Section 3207. Life insurance contracts by or for the benefit of minors; on the lives of minors, limitations on amount  


Latest version.
  • (a) A minor above the age of  fourteen years and six months shall be deemed competent to enter into  a
      contract  for,  be  the owner of, and exercise all rights relating to, a
      policy of life insurance upon the life of the minor or upon the life  of
      any  person  in  whom  the  minor  has  an  insurable  interest, but the
      beneficiary of such policy may be only the minor or the parent,  spouse,
      brother, sister, child or grandparent of the minor.
        (b)  An  insurer  may  deliver  or  issue for delivery in this state a
      policy or policies of life insurance upon the life of a minor under  the
      age  of  fourteen  years  and  six  months, provided that such policy or
      policies are effectuated by a person  or  persons  having  an  insurable
      interest  in  the life of such minor or by a person or persons upon whom
      such minor is dependent for support and maintenance and provided further
      that an insurer shall not knowingly issue such a policy or policies  for
      an  amount  which,  together with the amount of life insurance under any
      other policy or policies then in force upon the life of such  minor,  is
      in  excess  of the limit of fifty thousand dollars or the limit of fifty
      per centum or the limit of twenty-five per centum in the case of a minor
      under the age of four years  and  six  months  of  the  amount  of  life
      insurance  in  force  upon  the  life  of  the  person  effectuating the
      insurance at the date of issue of the policy on the life of such  minor,
      whichever  limit is the greater, and any amount of life insurance on the
      life of such minor not in excess of such limit when issued shall not  be
      deemed  to be in excess thereof by reason of any reduction thereafter in
      the amount of life insurance in  force  upon  the  life  of  the  person
      effectuating the insurance.
        (c)  An  insurer  may  deliver  or  issue for delivery in this state a
      policy or policies of life insurance upon the life of a minor under  the
      age  of  fourteen  years and six months for an amount or amounts of life
      insurance which may be in excess of the limit  specified  in  subsection
      (b)  of  this  section if the policy or policies are effectuated and the
      premiums paid by a person or persons having an insurable interest in the
      life of the minor and if the minor is not dependent upon such person  or
      persons for support and maintenance.
        (d)  (1)  If  an  insurer  shall deliver or issue for delivery in this
      state any policy of life insurance on the life of a minor for an  amount
      in excess of the limit prescribed by subsection (b) of this section, the
      amount  under  such  policy  which  is  in excess shall not be valid, or
      payable as a claim by death, so long  as  and  to  the  extent  that  it
      continues  to  be  in  excess,  provided that no such insurance shall be
      deemed to be in excess on or after the date upon which the minor attains
      the age of fourteen years and six months.
        (2) The  insurer  which  issues  such  excess  amount,  determined  by
      priority  of date of issue of policies if there is more than one policy,
      shall upon demand therefor or upon the death of  the  insured  and  upon
      proof satisfactory to the insurer that such excess exists at the time of
      such  demand  or  death refund with interest, at the rate assumed in the
      valuation of the policy, the premiums paid less  dividends  allowed,  on
      the  amount of insurance that is in excess at the date of such demand or
      death, and such excess insurance and  all  of  the  obligations  of  the
      insurer  thereunder  shall terminate. Any indebtedness to the insurer on
      any excess insurance shall be deducted by the insurer from such refund.
        (3) If only a part of the amount of insurance under such a  policy  is
      in  excess  of such limits, the refund shall bear the same proportion to
      the total premiums paid less dividends allowed under such policy as  the
      amount  of  such  excess  insurance  bears to the amount of insurance in
      force under the policy at the date of such refund,  and  the  amount  or
    
      amounts  thereafter  payable  under  such policy shall be reduced in the
      same proportion.
        (4)  If  an  insurer  shall  have  made payment as a death claim of an
      amount in excess of such limits without having had proof satisfactory to
      it that such insurance was in excess, such insurer shall not  be  liable
      for the refund specified above.
        (f)  Notwithstanding  the  foregoing  limitations,  any  domestic life
      insurance company may issue for delivery in  another  state  or  foreign
      country  any  policy  which  is  governed  by  the laws of such state or
      country for any amount not prohibited by the laws of such other state or
      country.
        (g) The amount of life insurance within the meaning  of  this  section
      shall  not be deemed to include return premium benefits or the return of
      cash value or any additional benefits payable in the event of  death  by
      accident,  any variable death benefit above the guaranteed minimum death
      benefit  provided  under  a  variable  life  insurance  policy,  or  any
      additional  insurance provided by the application of dividends or by the
      application of additional amounts  credited  to  a  policy  pursuant  to
      subsection  (b)  of section four thousand two hundred thirty-two of this
      chapter.