§ 44-1103 — License requirements; fee

(1)(a) A person shall not operate as a viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker without first obtaining a license from the director or the chief insurance regulatory official of the state of residence of the viator.
(b)(i) A life insurance producer who has been duly licensed as a resident insurance producer with a life line of authority in this state or his or her home state for at least one year and is licensed as a nonresident producer in this state shall be deemed to meet the licensing requirements of this section and shall be permitted to operate as a viatical settlement broker.
(ii) No later than thirty days after the first day of operating as a viatical settlement broker, the life insurance producer shall notify the director that he or she is acting as a viatical settlement broker on a form prescribed by the director and shall pay any applicable fee to be determined by the director. Notification shall include an acknowledgment by the life insurance producer that he or she will operate as a viatical settlement broker in accordance with the Viatical Settlements Act.
(iii) The insurer that issued the policy being viaticated shall not be responsible for any act or omission of a viatical settlement broker or viatical settlement provider arising out of or in connection with the viatical settlement transaction unless the insurer receives compensation for the placement of a viatical settlement contract from the viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker in connection with the viatical settlement contract.
(c) A licensed attorney, a certified public accountant, or a financial planner accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation agency who is retained to represent the viator and whose compensation is not paid directly or indirectly by the viatical settlement provider may negotiate viatical settlement contracts on behalf of the viator without having to obtain a license as a viatical settlement broker.
(2) Application for a viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker license shall be made to the director by the applicant on a form prescribed by the director. The viatical settlement broker application shall be accompanied by a fee established by the director of not to exceed forty dollars. The viatical settlement provider application shall be accompanied by a fee established by the director of not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars.
(3) All viatical settlement broker licenses shall expire on the last day of the month of the licensed person's birthday in the first year after issuance in which his or her age is divisible by two and may be renewed upon payment of a fee established by the director not to exceed forty dollars. All viatical settlement provider licenses shall expire on the last day of April in each year and may be renewed upon payment of a renewal fee established by the director not to exceed one hundred dollars. Failure to pay the fee by the renewal date results in expiration of the license.
(4) The applicant shall provide information on forms required by the director. The director shall have authority, at any time, to require the applicant to fully disclose the identity of all stockholders, partners, officers, members, and employees, and the director may, in the exercise of the director's discretion, refuse to issue a license in the name of a legal entity if not satisfied that any stockholder, partner, officer, member, or employee thereof who may materially influence the applicant's conduct meets the standards of the Viatical Settlements Act.
(5) A license issued to a legal entity authorizes all partners, officers, members, and designated employees to act as viatical settlement providers and viatical settlement brokers, as applicable, under the license, and all those persons shall be named in the application and any supplements to the application.
(6) Upon the filing of an application and the payment of the license fee, the director shall make an investigation of each applicant and issue a license if the director finds that the applicant:
(a) If a viatical settlement provider, provides a detailed plan of operation;
(b) Is competent and trustworthy and intends to act in good faith in the capacity for which application for a license is made;
(c) Has a good business reputation and has had experience, training, or education so as to be qualified in the business for which application for a license is made;
(d) If a viatical settlement broker or viatical settlement provider, has demonstrated evidence of financial responsibility in a format prescribed by the director through either a surety bond executed and issued by an insurer authorized to issue surety bonds in this state or a deposit of cash, certificates of deposit, or securities or any combination thereof in the amount of two hundred fifty thousand dollars;
(i) The director may ask for evidence of financial responsibility at any time the director deems necessary;
(ii) Any surety bond issued pursuant to subdivision (d) of this subsection shall be in the favor of this state and shall specifically authorize recovery by the director on behalf of any person in this state who has sustained damages as a result of an erroneous act, failure to act, conviction of fraud, or conviction of unfair practices of the viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker; and
(iii) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, the director shall accept as evidence of financial responsibility proof that financial instruments in accordance with the requirements of subdivision (d) of this subsection have been filed with a state where the applicant is licensed as a viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker;
(e) If a legal entity, provides a certificate of good standing from the state of its domicile; and
(f) If a viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker, provides an antifraud plan that meets the requirements of subsection (7) of section 44-1112 .
(7) A licensee shall provide to the director new or revised information about officers, ten-percent or more stockholders, partners, directors, members, or designated employees within thirty days after the change.
(8) An individual licensed as a viatical settlement broker shall complete on a biennial basis fifteen hours of training related to viatical settlements and viatical settlement transactions, except that a life insurance producer who is operating as a viatical settlement broker pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall not be subject to the requirements of this subsection.

Legislative History

Source: Laws 2001, LB 52, § 29; Laws 2003, LB 216, § 7; Laws 2008, LB853, § 3.