§ 59A-8-5 — Standard valuation law, life insurance and annuities

New Mexico § 59A-8-5

• Jurisdiction: New Mexico
• Ch. 59A: Insurance Code
• Art. 8: Assets and Liabilities

Text

A. This subsection shall apply to only those policies and contracts issued prior to the operative date of Section 59A-20-31 NMSA 1978. The legal minimum standard for valuation of life insurance contracts issued before the first day of January, 1926, shall be the method and basis of valuation heretofore applied by the insurer in the valuation of such contracts, and for life insurance contracts issued on or after this date shall be the American experience table of mortality, with interest at the rate of three and one-half percent a year; or any other basis not producing a lower net value; provided, however, that the insurer may provide for not more than one-year preliminary term insurance by incorporating in the contracts a clause plainly showing that the first year's insurance under such policies is term insurance. Except as otherwise provided in Paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5) of Subsection B of this section and in Subsections C, D, and E of this section for group annuity and pure endowment contracts, the legal minimum standard for the valuation of annuities shall be the American experience table of mortality, with interest at the rate of five percent a year for group annuity and pure endowment contracts and four percent a year for other annuities. B. Subsections B, C, D and E of this section shall apply to only those policies and contracts issued on and after the operative date of Section 59A-20-31 NMSA 1978, except as otherwise provided in Paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5) of this subsection and in Subsections C, D and E of this section for group annuity and pure endowment contracts issued prior to such operative date. (1) Except as otherwise provided in Paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5) of this subsection and Subsections C, D, and E of this section, the minimum standard for the valuation of all such policies and contracts shall be the commissioners reserve valuation methods defined in Paragraphs (1) and (2) of Subsection E of this section, five percent interest for group annuity and pure endowment contracts and three and one-half percent interest for all other such policies and contracts, or in the case of life insurance policies and contracts, other than annuity and pure endowment contracts, issued on or after July 1, 1973, four percent interest for such policies issued prior to July 1, 1977, five and one-half percent interest for single premium life insurance policies and four and one-half percent interest for all other such policies issued on or after July 1, 1977, and the following tables: (a) for all ordinary policies of life insurance issued on the standard basis, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such policies - the commissioners 1941 standard ordinary mortality table for such policies issued prior to the operative date of Paragraph (1) of Subsection D of Section 59A-20-31 NMSA 1978 and the commissioners 1958 standard ordinary mortality table for such policies issued on or after the operative date of Paragraph (1) of Subsection D of Section 59A-20-31 NMSA 1978 and prior to the operative date of Subsection F of Section 59A-20-31 NMSA 1978, provided that for any category of such policies issued on female risks, all modified net premiums and present values referred to in Subsections B, C, D and E of this section may be calculated according to an age not more than six years younger than the actual age of the insured; and for such policies issued on or after the operative date of Subsection F of Section 59A-20-31 NMSA 1978: 1) the commissioners 1980 standard ordinary mortality table; or 2) at the election of the insurer for any one or more specified plans of life insurance, the commissioners 1980 standard ordinary mortality table with ten-year select mortality factors; or 3) any ordinary mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the superintendent for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such policies; (b) for all industrial life insurance policies issued on the standard basis, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such policies - the 1941 standard industrial mortality table for such policies issued prior to the operative date of Subsection E of Section 59A-20-31 NMSA 1978, and for such policies issued on or after such operative date, the commissioners 1961 standard industrial mortality table or any industrial mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the superintendent for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such policies; (c) for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such policies - the 1937 standard annuity mortality table or, at the option of the insurer, the annuity mortality table for 1949, ultimate, or any modification of either of these tables approved by the superintendent; (d) for group annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such policies - the group annuity mortality table for 1951, any modification of such table approved by the superintendent, or, at the option of the insurer, any of the tables or modifications of tables specified for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts; (e) for total and permanent disability benefits in or supplementary to ordinary policies or contracts: 1) for policies or contracts issued on or after January 1, 1966 the tables of period 2 disablement rates and the 1930 to 1950 termination rates of the 1952 disability study of the society of actuaries, with due regard to the type of benefit or any tables of disablement rates and termination rates, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that are approved by regulation promulgated by the superintendent for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such policies; 2) for policies or contracts issued on or after January 1, 1961 and prior to January 1, 1966 either such tables or, at the option of the insurer, the class (3) disability table (1926); and 3) for policies issued prior to January 1, 1961 the class (3) disability table (1926). Any such table shall, for active lives, be combined with a mortality table permitted for calculating the reserves for life insurance policies; (f) for accidental death benefits in or supplementary to policies: 1) for policies issued on or after January 1, 1966, the 1959 accidental death benefits table or any accidental death benefits table, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the superintendent for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such policies; 2) for policies issued on or after January 1, 1961 and prior to January 1, 1966, either such table or, at the option of the insurer, the intercompany double indemnity mortality table; and 3) for policies issued prior to January 1, 1961, the intercompany double indemnity mortality table. 