§ 206. Assessments to defray operating expenses of the department. (a) For each fiscal year commencing on or after April first, two thousand twelve, assessments to defray operating expenses, including all direct and indirect costs, of the department, except expenses incurred in the liquidation of banking organizations, shall be assessed by the superintendent in accordance with this subsection. Persons regulated under the insurance law shall be assessed by the superintendent for the operating expenses of the department that are solely attributable to regulating persons under the insurance law, which shall include any expenses that were permissible to be assessed in fiscal year two thousand nine-two thousand ten, with the assessments allocated pro rata upon all domestic insurers and all licensed United States branches of alien insurers domiciled in this state within the meaning of paragraph four of subsection (b) of § 7408 of the insurance law, in proportion to the gross direct premiums and other considerations, written or received by them in this state during the calendar year ending December thirty-first immediately preceding the end of the fiscal year for which the assessment is made (less return premiums and considerations thereon) for policies or contracts of insurance covering property or risks resident or located in this state the issuance of which policies or contracts requires a license from the superintendent. Persons regulated under the banking law shall be assessed by the superintendent for the operating expenses of the department that are solely attributable to regulating persons under the banking law in such proportions as the superintendent shall deem just and reasonable. Persons regulated under this chapter that engage in "virtual currency business activity," as that term is defined by the department, shall be assessed by the superintendent for the operating expenses of the department that are solely attributable to regulating such persons in such proportions as the superintendent shall deem just and reasonable. Operating expenses of the department not covered by the assessments set forth above shall be assessed by the superintendent in such proportions as the superintendent shall deem just and reasonable upon all domestic insurers and all licensed United States branches of alien insurers domiciled in this state within the meaning of paragraph four of subsection (b) of § 7408 of the insurance law, and upon any regulated person under the banking law, other than mortgage loan originators, and upon persons regulated under this chapter that engage in virtual currency business activity, except as otherwise provided by sections one hundred fifty-one and two hundred twenty-eight of the workers' compensation law and by section sixty of the volunteer firefighters' benefit law. The provisions of this subsection shall not be applicable to a bank holding company, as that term is defined in Article 3-A of the banking law. Persons regulated under the banking law will not be assessed for expenses that the superintendent deems to benefit solely persons regulated under the insurance law or under this chapter that engage in virtual currency business activity, and persons regulated under the insurance law will not be assessed for expenses that the superintendent deems to benefit solely persons regulated under the banking law or under this chapter that engage in virtual currency business activity. Persons regulated under this chapter that engage in virtual currency business activity will not be assessed for expenses that the superintendent deems to benefit solely persons regulated under the insurance law or under the banking law.

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(b) For each fiscal year commencing on or after April first, two thousand twelve, a partial payment shall be made by each entity subject to this section in a sum equal to twenty-five per centum, or such other per centum or per centums as the superintendent may prescribe, of the annual expenses assessed upon it for the fiscal year as estimated by the superintendent. Such payment shall be made on March tenth of the preceding fiscal year and on June tenth, September tenth and December tenth of each year, or at such other dates as the superintendent may prescribe. The balance of assessments for the fiscal year shall be paid upon determination of the actual amount due in accordance with the provisions of this section. Any overpayment of annual assessment resulting from complying with the requirements of this subsection shall be applied against the next estimated quarterly assessment, if less than or equal to such amount, with any excess refunded to the assessed. As an alternative, if the estimated annual assessment for the fiscal year is equal to or less than the annual minimum assessment set by the superintendent, the superintendent may require full payment to be made on or before September thirtieth or such other date of the fiscal year as the superintendent may determine.

(c) The expenses incurred in making examinations of, or for special services performed on account of, any bank holding company, as that term is defined in the banking law, or any regulated person under the banking law, shall be assessed provided, however, that the superintendent, in the superintendent's sole discretion, may determine, with respect to expenses incurred in the making of any specific examination or investigation, or the performing of any special services, that any such expense shall be assessed against and paid by the bank holding company or any other regulated person under the banking law for which they were incurred or performed.

(d) The expenses incurred in making an examination of any affiliate of a banking organization pursuant to the banking law, and the expenses incurred in making an examination, pursuant to the banking law, of a non-banking subsidiary of a corporation or any other entity that is an affiliate of a banking organization, shall be assessed against and paid by such banking organization if the affiliate cannot be assessed pursuant to the provisions of the banking law.

(d-1) The expenses of every examination of the affairs of any person regulated pursuant to this chapter that engages in virtual currency business activity shall be borne and paid by the regulated person so examined, but the superintendent, with the approval of the comptroller, may in the superintendent's discretion for good cause shown remit such charges.

(e) The superintendent may, in the superintendent's sole discretion, upon notice, suspend the license, registration, certificate or authority (for purposes of this section, a license) granted to any person pursuant to this chapter, the banking law or insurance law, upon the failure of such person to make any payment required by this section within thirty days after the due date. If the superintendent has suspended any such license, such license may be reinstated if the superintendent determines that such person has made any such payments within ninety days after the date of such notice of suspension. Otherwise, unless the superintendent, in the superintendent's sole discretion, has extended such suspension, the license of such person shall be deemed to be automatically terminated by operation of law at the close of business on such ninetieth day.

(f) (1) The expenses of every examination of the affairs of any regulated person subject to the insurance law, including an appraisal of such regulated person's real property or of any real property on which such regulated person holds a mortgage, made pursuant to the authority conferred by any provision of this chapter, the insurance law or the banking law, shall be borne and paid by the regulated person so examined, but the superintendent, with the approval of the comptroller, may in the superintendent's discretion for good cause shown remit such charges.

(2) (A) For any such examination by the superintendent or a deputy superintendent personally, the charge made shall be only for necessary traveling expenses and other actual expenses. In all other cases, the expenses of examination shall also include reimbursement for the compensation paid for the services of persons employed by the superintendent or by the superintendent's authority to make such examination or appraisal.

(B) Notwithstanding any provisions of this section to the contrary, in case of an examination or appraisal of a domestic insurer made within this state, the traveling and living expense of the person or persons making the examination shall be considered a cost of operation, as referred to in § 332 of the insurance law and not an expense of examination.

(3) All charges, including necessary traveling and other actual expenses, except as hereinabove provided, as audited by the comptroller and paid on the comptroller's warrant in the usual manner by the comptroller to the person or persons making the examination or appraisal, shall be presented to the insurer, or other person whose duty it is to pay the same, in the form of a copy of the itemized bill therefor as certified and approved by the superintendent or by any deputy superintendent or authorized employee of the department. Upon receiving such certified copy the insurer or other person whose duty it is to pay such charges shall pay the amount thereof to the superintendent, to be paid by the superintendent into the state treasury.