To amend sections 3901.17 and 3905.36 of the Revised Code to decrease from 5% to 1.4% the foreign insurers tax rate.

Section 1. That sections 3901.17 and 3905.36 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 3901.17.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Captive insurer" has the meaning defined in section 3905.36 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Insurer" includes, but is not limited to, any person that is an affiliate of or affiliated with the insurer, as defined in division (A) of section 3901.32 of the Revised Code, and any person that is a subsidiary of the insurer as defined in division (F) of section 3901.32 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Laws of this state relating to insurance" has the meaning defined in division (A)(1) of section 3901.04 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Person" has the meaning defined in division (A) of section 3901.19 of the Revised Code.

(B) Any of the following acts in this state, effected by mail or otherwise, by any foreign or alien insurer not authorized to transact business within this state, any nonresident person acting on behalf of an insurer, or any nonresident insurance agent subjects the insurer, person, or agent to the exercise of personal jurisdiction over the insurer, person, or agent to the extent permitted by the constitutions of this state and of the United States:

(1) Issuing or delivering contracts of insurance to residents of this state or to corporations authorized to do business therein;

(2) Making or proposing to make any insurance contracts;

(3) Soliciting, taking, or receiving any application for insurance;

(4) Receiving or collecting any premium, commission, membership fee, assessment, dues, or other consideration for any insurance contract or any part thereof;

(5) Disseminating information as to coverage or rates, forwarding applications, inspecting risks, fixing rates, investigating or adjusting claims or losses, or transacting any matters subsequent to effecting a contract of insurance and arising out of it;

(6) Doing any kind of business recognized as constituting the doing of an insurance business under Title XXXIX of the Revised Code or subject to regulation by the superintendent of insurance under the laws of this state relating to insurance.

Any such act shall be considered to be the doing of an insurance business in this state by such insurer, person, or agent and shall be its agreement that service of any lawful subpoena, notice, order, or process is of the same legal force and validity as personal service of the subpoena, notice, order, or process in this state upon the insurer, person, or agent.

(C) Service of process in judicial proceedings shall be as provided by the Rules of Civil Procedure. Service in or out of this state of notice, orders, or subpoenas in administrative proceedings before the superintendent shall be as provided in section 3901.04 of the Revised Code.

(D) Service of any notice, order, subpoena, or process in any such action, suit, or proceeding shall, in addition to the manner provided in division (C) of this section, be valid if served upon any person within this state who, in this state on behalf of such insurer, person, or agent is or has been:

(1) Soliciting, procuring, effecting, or negotiating for insurance;

(2) Making, issuing, or delivering any contract of insurance;

(3) Collecting or receiving any premium, membership fees, assessment, dues, or other consideration for insurance;

(4) Disseminating information as to coverage or rates, forwarding applications, inspecting risks, fixing rates, investigating or adjusting claims or losses, or transacting any matters subsequent to effecting a contract of insurance and arising out of it.

(E) Nothing in this section shall limit or abridge the right to serve any subpoena, order, process, notice, or demand upon any insurer, person, or agent in any other manner permitted by law.

(F) Every person investigating or adjusting any loss or claim under a policy of insurance not excepted under division (I) of this section and issued by any such insurer and covering a subject of insurance that was resident, located, or to be performed in this state at the time of issuance shall immediately report the policy to the superintendent.

(G) Each such insurer that does any of the acts set forth in division (B) of this section in this state by mail or otherwise shall be subject to a tax of five per cent on the gross premiums, membership fees, assessments, dues, and other considerations received on all contracts of insurance covering subjects of insurance resident, located, or to be performed within this state. Such insurer shall annually, on or before the first day of July, pay such tax to the treasurer of state, as calculated on a form prescribed by the treasurer of state. If the tax is not paid when due, the tax shall be increased by a penalty of twenty-five per cent. An interest charge computed as set forth in section 5725.221 of the Revised Code shall be made on the entire sum of the tax plus penalty, which interest shall be computed from the date the tax is due until it is paid. The treasurer of state shall determine and report all claims for penalties and interest accruing under this section to the attorney general for collection.

For purposes of this division, payment is considered made when it is received by the treasurer of state, irrespective of any United States postal service marking or other stamp or mark indicating the date on which the payment may have been mailed.

(H) No contract of insurance effected in this state by mail or otherwise by any such insurer is enforceable by the insurer.

