§ 8503. Organization of the Commission

(a) Membership. Each compacting state shall have and be limited to one member. Each member shall be qualified to serve in that capacity pursuant to applicable law of the compacting state. Any member may be removed or suspended from office as provided by the law of the state from which the member shall be appointed. Any vacancy occurring in the Commission shall be filled in accordance with the laws of the compacting state wherein the vacancy exists. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to affect the manner in which a compacting state determines the election or appointment and qualification of its own Commissioner. The Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, or the Commissioner’s designee, shall be the member appointed by Vermont to the Commission.

(b) Voting. Each member shall be entitled to one vote and shall have an opportunity to participate in the governance of the Commission in accordance with the bylaws. Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, no action of the Commission with respect to the adoption of a uniform standard shall be effective unless two-thirds of the members vote in favor thereof.

(c) Bylaws.

(1) The Commission shall, by a majority of the members, prescribe bylaws to govern its conduct as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and exercise the powers of the compact, including:

(A) establishing the fiscal year of the Commission;

(B) providing reasonable procedures for appointing and electing members, as well as holding meetings, of the Management Committee;

(C) providing reasonable standards and procedures:

(i) for the establishment and meetings of other committees; and

(ii) governing any general or specific delegation of any authority or function of the Commission;

(D) providing reasonable procedures for calling and conducting meetings of the Commission that consist of a majority of Commission members, ensuring reasonable advance notice of each such meeting, and providing for the right of citizens to attend each such meeting with enumerated exceptions designed to protect the public’s interest, the privacy of individuals, and insurers’ proprietary information, including trade secrets. The Commission may meet in camera only after a majority of the entire membership votes to close a meeting en toto or in part. As soon as practicable, the Commission must make public a copy of the vote to close the meeting, revealing the vote of each member with no proxy votes allowed, and votes taken during such meeting;

(E) establishing the titles, duties, authority, and reasonable procedures for the election of the officers of the Commission;

(F) providing reasonable standards and procedures for the establishment of the personnel policies and programs of the Commission. Notwithstanding any civil service or other similar laws of any compacting state, the bylaws shall exclusively govern the personnel policies and programs of the Commission;

(G) adopting a code of ethics to address permissible and prohibited activities of Commission members and employees; and

(H) providing a mechanism for winding up the operations of the Commission and the equitable disposition of any surplus funds that may exist after the termination of the compact after the payment and reserving of all of its debts and obligations.

(2) The Commission shall publish its bylaws in a convenient form and file a copy of its bylaws and a copy of any amendment to its bylaws with the appropriate agency or officer in each of the compacting states.

(d) Management committee.

(1) A Management Committee comprising no more than 14 members shall be established as follows:

(A) one member from each of the six compacting states with the largest premium volume for individual and group annuities, life, disability income, and long-term care insurance products determined from the records of the NAIC for the prior year;

(B) four members from those compacting states with at least two percent of the market based on the premium volume described in subdivision (1)(A) of this subsection, other than the six compacting states with the largest premium volume, selected on a rotating basis as provided in the bylaws; and

(C) four members from those compacting states with less than two percent of the market, based on the premium volume described in subdivision (1)(A) of this subsection, with one selected from each of the four zone regions of the NAIC as provided in the bylaws.

(2) The Management Committee shall have such authority and duties as may be set forth in the bylaws, including:

(A) managing the affairs of the Commission in a manner consistent with the bylaws and purposes of the Commission;

(B) establishing and overseeing an organizational structure within, and appropriate procedures for, the Commission to provide for the creation of uniform standards and other rules, receipt and review of product filings, administrative and technical support functions, review of decisions regarding the disapproval of a product filing, and the review of elections made by a compacting state to opt out of a uniform standard, provided that a uniform standard shall not be submitted to the compacting states for adoption unless approved by two-thirds of the members of the Management Committee;

(C) overseeing the offices of the Commission; and

(D) planning, implementing, and coordinating communications and activities with other state, federal, and local government organizations in order to advance the goals of the Commission.

(3) The Commission annually shall elect officers from the Management Committee, with each having such authority and duties as may be specified in the bylaws.

(4) The Management Committee may, subject to the approval of the Commission, appoint or retain an executive director for such period, upon such terms and conditions and for such compensation as the Commission may deem appropriate. The executive director shall serve as secretary to the Commission but shall not be a member of the Commission. The executive director shall hire and supervise such other staff as may be authorized by the Commission.

(e) Legislative and advisory committees. A Legislative Committee comprising state legislators or their designees shall be established to monitor the operations of, and make recommendations to, the Commission, including the Management Committee, provided that the manner of selection and term of any Legislative Committee member shall be as set forth in the bylaws. Prior to the adoption by the Commission of any uniform standard, revision to the bylaws, annual budget, or other significant matter as may be provided in the bylaws, the Management Committee shall consult with and report to the Legislative Committee.

(f) Advisory committees.

(1) The Commission shall establish two advisory committees, one of which shall comprise consumer representatives independent of the insurance industry and the other shall comprise insurance industry representatives.

(2) The Commission may establish additional advisory committees as its bylaws may provide for the carrying out of its functions.

(g) Corporate records of the Commission. The Commission shall maintain its corporate books and records in accordance with the bylaws.

(h) Qualified immunity, defense, and indemnification.

(1) The members, officers, executive director, employees, and representatives of the Commission shall be immune from suit and liability, either personally or in their official capacity, for any claim for damage to or loss of property or personal injury or other civil liability caused by or arising out of any actual or alleged act, error, or omission that occurred, or that the person against whom the claim is made had a reasonable basis for believing occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties, or responsibilities, provided that nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to protect any such person from suit and liability for any damage, loss, injury, or liability caused by the intentional or willful and wanton misconduct of that person.

(2) The Commission shall defend any member, officer, executive director, employee, or representative of the Commission in any civil action seeking to impose liability arising out of any actual or alleged act, error, or omission that occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties, or responsibilities, or that the person against whom the claim is made had a reasonable basis for believing occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties, or responsibilities, provided that nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit that person from retaining the person’s own counsel, and provided further that the actual or alleged act, error, or omission did not result from that person’s intentional or willful and wanton misconduct.

(3) The Commission shall indemnify and hold harmless any member, officer, executive director, employee, or representative of the Commission for the amount of any settlement or judgment obtained against that person arising out of any actual or alleged act, error, or omission that occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties, or responsibilities, or that such person had a reasonable basis for believing occurred within the scope of Commission employment, duties, or responsibilities, provided that the actual or alleged act, error, or omission did not result from the intentional or willful and wanton misconduct of that person. (Added 2005, No. 70, § 2; amended 2011, No. 78 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 2, 2012; 2021, No. 105 (Adj. Sess.), § 274, eff. July 1, 2022.)