4) Either table shall be combined with a mortality table permitted for calculating the reserves for life insurance policies; and (g) for group life insurance, life insurance issued on the substandard basis and other special benefits - such tables as may be approved by the superintendent. (2) Except as provided in Paragraphs (3), (4) and (5) of this subsection and in Subsections C, D and E of this section, the minimum standard for the valuation of all individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued on or after the operative date of this paragraph, as defined herein, and for all annuities and pure endowments purchased on or after such operative date under group annuity and pure endowment contracts, shall be the commissioners reserve valuation methods defined in Paragraphs (1) and (2) of Subsection E of this section and the following tables and interest rates: (a) for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued prior to July 1, 1977, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such contracts, the 1971 individual annuity mortality table, or any modification of this table approved by the superintendent, and six percent interest for single premium immediate annuity contracts, and four percent interest for all other individual annuity and pure endowment contracts; (b) for individual single premium immediate annuity contracts issued on or after July 1, 1977, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such contracts - the 1971 individual annuity mortality table, or any individual annuity mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the superintendent for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such contracts, or any modification of these tables approved by the superintendent, and seven and one-half percent interest; (c) for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued on or after July 1, 1977, other than single premium immediate annuity contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such contracts - the 1971 individual annuity mortality table, or any individual annuity mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the superintendent for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such contracts, or any modification of these tables approved by the superintendent, and five and one-half percent interest for single premium deferred annuity and pure endowment contracts and four and one-half percent interest for all other such individual annuity and pure endowment contracts; (d) for all annuities and pure endowments purchased prior to July 1, 1977, under group annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits purchased under such contracts - the 1971 group annuity mortality table, or any modification of this table approved by the superintendent, and six percent interest; and (e) for all annuities and pure endowments purchased on or after July 1, 1977, under group annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits purchased under such contracts - the 1971 group annuity mortality table, or any group annuity mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the superintendent for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such annuities and pure endowments, or any modification of this table approved by the superintendent, and seven and one-half percent interest. (f) After July 1, 1973, any insurer may file with the superintendent a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this paragraph after a specified date before January 1, 1979, which shall be the operative date of this paragraph for such insurer, provided that an insurer may elect a different operative date for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts from that elected for group annuity and pure endowment contracts. If an insurer makes no such election, the operative date of this paragraph for such insurer shall be January 1, 1979. (3) The interest rates used in determining the minimum standard for the valuation of: (a) all life insurance policies issued in a particular calendar year, on or after the operative date of Subsection F of Section 59A-20-31 NMSA 1978; (b) all individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued in a particular calendar year on or after January 1, 1982; (c) all annuities and pure endowments purchased in a particular calendar year on or after January 1, 1982 under group annuity and pure endowment contracts; and (d) the net increase, if any, in a particular calendar year after January 1, 1982, in amounts held under guaranteed interest contracts shall be the calendar year statutory valuation interest rates as defined in Paragraph (4) of this subsection. (4) The calendar year statutory valuation interest rates shall be determined as follows and the results rounded to the nearest one-quarter of one percent: (a) for life insurance, I = .03 + W (R1 - .03) + W/2 (R2 - .09); (b) for single premium immediate annuities and for annuity benefits involving life contingencies arising from other annuities with cash settlement options and for guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, I = .03 + W (R - .03) where R1 is the lesser of R and .09, R2 is the greater of R and .09, R is the reference interest rate defined in Subsection D of this section, and W is the weighting factor defined in Subsection C of this section; (c) for other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on an issue year basis, except as stated in Subparagraph (b) of this paragraph, the formula for life insurance stated in Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph shall apply to annuities and guaranteed interest contracts with guarantee durations in excess of ten years and the formula for single premium immediate annuities stated in Subparagraph (b) of this paragraph shall apply to annuities and guaranteed interest contracts with guarantee duration of ten years or less; (d) for other annuities with no cash settlement options and for guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options, the