(1)

(a) No foreign insurance company, association, or other insurance entity, either stock, mutual, or reciprocal, shall be admitted to do business or granted a certificate of authority or license to do business in this state unless and until such company or association shall have done business for a period of at least two (2) years in the state of its domicile, or unless such company seeking admission is the subsidiary or affiliate of a company already licensed in Mississippi.

(b) The Commissioner of Insurance may waive this requirement upon a written request by the applicant and a finding that the applicant meets the following criteria:

(i) The company provides a service that is considered underserved in the state;

(ii) The company has adequate capital and surplus; and

(iii) The company possesses significant management and business experience in its respective line of business.

(2) No foreign stock insurance company shall be admitted or granted a certificate of authority or license to do business in this state unless its paid-up capital stock and its surplus at the time of licensing or renewal of license shall be equal to that required for the organization or incorporation of a like domestic company under the laws of this state.

(3) No foreign mutual or reciprocal insurance company or association shall be admitted or granted a certificate of authority or license to do business in this state unless, at the time of licensing or renewal of license, its surplus shall be equal to that required by the laws of this state for the organization or formation of a like domestic insurance company or association.

(4) No foreign stock, mutual, or reciprocal insurance company or association, incorporated or organized under the laws of any state of the United States, shall be admitted to do business, or granted a certificate of authority, or have license therefor renewed until such company shall have deposited with the State Treasurer of this state securities in an amount not less than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00). Securities deposited in accordance with this section shall be classified as admitted assets for the purpose of determining eligibility of such securities. Provided, however, any company maintaining a deposit with the insurance regulatory authority or any other designated public official of its state of domicile, or of any other state, in trust for the benefit of all its policyholders, or policyholders and creditors, may be exempt from the deposit herein provided upon such company delivering to the Commissioner of Insurance a certificate to such effect, duly authenticated by the appropriate state official holding such deposit. The commissioner may require in addition to the certification of deposit by the public official of its state of domicile an amount not less than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) be deposited with the State Treasurer of this state. Any deposit made in this state under the provisions of this section shall be for the exclusive use and benefit of policyholders, or policyholders and creditors, in this state; and such deposit shall not bar claim to other assets of the company by policyholders, or policyholders and creditors, in this state in the event of insolvency, receivership, or liquidation of the company.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the securities eligible for deposit under the insurance laws of this state relating to deposit of securities by an insurance company as a condition of commencing or continuing to do an insurance business in this state may be deposited with a clearing corporation or held in the Federal Reserve book-entry system. Securities deposited with a clearing corporation or held in the Federal Reserve book-entry system and used to meet the deposit requirements under the insurance laws of this state shall be under the control of the Commissioner of Insurance and shall not be withdrawn by the insurance company without the approval of Commissioner of Insurance. Any insurance company holding securities in such manner shall provide to the Commissioner of Insurance evidence issued by its custodian or member bank through which such insurance company has deposited such securities in a clearing corporation or through which such securities are held in the Federal Reserve book-entry system, respectively, in order to establish that the securities are actually recorded in an account in the name of the custodian or other direct participant or member bank, and that the records of the custodian, other participant or member bank reflect that such securities are held subject to the order of the Commissioner of Insurance.

(5) In case any insurer which has made a deposit with the Commissioner of Insurance, or other designated official or custodian in this state, of cash or securities in trust for the protection of its policyholders or creditors or both in this state, or of its policyholders or creditors or both in the United States, thereafter becomes merged or consolidated in accordance with the laws of this state if a domestic insurer, or in accordance with the laws of its domiciliary state or nation if a foreign or alien insurer, and upon the effectuation of the merger or consolidation, the resulting corporation is or becomes authorized to do business in this state, the commissioner, or other designated official or custodian, as the case may be, upon the resulting corporation’s being so authorized, shall release and transfer the cash or securities so deposited by the merged or consolidated insurer to the resulting corporation, or to such person as it may designate to take and receive the same.

If any insurer which has made such a deposit with the Commissioner of Insurance or other designated official or custodian in the state hereafter withdraws from and ceases to do business in this state, and has paid or provided for the payment of all its obligations and liabilities to its policyholders and creditors in this state by the assumption or reinsurance of the same by an insurer which is or becomes authorized to transact business in this state, the Commissioner of Insurance or other designated official or custodian, as the case may be, shall release and transfer the cash or securities constituting its deposit to such withdrawing insurer, or to such person as it may designate to take and receive the same.

Any release or transfer pursuant hereto shall be made upon application to and the written order of the Commissioner of Insurance. Neither the Commissioner of Insurance, nor other designated official or custodian, as the case may be, shall have any liability for the release or transfer of any such deposit made or authorized in good faith.