California Insurance Code 1668.5 – (a) The commissioner may deny an application for a license …
(a) The commissioner may deny an application for a license issued pursuant to this chapter, and may suspend or revoke the permanent license of an organization licensed pursuant to this chapter as authorized by Section 1738, if the applicant or holder of the permanent license is an organization and a controlling person of the organization is any of the following:
(1) The controlling person has previously engaged in a fraudulent practice or act or has conducted any business in a dishonest manner.
Terms Used In California Insurance Code 1668.5
- Commissioner: means the Insurance Commissioner of this State. See California Insurance Code 20
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- license: includes a certificate of convenience and a permanent license, and the term "persons who are licensed" includes the holders of any such certificate or the license, but these definitions and the use of those terms in this chapter shall not confer upon a certificate of convenience or any holder thereof any property right in or to the certificate, the certificate being and remaining only a temporary permit, issued as a matter of convenience, allowing the transaction of insurance without a permanent license, but within the limits, and subject to the conditions of the certificate of convenience issued and the laws applicable thereto. See California Insurance Code 1627
- Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
- organization: means any legal entity other than a natural person. See California Insurance Code 1628
- Person: means any person, association, organization, partnership, business trust, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Insurance Code 19
- Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
- Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
(2) The controlling person has shown incompetency or untrustworthiness in the conduct of any business, or has by commission of a wrongful act or practice in the course of any business exposed the public or those dealing with the controlling person to the danger of loss.
(3) The controlling person has knowingly misrepresented the terms or effect of an insurance policy or contract.
(4) The controlling person has failed to perform a duty expressly enjoined upon them by a provision of this code or has committed an act expressly forbidden by a provision of this code.
(5) The controlling person has been convicted of any of the following:
(A) A felony.
(B) A misdemeanor specified by this code or other laws regulating insurance.
(C) A public offense having as one of its necessary elements a fraudulent act or an act of dishonesty in acceptance, custody, or payment of money or property.
A judgment, plea, or verdict of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this section.
(6) The controlling person has aided or abetted a person in an act or omission that would constitute grounds for the suspension, revocation, or refusal of a license or certificate issued under this code to the person aided or abetted.
(7) The controlling person has permitted a person in the controlling person’s employ to violate this code.
(8) The controlling person has violated a law relating to conduct of business that could lawfully be done only under authority conferred by a license under this chapter.
(9) The controlling person has been found liable by clear and convincing evidence in a civil action involving allegations of elder or dependent abuse, oppression, fraud, malice, misappropriation or conversion of funds, misrepresentation, or breach of fiduciary duty.
(b) As used in this section, “controlling person” means a person who possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the organization, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract other than a commercial contract for goods or nonmanagement services, or otherwise, including, but not limited to, power that is the result of an official position with or corporate office held by the person. Control shall be presumed to exist if a person, directly or indirectly, owns, controls, holds with the power to vote, or holds proxies representing, more than 10 percent of the voting securities of the organization. This presumption may be rebutted by a showing that control does not exist in fact. The commissioner may, after furnishing all persons in interest notice and opportunity to be heard, determine that control exists in fact, notwithstanding the absence of a presumption to that effect.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 627, Sec. 8. (AB 1511) Effective January 1, 2022.)