer with this chapter. The powers of the commissioner with respect to supervisory colleges include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Initiating the establishment of a supervisory college;
(2) Clarifying the membership and participation of other supervisors in the supervisory college;
(3) Clarifying the functions of the supervisory college and the role of other regulators, including the establishment of a group wide supervisor;
(4) Coordinating the ongoing activities of the supervisory college, including planning meetings, supervisory activities, and processes for information sharing; and
(5) Establishing a crisis management plan.
(b) Expenses. Each registered insurer subject to this section shall be liable for and shall pay the reasonable expenses of the commissioner’s participation in a supervisory college in accordance with subsection (c) below, including reasonable travel expenses. For purposes of this section, a supervisory college may be convened as either a temporary or permanent forum for communication and cooperation between the regulators charged with the supervision of the insurer or its affiliates, and the commissioner may establish a regular assessment to the insurer for the payment of these expenses.
(c) Supervisory college. In order to assess the business strategy, financial position, legal and regulatory position, risk exposure, risk management, and governance processes, and as part of the examination of individual insurers in accordance with § 27-35-5, the commissioner may participate in a supervisory college with other regulators charged with supervision of the insurer or its affiliates, including other state, federal, and international regulatory agencies. The commissioner may enter into agreements in accordance with § 27-35-6(c) providing the basis for cooperation between the commissioner and the other regulatory agencies, and the activities of the supervisory college. Nothing in this section shall delegate to the supervisory college the authority of the commissioner to regulate or supervise the insurer or its affiliates within its jurisdiction.
(d) The commissioner is authorized to act as the group wide supervisor for any internationally active insurance group in accordance with the provisions of this section. However, the commissioner may otherwise acknowledge another regulatory official as the group wide supervisor where the internationally active insurance group:
(1) Does not have substantial insurance operations in the United States;
(2) Has substantial insurance operations in the United States, but not in this state; or
(3) Has substantial insurance operations in the United States and this state, but the commissioner has determined pursuant to the factors set forth in subsections (e) and (i) of this section that the other regulatory official is the appropriate group wide supervisor.
An insurance holding company system that does not otherwise qualify as an internationally active insurance group may request that the commissioner make a determination or acknowledgment as to a group wide supervisor pursuant to this section.
(e) In cooperation with other state, federal, and international regulatory agencies, the commissioner will identify a single group wide supervisor for an internationally active insurance group. The commissioner may determine that the commissioner is the appropriate group wide supervisor for an internationally active insurance group that conducts substantial insurance operations concentrated in this state. However, the commissioner may acknowledge that a regulatory official from another jurisdiction is the appropriate group wide supervisor for the internationally active insurance group. The commissioner shall consider the following factors when making a determination or acknowledgment under this subsection:
(1) The place of domicile of the insurers within the internationally active insurance group that hold the largest share of the group’s written premiums, assets, or liabilities;
(2) The place of domicile of the top-tiered insurer(s) in the insurance holding company system of the internationally active insurance group;
(3) The location of the executive offices or largest operational offices of the internationally active insurance group;
(4) Whether another regulatory official is acting, or is seeking to act, as the group wide supervisor under a regulatory system that the commissioner determines to be:
(i) Substantially similar to the system of regulation provided under the laws of this state; or
(ii) Otherwise sufficient in terms of providing for group wide supervision, enterprise risk analysis, and cooperation with other regulatory officials; and
(5) Whether another regulatory official acting or seeking to act as the group wide supervisor provides the commissioner with reasonably reciprocal recognition and cooperation.
However, a commissioner identified under this section as the group wide supervisor may determine that it is appropriate to acknowledge another supervisor to serve as the group wide supervisor. The acknowledgment of the group wide supervisor shall be made after consideration of the factors listed in this subsection and shall be made in cooperation with, and subject to, the acknowledgment of other regulatory officials involved with supervision of members of the internationally active insurance group, and in consultation with the internationally active insurance group.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when another regulatory official is acting as the group wide supervisor of an internationally active insurance group, the commissioner shall acknowledge that regulatory official as the group wide supervisor. However, in the event of a material change in the internationally active insurance group that results in:
(1) The internationally active insurance group’s insurers domiciled in this state holding the largest share of the group’s premiums, assets, or liabilities; or
(2) This state being the place of domicile of the top-tiered insurer(s) in the insurance holding company system of the internationally active insurance group, the commissioner shall make a determination or acknowledgment as to the appropriate group wide supervisor for such an internationally active insurance group pursuant to subsection (e) of this section.