formula for single premium immediate annuities stated in Subparagraph (b) of this paragraph shall apply; and (e) for other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a change in fund basis, the formula for single premium immediate annuities stated in Subparagraph (b) of this paragraph shall apply. (5) However, if the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for any life insurance policies issued in any calendar year determined without reference to this sentence differs from the corresponding actual rate for similar policies issued in the immediately preceding calendar year by less than one-half of one percent, the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for such life insurance policies shall be equal to the corresponding actual rate for the immediately preceding calendar year. For purposes of applying the immediately preceding sentence, the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for life insurance policies issued in a calendar year shall be determined for 1980 (using the reference interest rate defined for 1979) and shall be determined for each subsequent calendar year regardless of when Subsection F of Section 59A-20-31 NMSA 1978 becomes operative. C. The weighting factors referred to in the formulas stated above are given in the following tables: (1) Weighting Factors for Life Insurance: Guarantee Duration Weighting (Years) Factors 10 or less .50 More than 10, but not more than 20 .45 More than 20 .35 For life insurance, the guarantee duration is the maximum number of years the life insurance can remain in force on a basis guaranteed in the policy or under options to convert to plans of life insurance with premium rates or nonforfeiture values or both which are guaranteed in the original policy; (2) Weighting factor for single premium immediate annuities and for annuity benefits involving life contingencies arising from other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options: .80 (3) Weighting factors for other annuities and for guaranteed interest contracts, except as stated in Paragraph (2) of this subsection, shall be as specified in the tables set forth in Subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this paragraph, according to the rules and definitions set forth in Subparagraphs (d), (e) and (f) of this paragraph: (a) For annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on an issue year basis: Guarantee Weighting Factor Duration for Plan Type (Years) A B C 5 or less: .80 .60 .50 More than 5, but not more than 10: .75 .60 .50 More than 10, but not more than 20: .65 .50 .45 More than 20: .45 .35 .35 (b) For annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on a change in fund basis, the factors shown in the table set forth in Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph increased by: Plan Type A B C .15 .25 .05 (c) For annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on an issue year basis (other than those with no cash settlement options) which do not guarantee interest on considerations received more than one year after issue or purchase and for annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on a change in fund basis which do not guarantee interest rates on considerations received more than twelve months beyond the valuation date, the factors shown in the table set forth in Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph or derived as required in the table set forth in Subparagraph (b) of this paragraph increased by: Plan Type A B C .05 .05 .05 (d) For other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, the guarantee duration is the number of years for which the contract guarantees interest rates in excess of the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for life insurance policies with guarantee duration in excess of twenty years. For other annuities with no cash settlement options and for guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options, the guarantee duration is the number of years from the date of issue or date of purchase to the date annuity benefits are scheduled to commence. (e) Plan type as used in the above tables is defined as follows: Plan Type A: At any time policyholder may withdraw funds only: with an adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurer; or without such adjustment but in installments over five years or more; or as an immediate life annuity; or no withdrawal permitted. Plan Type B: Before expiration of the interest rate guarantee, policyholder may withdraw funds only: with an adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurer; or without such adjustment but in installments over five years or more; or no withdrawal permitted. At the end of interest rate guarantee, funds may be withdrawn without such adjustment in a single sum or installments over less than five years. Plan Type C: Policyholder may withdraw funds before expiration of interest rate guarantee in a single sum or installments over less than five years either: without adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurer; or subject only to a fixed surrender charge stipulated in the contract as a percentage of the fund. (f) An insurer may elect to value guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options and annuities with cash settlement options on either an issue year basis or on a change in fund basis. Guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options and other annuities with no cash settlement options must be valued on an issue year basis. As used in Subsections B, C and D of this section, an issue year basis of valuation refers to a valuation basis under which the interest rate used to determine the minimum valuation standard for the entire duration of the annuity or guaranteed interest contract is the calendar year valuation interest rate for the year of issue or year of purchase of the annuity or guaranteed interest contract, and the change in fund basis of valuation refers to a valuation basis under which the interest rate used to determine the minimum valuation standard applicable to each change in the fund held under the annuity or guaranteed interest contract is the calendar year valuation interest rate for the year of the change in the fund. D. The reference interest rate referred to in Paragraph (4) of Subsection B of this section shall be defined as follows: (1) for all life insurance, the lesser of the average over a period of thirty-six months and