Haw. Code R. § 16-168-11 - Letters of credit qualified under section 16-168-9
(a) The
letter of credit must be clean, irrevocable, and unconditional and issued or
confirmed by a qualified United States financial institution as defined in
section 431:4A-103(a), HRS. The letter of credit shall contain an issue date
and date of expiration and shall stipulate that the beneficiary need only draw
a sight draft under the letter of credit and present it to obtain funds and
that no other document need be presented. The letter of credit shall also
indicate that it is not subject to any condition or qualifications outside of
the letter of credit. In addition, the letter of credit itself shall not
contain reference to any other agreements, documents, or entities, except as
provided in subsection (h)(1). As used in this section, "beneficiary" means the
domestic insurer for whose benefit the letter of credit has been established
and any successor of the beneficiary by operation of law. If a court of law
appoints a successor in interest to the named beneficiary, then the named
beneficiary includes and is limited to the court appointed domiciliary
receiver, conservator, rehabilitator, or liquidator.
(b) The heading of the letter of credit may
include a boxed section which contains the name of the applicant and other
appropriate notations to provide a reference for the letter of credit. The
boxed section shall be clearly marked to indicate that such information is for
internal identification purposes only.
(c) The letter of credit shall contain a
statement to the effect that the obligation of the qualified United States
financial institution under the letter of credit is in no way contingent upon
reimbursement with respect thereto.
(d) The term of the letter of credit shall be
for at least one year and shall contain an "evergreen clause" which prevents
the expiration of the letter of credit without due notice from the issuer. The
"evergreen clause" shall provide for a period of no less than thirty days'
notice prior to expiry date or nonrenewal.
(e) The letter of credit shall state whether
it is subject to and governed by the laws of this State or the Uniform Customs
and Practice for Documentary Credits of the International Chamber of Commerce
Publication 600 (UCP 600), International Standby Practices of the International
Chamber of Commerce Publication 590 (ISP98), or any successor publication, and
all drafts drawn thereunder shall be presentable at an office in the United
States of a qualified United States financial institution.
(f) If the letter of credit is made subject
to the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits of the
International Chamber of Commerce Publication 600, (UCP 600), International
Standby Practices of the International Chamber of Commerce Publication 590
(ISP98), or any successor publication, then the letter of credit shall
specifically address and make provision for an extension of time to draw
against the letter of credit in the event that one or more of the occurrences
specified in Article 36 of Publication 600 occur.
(g) If the letter of credit is issued by a
financial institution authorized to issue letters of credit, other than a
qualified United States financial institution as described in subsection (a),
then the following additional requirements shall be met:
(1) The issuing financial institution shall
formally designate the confirming qualified United States financial institution
as its agent for the receipt and payment of the drafts; and
(2) The "evergreen clause" shall provide for
thirty days' notice prior to expiry date or nonrenewal.
(h) Reinsurance agreement provisions.
(1) The reinsurance agreement in conjunction
with which the letter of credit is obtained may contain provisions which:
(A) Require the assuming insurer to provide
letters of credit to the ceding insurer and specify what they are to
cover.
(B) Stipulate that the
assuming insurer and ceding insurer agree that the letter of credit provided by
the assuming insurer pursuant to the provisions of the reinsurance agreement
may be drawn upon at any time, notwithstanding any other provisions in the
agreement, and shall be utilized by the ceding insurer or its successors in
interest only for one or more of the following reasons:
(i) To pay or reimburse the ceding insurer
for the assuming insurer's share under the specific reinsurance agreement of
premiums returned, but not yet recovered from the assuming insurers, to the
owners of policies reinsured under the reinsurance agreement on account of
cancellations of such policies;
(ii) To pay or reimburse the ceding insurer
for the assuming insurer's share of surrenders and benefits or losses paid by
the ceding insurer, but not yet recovered from the assuming insurers, under the
terms and provisions of the policies reinsured under the reinsurance agreement;
(iii) To pay or reimburse the
ceding insurer for any other amounts necessary to secure the credit or
reduction from liability for reinsurance taken by the ceding insurer;
and
(iv) Where the letter of credit
will expire without renewal or be reduced or replaced by a letter of credit for
a reduced amount and where the assuming insurer's entire obligations under the
reinsurance agreement remain unliquidated and undischarged ten days prior to
the termination date, to withdraw amounts equal to the assuming insurer's share
of the unfunded liabilities exceeding the amount of any reduced or replacement
letter of credit and deposit those amounts in a separate trust account in the
name of the ceding insurer in a qualified United States financial institution,
apart from the assuming insurer's general assets, for such uses and purposes
specified in clause (i) as may remain after withdrawal and for any period after
the termination date; and
(C) All of the foregoing provisions of this
paragraph should be applied without diminution because of insolvency on the
part of the ceding insurer or assuming insurer.
(2) Nothing contained in paragraph (1) shall
preclude the ceding insurer and assuming insurer from providing either or both
of the following:
(A) An interest payment, at
a rate not in excess of the prime rate of interest, on the amounts held
pursuant to paragraph (1)(B);
(B)
The return of any amounts drawn down on the letters of credit in excess of the
actual amounts required for this subsection or any amounts that are
subsequently determined not to be due.
