Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§9673 Risk retention groups

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 103— - COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE, COMPENSATION, AND LIABILITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - POLLUTION INSURANCE › § 9673

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Risk retention groups are mostly free from state rules that try to control how they run, make them join a state guaranty fund, force policies to be countersigned by a local agent, or otherwise treat them worse than other insurers. The state where the group is formed can still control how it is set up and run. States can also apply ordinary laws that apply to all businesses. States may still require these groups to follow certain rules: follow the state's unfair-claims laws; pay the same taxes other insurers and brokers pay; join fair plans for sharing pollution liability losses and costs; give pollution-loss reports when required; register and name the state insurance commissioner to accept legal papers; share copies of financial reports sent to their home regulator; let a commissioner examine the group if there is reason to think it is in financial trouble and the home regulator won’t act; and follow orders in insolvency or delinquency actions if the home regulator fails to start them. The exemptions cover pollution liability insurance the group provides or sells and related services. States can require agents or brokers for these groups to have a license, but they cannot discriminate against nonresident agents.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §9673

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as provided in this section, a risk retention group shall be exempt from the following:

(1)A State law, rule, or order which makes unlawful, or regulates, directly or indirectly, the operation of a risk retention group.

(2)A State law, rule, or order which requires or permits a risk retention group to participate in any insurance insolvency guaranty association to which an insurer licensed in the State is required to belong.

(3)A State law, rule, or order which requires any insurance policy issued to a risk retention group or any member of the group to be countersigned by an insurance agent or broker residing in the State.

(4)A State law, rule, or order which otherwise discriminates against a risk retention group or any of its members.

(b)(1)Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to affect the applicability of State laws generally applicable to persons or corporations. The State in which a risk retention group is chartered may regulate the formation and operation of the group.

(2)Subsection (a) shall not apply to any State law which requires a risk retention group to do any of the following:

(A)Comply with the unfair claim settlement practices law of the State.

(B)Pay, on a nondiscriminatory basis, applicable premium and other taxes which are levied on admitted insurers and surplus line insurers, brokers, or policyholders under the laws of the State.

(C)Participate, on a nondiscriminatory basis, in any mechanism established or authorized under the law of the State for the equitable apportionment among insurers of pollution liability insurance losses and expenses incurred on policies written through such mechanism.

(D)Submit to the appropriate authority reports and other information required of licensed insurers under the laws of a State relating solely to pollution liability insurance losses and expenses.

(E)Register with and designate the State insurance commissioner as its agent solely for the purpose of receiving service of legal documents or process.

(F)Furnish, upon request, such commissioner a copy of any financial report submitted by the risk retention group to the commissioner of the chartering or licensing jurisdiction.

(G)Submit to an examination by the State insurance commissioner in any State in which the group is doing business to determine the group’s financial condition, if—

(i)the commissioner has reason to believe the risk retention group is in a financially impaired condition; and

(ii)the commissioner of the jurisdiction in which the group is chartered has not begun or has refused to initiate an examination of the group.

(H)Comply with a lawful order issued in a delinquency proceeding commenced by the State insurance commissioner if the commissioner of the jurisdiction in which the group is chartered has failed to initiate such a proceeding after notice of a finding of financial impairment under subparagraph (G).

(c)The exemptions specified in subsection (a) apply to—

(1)pollution liability insurance coverage provided by a risk retention group for—

(A)such group; or

(B)any person who is a member of such group;

(2)the sale of pollution liability insurance coverage for a risk retention group; and

(3)the provision of insurance related services or management services for a risk retention group or any member of such a group.

(d)A State may require that a person acting, or offering to act, as an agent or broker for a risk retention group obtain a license from that State, except that a State may not impose any qualification or requirement which discriminates against a nonresident agent or broker.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 9673

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73