33-1-501. Filing and approval of forms. (1) (a) An insurance policy or annuity contract form, certificate, enrollment form, application form, printed rider or endorsement form, or form of renewal certificate may not be delivered or issued for delivery in Montana unless the form has been filed with and approved by the commissioner and, if required, the regulatory official of the state of domicile of the insurer. This provision does not apply to surety bonds or policies, riders, endorsements, or forms of unique character designed for and used with relation to insurance upon a particular subject or that relate to the manner of distribution of benefits or to the reservation of rights and benefits under life or disability insurance policies and are used at the request of the individual policyholder, contract holder, or certificate holder. Forms for use in property, marine, other than ocean marine and foreign trade coverages, casualty, and surety insurance coverages may be filed by a rating organization on behalf of its members and subscribers or by a member or subscriber on its own behalf.
     (b) The approval of an insurance policy or annuity contract form, certificate, enrollment form, application form, or other related insurance form by the state of domicile may be waived by the commissioner if the commissioner considers the requirements of subsection (1)(a) unnecessary for the protection of Montana insurance consumers. If the requirement is waived, an insurer shall notify the commissioner in writing within 10 days of disapproval, denial, or withdrawal of approval of a form by the state of domicile.
     (2) The filing must be made not less than 60 days in advance of delivery. Approval of a form by the commissioner constitutes a waiver of any unexpired portion of the waiting period. The commissioner may extend by not more than an additional 60 days the period within which the commissioner may approve or disapprove a form by giving notice of the extension before expiration of the initial 60-day period. The commissioner may at any time, after notice and for cause shown, withdraw any approval.
     (3) Notice by the commissioner disapproving a form or withdrawing a previous approval must state the grounds for disapproval or withdrawal in sufficient detail to inform the insurer.
     (4) The commissioner may exempt from the requirements of this section, for so long as the commissioner considers proper, an insurance document, form, or type of document or form to which, in the commissioner's opinion, this section may not practicably be applied or the filing and approval of which are not desirable or necessary for the protection of the public.
     (5) This section applies to a form used by a domestic insurer for delivery in a jurisdiction outside Montana if the insurance supervisory official of the jurisdiction informs the commissioner that the form is not subject to approval or disapproval by the official and upon the commissioner's order requiring the form to be submitted to the commissioner for the purpose. The same standards apply to these forms as apply to forms for domestic use.
     (6) This section and 33-1-502 do not apply to:
     (a) reinsurance;
     (b) policies or contracts not issued for delivery in Montana or delivered in Montana, except as provided in subsection (5);
     (c) ocean marine and foreign trade insurances.
     (7) Except as provided in chapter 21, group certificates that are delivered or issued for delivery in Montana for group insurance policies effectuated and delivered outside Montana but covering persons resident in Montana must be filed with the commissioner upon request. The certificates must meet the minimum provisions mandated by Montana if Montana law prevails over conflicting provisions of other state law.

     History: En. Secs. 258, 271, Ch. 286, L. 1959; R.C.M. 1947, 40-3701(part), 40-3714; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 303, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 518, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 156, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 451, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 379, L. 1995.