(I) This section does not apply to:

(1) Insurance obtained pursuant to sections 3905.30 to 3905.36 of the Revised Code;

(2) The transaction of reinsurance by insurers;

(3) Transactions in this state involving a policy solicited, written, and delivered outside this state covering only subjects of insurance not resident, located, or to be performed in this state at the time of issuance, provided such transactions are subsequent to the issuance of the policy;

(4) Transactions in this state involving a policy of group life or group accident and sickness insurance solicited, written, and delivered outside this state;

(5) Transactions involving contracts of insurance independently procured through negotiations occurring entirely outside this state which are reported to the superintendent and with respect to which the tax provided by section 3905.36 of the Revised Code is paid;

(6) An attorney at law acting on behalf of the attorney's clients in the adjustment of claims or losses;

(7) Except as provided in division (G) of this section, any Any insurance company underwriter issuing contracts of insurance to employer insureds or contracts of insurance issued to an employer insured. For purposes of this section, an "employer insured" is an insured to whom all of the following apply:

(a) The insured procures the insurance of any risk or risks by use of the services of a full-time employee acting as an insurance manager or buyer or the services of a regularly and continuously qualified insurance consultant. As used in division (I)(7)(a) of this section, a "regularly and continuously qualified insurance consultant" does not include any person licensed under Chapter 3905. of the Revised Code.

(b) The insured's aggregate annual premiums for insurance on all risks total at least twenty-five thousand dollars; and

(c) The insured has at least twenty-five full-time employees.

(8) Ocean marine insurance;

(9) Transactions involving policies issued by a captive insurer.

Sec. 3905.36.  (A) Except as provided in divisions (B) and (C) of this section, every insured association, company, corporation, or other person that enters, directly or indirectly, into any agreements with any insurance company, association, individual, firm, underwriter, or Lloyd Lloyd's, not authorized to do business in this state, whereby the insured shall procure, continue, or renew contracts of insurance covering subjects of insurance resident, located, or to be performed within this state, with such unauthorized insurance company, association, individual, firm, underwriter, or Lloyd Lloyd's, for which insurance there is a gross premium, membership fee, assessment, dues, or other consideration charged or collected, shall annually, on or before the thirty-first day of January, return to the superintendent of insurance a statement under oath showing the name and address of the insured, name and address of the insurer, subject of the insurance, general description of the coverage, and amount of gross premium, fee, assessment, dues, or other consideration for such insurance for the preceding twelve-month period and shall at the same time pay to the treasurer of state a tax of five one and four-tenths per cent of such gross premium, fee, assessment, dues, or other consideration, after a deduction for return premium, if any, as calculated on a form prescribed by the treasurer of state. All taxes collected under this section by the treasurer of state shall be paid into the general revenue fund. If the tax is not paid when due, the tax shall be increased by a penalty of twenty-five per cent. An interest charge computed as set forth in section 5725.221 of the Revised Code shall be made on the entire sum of the tax plus penalty, which interest shall be computed from the date the tax is due until it is paid. For purposes of this section, payment is considered made when it is received by the treasurer of state, irrespective of any United States postal service marking or other stamp or mark indicating the date on which the payment may have been mailed.

(B) This section does not apply to:

(1) Transactions in this state involving a policy solicited, written, and delivered outside this state covering only subjects of insurance not resident, located, or to be performed in this state at the time of issuance, provided such transactions are subsequent to the issuance of the policy;

(2) Attorneys-at-law acting on behalf of their clients in the adjustment of claims or losses;

(3) Transactions involving policies issued by a captive insurer. For this purpose, a "captive insurer" means any of the following:

(a) An insurer owned by one or more individuals or organizations, whose exclusive purpose is to insure risks of one or more of the parent organizations or individual owners and risks of one or more affiliates of the parent organizations or individual owners;

(b) In the case of groups and associations, insurers owned by the group or association whose exclusive purpose is to insure risks of members of the group or association and affiliates of the members;

(c) Other types of insurers, licensed and operated in accordance with the captive insurance laws of their jurisdictions of domicile and operated in a manner so as to self-insure risks of their owners and insureds.

(4) Professional or medical liability insurance procured by a hospital organized under Chapter 3701. of the Revised Code.

(C) In transactions that are subject to sections 3905.30 to 3905.35 of the Revised Code, each person licensed under section 3905.30 of the Revised Code shall pay to the treasurer of state, on or before the thirty-first day of January of each year, five one and four-tenths per cent of the balance of the gross premiums charged for insurance placed or procured under the license after a deduction for return premiums, as reported on a form prescribed by the treasurer of state. The tax shall be collected from the insured by the surplus line broker who placed or procured the policy of insurance at the time the policy is delivered to the insured. No license issued under section 3905.30 of the Revised Code shall be renewed until payment is made. If the tax is not paid when due, the tax shall be increased by a penalty of twenty-five per cent. An interest charge computed as set forth in section 5725.221 of the Revised Code shall be made on the entire sum of the tax plus penalty, which interest shall be computed from the date the tax is due until it is paid. For purposes of this section, payment is considered made when it is received by the treasurer of state, irrespective of any United States postal service marking or other stamp or mark indicating the date on which the payment may have been mailed.

Section 2. That existing sections 3901.17 and 3905.36 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.