the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year next preceding the year of issue, of the monthly average of the composite yield on seasoned corporate bonds, as published by Moody's investors service, incorporated; (2) for single premium immediate annuities and for annuity benefits involving life contingencies arising from other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year of issue or year of purchase, of the monthly average of the composite yield on seasoned corporate bonds, as published by Moody's investors service, incorporated; (3) for other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a year of issue basis, except as stated in Paragraph (2) of this subsection, with guarantee duration in excess of ten years, the lesser of the average over a period of thirty-six months and the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year of issue or purchase, of the monthly average of the composite yield on seasoned corporate bonds, as published by Moody's investors service, incorporated; (4) for other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a year of issue basis, except as stated in Paragraph (2) of this subsection, with guarantee duration of ten years or less, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year of issue or purchase, of the monthly average of the composite yield on seasoned corporate bonds, as published by Moody's investors service, incorporated; (5) for other annuities with no cash settlement options and for guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year of issue or purchase, of the monthly average of the composite yield on seasoned corporate bonds, as published by Moody's investors service, incorporated; (6) For other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a change in fund basis, except as stated in Paragraph (2) of this subsection, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year of the change in the fund, of the monthly average of the composite yield on seasoned corporate bonds, as published by Moody's investors service, incorporated; and (7) in the event that the national association of insurance commissioners determines that the monthly average of the composite yield on seasoned corporate bonds, as published by Moody's investors service, incorporated is no longer appropriate for the determination of the reference interest rate, then an alternative method for determination of the reference interest rate, which is adopted by the national association of insurance commissioners and approved by regulation promulgated by the superintendent may be substituted. E. The reserve valuation method shall be defined as follows: (1) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph and Paragraph (2) of this subsection, reserves according to the national association of insurance commissioners reserve valuation method, for the life insurance and endowment benefits of policies providing for a uniform amount of insurance and requiring the payment of uniform premiums, shall be the excess, if any, of the present value, at the date of valuation, of such future guaranteed benefits provided for by such policies, over the then present value of any future modified net premiums therefor. The modified net premiums for any such policy shall be such uniform percentage of the respective contract premiums for such benefits that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all such modified net premiums shall be equal to the sum of the then present value of such benefits provided for by the policy and the excess of Subparagraph (a) over Subparagraph (b) of this paragraph, as follows: (a) a net level annual premium equal to the present value, at the date of issue, of such benefits provided for after the first policy year, divided by the present value, at the date of issue, of an annuity of one per annum payable on the first and each subsequent anniversary of such policy on which a premium falls due; provided, however, that such net level annual premium shall not exceed the net level annual premium on the nineteen-year premium whole life plan for insurance of the same amount at an age of one year higher than the age at issue of such policy; and (b) a net one-year term premium for such benefits provided for in the first policy year. Provided that for any life insurance policy issued on or after January 1, 1985 for which the contract premium in the first policy year exceeds that of the second year and for which no comparable additional benefit is provided in the first year for such excess and which provides an endowment benefit or a cash surrender value or a combination thereof in an amount greater than such excess premium, the reserve according to the commissioners reserve valuation method as of any policy anniversary occurring on or before the assumed ending date defined herein as the first policy anniversary on which the sum of any endowment benefit and any cash surrender value then available is greater than such excess premium shall, except as otherwise provided in Subparagraph (e) of this paragraph, be the greater of the reserve as of such policy anniversary calculated as described previously in this paragraph and the reserve as of such policy anniversary calculated as previously described in this paragraph, but with: the value defined in Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph being reduced by fifteen percent of the amount of such excess first year premium; all present values of benefits and premiums being determined without reference to premiums or benefits provided for by the policy after the assumed ending date; the policy being assumed to mature on such date as an endowment; and the cash surrender value provided on such date being considered as an endowment benefit. In making the above comparison the mortality and interest bases stated in Paragraphs (1), (3), (4) and (5) of Subsection B of this section and in Subsections C and D of this section shall be used. Reserves according to the commissioners reserve valuation method for: 1) life insurance policies providing for a varying amount of insurance or requiring the payment of varying premiums; 2) group annuity and pure endowment contracts purchased under a retirement plan or plan of deferred compensation, established or maintained by an employer (including a partnership or sole proprietorship) or by an employee organization, or by both, other than a plan providing individual retirement accounts or individual retirement annuities under Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, as now or hereafter amended; 3) disability and accidental death benefits in all policies and contracts; and 4) all other benefits, except life insurance and endowment benefits in life insurance policies and benefits provided by all other annuity and pure endowment contracts, shall be calculated by a method consistent with the principles of this paragraph, except that any extra premiums charged because of impairments or special hazards shall be disregarded in the determination of modified net premiums; (c) in no event shall an insurer's aggregate reserves for all life insurance policies excluding disability and accidental death benefits, be less than the aggregate reserves calculated in accordance with the methods set forth in this paragraph and Paragraph (2) of this subsection and the mortality table or tables and rate or rates of interest used in calculating nonforfeiture benefits for such policies; (d) reserves for any category of policies, contracts or benefits as established by the superintendent, may be calculated, at the option of the insurer, according to any standards which produce greater aggregate reserves for such category than those calculated according to the minimum standard herein provided, but the rate or rates of interest used for policies and contracts, other than annuity and pure endowment contracts, shall not be higher than the corresponding rate or rates of interest used in calculating any nonforfeiture benefits provided for therein. Any such insurer which at any time shall have adopted any standard of valuation producing greater aggregate reserves than those calculated according to the minimum standard herein provided may, with the approval of the superintendent, adopt any lower standard of valuation, but not lower than the minimum herein provided; but, for the purpose of this section, the holding of additional reserves previously determined by a qualified actuary to be necessary to render the opinion required by Section 59A-8-7 NMSA 1978 shall not be deemed to be the adoption of a higher standard of valuation; (e) if in any contract year the gross premium charged by any insurer on any policy or contract is less than the valuation net premium for the policy or contract calculated by the method used in calculating the reserve thereon but using the minimum valuation standards of mortality and rate of interest, the minimum reserve required for such policy or contract shall be the greater of either the reserve calculated according to the mortality table, rate of interest, and method actually used for such policy or contract, or the reserve calculated by the method actually used for such policy or contract but using the minimum standards of mortality and rate of interest and replacing the valuation net premium by the actual gross premium in each contract year for which the valuation net premium exceeds the actual gross premium. The minimum valuation standards of mortality and rate of interest referred to in this paragraph are those standards stated in Paragraphs (1), (3), (4) and (5) of Subsection B of this section. Provided that for any life insurance policy issued on or after January 1, 1985 for which the gross premium in the first policy year exceeds that of the second year and for which no comparable additional benefit is provided in the first year for such excess and which provides an endowment benefit or a cash surrender value or a combination thereof in an amount greater than such excess premium, the foregoing provisions of Subparagraph (e) of this paragraph shall be applied as if the method actually used in calculating the reserve for such policy were the method previously described in this paragraph ignoring the unnumbered paragraph immediately following Subparagraph (b) of this paragraph. The minimum reserve at each policy anniversary of such a policy shall be the greater of the minimum reserve calculated in accordance with the method previously described in this paragraph, including the unnumbered paragraph immediately following Subparagraph (b), and the minimum reserve calculated in accordance with Subparagraph (e), of this paragraph; and (f) in the case of any plan of life insurance which provides for future premium determination, the amounts of which are to be determined by the insurer based on then estimates of future experience, or in the case of any plan of life insurance or annuity which is of such a nature that the minimum reserves cannot be determined by the methods described in Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, the reserves which are held under any such plan must: 1) be appropriate in relation to the benefits and the pattern of premiums for that plan; and 2) be computed by a method which is consistent with the principles of this standard valuation law, as determined by regulations promulgated by the superintendent. (2) This paragraph shall apply to all annuity and pure endowment contracts other than group annuity and pure endowment contracts purchased under a retirement plan or plan of deferred compensation, established or maintained by an employer (including a partnership or sole proprietorship) or by an employee organization, or by both, other than a plan providing individual retirement accounts or individual retirement annuities under Section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, as now or hereafter amended. Reserves according to the commissioners annuity reserve method for benefits under annuity or pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such contracts, shall be the greatest of the respective excesses of the present values, at the date of valuation, of the future guaranteed benefits, including guaranteed nonforfeiture benefits, provided for by such contracts at the end of each respective contract year, over the present value, at the date of valuation, of any future valuation considerations derived from future gross considerations, required by the terms of such contract, that become payable prior to the end of such respective contract year. The future guaranteed benefits shall be determined by using the mortality table, if any, and the interest rate or rates, specified in such contracts for determining guaranteed benefits. The valuation considerations are the portions of the respective gross considerations applied under the terms of such contracts to determine nonforfeiture values.

Legislative History

Laws 1984, ch. 127, § 122; 1993, ch. 320, § 20.