SECTION 38.2-1323. Acquisition of control of insurers  

A. No person other than the issuer shall make a tender offer or a request or invitation for tenders of, or enter into any agreement to exchange securities for, seek to acquire, or acquire, in the open market or otherwise, any voting security of a domestic insurer if, after the consummation thereof, such person would, directly or indirectly (or by conversion or by exercise of any right to acquire) be in control of the insurer. No person shall enter into an agreement to merge with or otherwise to acquire control of a domestic insurer or any person controlling a domestic insurer unless, at the time the offer, request, or invitation is made or the agreement is entered into, or prior to the acquisition of the securities if no offer or agreement is involved, such person has filed with the Commission and has sent to the insurer a statement containing the information required by this section and the offer, request, invitation, agreement, or acquisition has been approved by the Commission pursuant to this article.

B. If the merger or acquisition of an insurer not covered by subsection A causes or tends to cause a substantial lessening of competition in any line of insurance and such lessening of competition is detrimental to policyholders or the public in general, then the Commission may suspend such insurer's license after giving the insurer 10 days' notice and the opportunity to be heard.

C. Any notice issued pursuant to the provisions of subsection B shall be accompanied by a request for such information as required by § 38.2-1324 . Any hearing held pursuant to the provisions of this section shall begin, unless waived by the insurer, within 40 days of the receipt by the Commission of all material required by this subsection.

D. For purposes of this section, any controlling person of a domestic insurer seeking to divest its controlling interest in the domestic insurer, in any manner, shall file with the Commission, with a copy to the insurer, confidential notice of its proposed divestiture at least 30 days prior to the cessation of control. The Commission shall determine those instances in which the party or parties seeking to divest or to acquire a controlling interest in an insurer will be required to file for and obtain approval of the transaction. The information shall remain confidential until the conclusion of the transaction unless the Commission, in its discretion, determines that confidential treatment will interfere with enforcement of this section. If the statement referred to in subsection A is otherwise filed, this subsection shall not apply.

E. With respect to a transaction subject to this section, the acquiring person may also be required to file a pre-acquisition notification as established by the Commission.

F. For purposes of this section:

"Domestic insurer" includes any person controlling a domestic insurer unless the person, as determined by the Commission, is either directly or through its affiliates primarily engaged in business other than the business of insurance.

"Person" does not include any securities broker holding, in the usual and customary broker's function, less than 20 percent of the voting securities of an insurance company or of any person that controls an insurance company.

1977, c. 414, § 38.1-178.1:1; 1986, c. 562; 1992, c. 588; 1993, c. 158; 2014, c. 38.2-1324 .