Bill Text: CT HB05246 | 2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: An Act Concerning Surety Bail Bond Agents.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-21 - Public Hearing 02/25 [HB05246 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2014-HB05246-Introduced.html

---

General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 5246
February Session, 2014		LCO No. 444
		*00444_______INS*
Referred to Committee on INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE
Introduced by:
(INS)

AN ACT CONCERNING SURETY BAIL BOND AGENTS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (k) of section 38a-660 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):

(k) (1) (A) To further the enforcement of this section and sections 38a-660b to 38a-660m, inclusive, as amended by this act, and to determine the eligibility of any licensee, the commissioner may, as often as the commissioner deems necessary, examine the books and records of any such licensee. Each person licensed as a surety bail bond agent in this state shall, on or before January thirty-first, annually, pay to the commissioner a fee of four hundred fifty dollars to cover the cost of examinations under this subsection.

(B) If such person fails to pay such fee on or before January thirty-first, annually, the license of such person shall automatically expire on the February first immediately following. The commissioner shall timely notify, annually, each person licensed as a surety bail bond agent in this state about such automatic expiration provision.

(C) The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to establish provisions to govern the reinstatement of a surety bail bond agent license that has automatically expired, including, but not limited to, the time period after such expiration within which a person may request reinstatement and the imposition of a late fee.

(2) The fees received by the commissioner pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be dedicated to conducting the examinations under said subdivision (1) and shall be deposited in the account established under subdivision (3) of this subsection.

(3) There is established an account to be known as the "surety bail bond agent examination account", which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the Insurance Fund established under section 38a-52a. The account shall contain any moneys required by law to be deposited in the account and any such moneys remaining in the account at the [close of the fiscal] end of each calendar year shall be transferred to the General Fund.

Sec. 2. Subsection (l) of section 38a-660 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):

(l) (1) The commissioner may renew or continue a license without the resubmittal of the detailed information required in the original application and upon payment of the appropriate fee, as specified in section 38a-11, [without the resubmittal of the detailed information required in the original application] and satisfactory proof that the surety bail bond agent at that time possesses the required qualifications for the license and that the issuance of such license will not be contrary to the licensing provisions of this title.

(2) The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to establish provisions to govern the reinstatement of a surety bail bond agent license that has lapsed due to lack of fee payment or lack of satisfactory proof as required under subdivision (1) of this subsection. Such regulations shall include the time period after such lapse within which a person may request reinstatement and may include the imposition of a late fee.

Sec. 3. Section 38a-660m of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):

The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to (1) implement the provisions of section 38a-660, as amended by this act, and sections 38a-660b to 38a-660k, inclusive, and (2) establish continuing education requirements for persons licensed as surety bail bond agents.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2015	38a-660(k)
Sec. 2	October 1, 2015	38a-660(l)
Sec. 3	October 1, 2015	38a-660m

Statement of Purpose:

To change the date the money remaining in the surety bail bond agent examination account is transferred to the General Fund, to impose an automatic cancellation of a surety bail bond agent's license if such agent has not paid the annual examination fee by January thirty-first, and to authorize the Insurance Department to adopt regulations establishing continuing education requirements for persons licensed as surety bail bond agents.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]