(g) Pursuant to § 27-35-5, the commissioner is authorized to collect from any insurer registered pursuant to § 27-35-3 all information necessary to determine whether the commissioner may act as the group wide supervisor of an internationally active insurance group or if the commissioner may acknowledge another regulatory official to act as the group wide supervisor. Prior to issuing a determination that an internationally active insurance group is subject to group wide supervision by the commissioner, the commissioner shall notify the insurer registered pursuant to § 27-35-3 and the ultimate controlling person within the internationally active insurance group. The internationally active insurance group shall have not less than thirty (30) days to provide the commissioner with additional information pertinent to the pending determination. The commissioner shall publish on its internet website the identity of internationally active insurance groups that the commissioner has determined are subject to group wide supervision by the commissioner.
(h) If the commissioner is the group wide supervisor for an internationally active insurance group, the commissioner is authorized to engage in any of the following group wide supervision activities:
(1) Assess the enterprise risks within the internationally active insurance group to ensure that:
(i) The material financial condition and liquidity risks to the members of the internationally active insurance group who or that are engaged in the business of insurance are identified by management; and
(ii) Reasonable and effective mitigation measures are in place;
(2) Request, from any member of an internationally active insurance group subject to the commissioner’s supervision, information necessary and appropriate to assess enterprise risk, including, but not limited to, information about the members of the internationally active insurance group regarding:
(i) Governance, risk assessment, and management;
(ii) Capital adequacy; and
(iii) Material intercompany transactions;
(3) Coordinate and, through the authority of the regulatory officials of the jurisdictions where members of the internationally active insurance group are domiciled, compel development and implementation of reasonable measures designed to ensure that the internationally active insurance group is able to timely recognize and mitigate enterprise risks to members of such internationally active insurance group who or that are engaged in the business of insurance;
(4) Communicate with other state, federal, and international regulatory agencies for members within the internationally active insurance group and share relevant information subject to the confidentiality provisions of § 27-35-6, through supervisory colleges as set forth in subsection (c) of this section or otherwise;
(5) Enter into agreements with, or obtain documentation from, any insurer registered under § 27-35-3, any member of the internationally active insurance group, and any other state, federal, and international regulatory agencies for members of the internationally active insurance group, providing the basis for, or otherwise clarifying, the commissioner’s role as group wide supervisor, including provisions for resolving disputes with other regulatory officials. Such agreements or documentation shall not serve as evidence in any proceeding that any insurer or person within an insurance holding company system not domiciled or incorporated in this state is doing business in this state or is otherwise subject to jurisdiction in this state; and
(6) Other group wide supervision activities, consistent with the authorities and purposes enumerated above, as considered necessary by the commissioner.
(i) If the commissioner acknowledges that another regulatory official from a jurisdiction that is not accredited by the NAIC is the group wide supervisor, the commissioner is authorized to reasonably cooperate, through supervisory colleges or otherwise, with group wide supervision undertaken by the group wide supervisor, provided that:
(1) The commissioner’s cooperation is in compliance with the laws of this state; and
(2) The regulatory official acknowledged as the group wide supervisor also recognizes and cooperates with the commissioner’s activities as a group wide supervisor for other internationally active insurance groups where applicable. Where such recognition and cooperation is not reasonably reciprocal, the commissioner is authorized to refuse recognition and cooperation.
(j) The commissioner is authorized to enter into agreements with, or obtain documentation from, any insurer registered under § 27-35-3, any affiliate of the insurer, and other state, federal, and international regulatory agencies for members of the internationally active insurance group, that provide the basis, for or otherwise clarify, a regulatory official’s role as group wide supervisor.
(k) The commissioner may promulgate regulations necessary for the administration of this section.
(l) A registered insurer subject to this section shall be liable for and shall pay the reasonable expenses of the commissioner’s participation in the administration of this section, including the engagement of attorneys, actuaries and any other professionals and all reasonable travel expenses.
History of Section.P.L. 2011, ch. 15, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 26, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 82, § 13; P.L. 2015, ch. 105, § 13.