Sec. 1107.003. REQUIRED NONFORFEITURE PROVISIONS. (a) An annuity contract delivered or issued for delivery in this state must contain in substance the provisions prescribed by this section or corresponding provisions that, in the opinion of the department, are at least as favorable to the contract holder when payment of considerations under the contract ceases.

(b) The annuity contract must provide that when payment of considerations under a contract ceases, the company will grant a paid-up annuity benefit on a plan stipulated in the contract that has a value that complies with this chapter.

(c) An annuity contract that provides for a lump-sum settlement at maturity or at any other time must provide that on surrender of the contract on or before the time annuity payments begin, the company that issues the contract shall pay a cash surrender benefit in an amount that complies with this chapter in lieu of a paid-up annuity benefit. A company may reserve the right to defer payment of any cash surrender benefit for a period not to exceed six months after demand for payment of the benefit is made with surrender of the contract.

(d) An annuity contract must contain:

(1) a statement of the mortality table, if any, and interest rates to be used to compute any minimum paid-up annuity, cash surrender, or death benefits that are guaranteed under the contract, together with information that is sufficient to determine the amounts of the benefits;

(2) a statement that any paid-up annuity, cash surrender, or death benefits available under the contract are not less than the minimum benefits required by this state; and

(3) an explanation of the manner in which a paid-up annuity, cash surrender, or death benefit is altered by the existence of any additional amounts credited to the contract by the company that issues the contract, any indebtedness to the company on the contract, or any prior withdrawals from or partial surrenders of the contract.

Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1419, Sec. 2, eff. June 1, 2003. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 869, Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2003.