(a) A domestic life insurer having admitted assets aggregating in value not less than one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) may make excess fund investments pursuant to this section in interest-bearing notes, bonds, or obligations issued by (1) any operating business trust or limited partnership organized under the laws of any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Dominion of Canada, any province of the Dominion of Canada or (2) an authority established pursuant to the California Industrial Development Financing Act, Title 10 (commencing with Section 91500) of the Government Code. The issuer of the notes, bonds, or obligations through itself or its paying agent shall be obligated thereunder to make payments, with respect to the notes, bonds, or other obligations, directly to the insurer or the insurer’s nominee.

(b) Except upon the prior written approval of the commissioner, an investment may not be made under the authority of this section unless the note, bond, or obligation is exchange-traded. “Exchange-traded,” as used in this subdivision, means listed and traded on the National Market System of the NASDAQ Stock Market or on a securities exchange subject to regulation, supervision, or control under a statute of the United States and acceptable to the commissioner.

(c) Without the prior written consent of the commissioner, an investment made pursuant to this section shall not exceed in the aggregate 10 percent of the life insurer’s policyholder surplus.

(d) A request to the commissioner for (1) approval pursuant to subdivision (b) to invest in notes, bonds, or obligations that are not exchange-traded or (2) consent to exceed the 10 percent limitation set forth in subdivision (c), shall be in writing and shall be accompanied by any supporting data and documentation that the commissioner may require. The commissioner shall require the payment of a fee of seven thousand four hundred seventy-two dollars ($7,472), in advance, for the determination of whether to approve or disapprove each request. Each request shall be in writing and shall be deemed approved unless the commissioner disapproves it within 60 days with respect to requests under subdivision (c) or 20 days with respect to requests under subdivision (b), after the request has been filed in the commissioner’s office.

(e) This section shall not be construed to increase or reduce the authority to invest in any operating business trust or limited partnership specifically permitted in other sections of this code.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 534, Sec. 26. (AB 1699) Effective January 1, 2018.)