Notes
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(a) The letter of credit must be clean, irrevocable, and unconditional and issued or confirmed by a qualified United States financial institution as defined in section 431:4A-103(a), HRS. The letter of credit shall contain an issue date and date of expiration and shall stipulate that the beneficiary need only draw a sight draft under the letter of credit and present it to obtain funds and that no other document need be presented. The letter of credit shall also indicate that it is not subject to any condition or qualifications outside of the letter of credit. In addition, the letter of credit itself shall not contain reference to any other agreements, documents, or entities, except as provided in subsection (h)(1). As used in this section, "beneficiary" means the domestic insurer for whose benefit the letter of credit has been established and any successor of the beneficiary by operation of law. If a court of law appoints a successor in interest to the named beneficiary, then the named beneficiary includes and is limited to the court appointed domiciliary receiver, conservator, rehabilitator, or liquidator.
(b) The heading of the letter of credit may include a boxed section which contains the name of the applicant and other appropriate notations to provide a reference for the letter of credit. The boxed section shall be clearly marked to indicate that such information is for internal identification purposes only.
(c) The letter of credit shall contain a statement to the effect that the obligation of the qualified United States financial institution under the letter of credit is in no way contingent upon reimbursement with respect thereto.
(d) The term of the letter of credit shall be for at least one year and shall contain an "evergreen clause" which prevents the expiration of the letter of credit without due notice from the issuer. The "evergreen clause" shall provide for a period of no less than thirty days' notice prior to expiry date or nonrenewal.
(e) The letter of credit shall state whether it is subject to and governed by the laws of this State or the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits of the International Chamber of Commerce Publication 600 (UCP 600), International Standby Practices of the International Chamber of Commerce Publication 590 (ISP98), or any successor publication, and all drafts drawn thereunder shall be presentable at an office in the United States of a qualified United States financial institution.
(f) If the letter of credit is made subject to the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits of the International Chamber of Commerce Publication 600, (UCP 600), International Standby Practices of the International Chamber of Commerce Publication 590 (ISP98), or any successor publication, then the letter of credit shall specifically address and make provision for an extension of time to draw against the letter of credit in the event that one or more of the occurrences specified in Article 36 of Publication 600 occur.
(g) If the letter of credit is issued by a financial institution authorized to issue letters of credit, other than a qualified United States financial institution as described in subsection (a), then the following additional requirements shall be met:
(1) The issuing financial institution shall formally designate the confirming qualified United States financial institution as its agent for the receipt and payment of the drafts; and
(2) The "evergreen clause" shall provide for thirty days' notice prior to expiry date or nonrenewal.
(h) Reinsurance agreement provisions.
(1) The reinsurance agreement in conjunction with which the letter of credit is obtained may contain provisions which:
(A) Require the assuming insurer to provide letters of credit to the ceding insurer and specify what they are to cover.
(B) Stipulate that the assuming insurer and ceding insurer agree that the letter of credit provided by the assuming insurer pursuant to the provisions of the reinsurance agreement may be drawn upon at any time, notwithstanding any other provisions in the agreement, and shall be utilized by the ceding insurer or its successors in interest only for one or more of the following reasons:
(i) To pay or reimburse the ceding insurer for the assuming insurer's share under the specific reinsurance agreement of premiums returned, but not yet recovered from the assuming insurers, to the owners of policies reinsured under the reinsurance agreement on account of cancellations of such policies;
(ii) To pay or reimburse the ceding insurer for the assuming insurer's share of surrenders and benefits or losses paid by the ceding insurer, but not yet recovered from the assuming insurers, under the terms and provisions of the policies reinsured under the reinsurance agreement;
(iii) To pay or reimburse the ceding insurer for any other amounts necessary to secure the credit or reduction from liability for reinsurance taken by the ceding insurer; and
(iv) Where the letter of credit will expire without renewal or be reduced or replaced by a letter of credit for a reduced amount and where the assuming insurer's entire obligations under the reinsurance agreement remain unliquidated and undischarged ten days prior to the termination date, to withdraw amounts equal to the assuming insurer's share of the unfunded liabilities exceeding the amount of any reduced or replacement letter of credit and deposit those amounts in a separate trust account in the name of the ceding insurer in a qualified United States financial institution, apart from the assuming insurer's general assets, for such uses and purposes specified in clause (i) as may remain after withdrawal and for any period after the termination date; and
(C) All of the foregoing provisions of this paragraph should be applied without diminution because of insolvency on the part of the ceding insurer or assuming insurer.
(2) Nothing contained in paragraph (1) shall preclude the ceding insurer and assuming insurer from providing either or both of the following:
(A) An interest payment, at a rate not in excess of the prime rate of interest, on the amounts held pursuant to paragraph (1)(B);
(B) The return of any amounts drawn down on the letters of credit in excess of the actual amounts required for this subsection or any amounts that are subsequently determined not to be due.