(a) Upon consent by the commissioner to the plan of conversion of a mutual insurer and filing of the plan of conversion in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, the commissioner shall issue a new certificate of authority to the converted insurer. Upon issuance of the certificate of authority to a mutual insurer and subject to subdivision (a) of Section 110 of the Corporations Code, the Secretary of State shall accept for filing the articles of incorporation, certificate of amendment of articles of incorporation, or agreement of merger and officers’ certificates of the converted insurer for the conversion of a mutual insurer. For a plan of conversion in accordance with Section 11537.2, the Secretary of State shall accept for filing the articles of incorporation of the mutual holding company and the stock holding company. Upon consent to the plan of conversion of a mutual holding company and filing of the plan of conversion in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, the Secretary of State shall accept for filing the articles of incorporation or certificate of amendment of articles of incorporation of the converted mutual holding company. The plan is effective upon the filing of the articles of incorporation or certificate of amendment of articles of incorporation.

(b) Upon the effective date of the plan of conversion of a mutual property-casualty insurer, the mutual insurer shall immediately become a stock corporation. The converted insurer shall be a continuation of the original mutual insurer, and the conversion shall in no way annul, modify, or change any of the original mutual insurer’s existing suits, rights, contracts, or liabilities except as provided in the approved conversion plan. The insurer, after conversion, shall exercise all the rights and powers and perform all the duties conferred or imposed by law upon insurers writing the classes of insurance written by it, and shall retain the rights and contracts existing prior to conversion, subject to the effect of the plan.

(c) Upon the effective date of the plan of conversion of a mutual life insurer in accordance with Section 11537.3, the mutual life insurer immediately becomes a stock corporation, all membership interests and rights in surplus are extinguished, and members eligible to exercise subscription rights or receive other consideration under the plan of conversion are entitled to receive the consideration in exchange for their membership interests and liquidation of their rights in surplus. The converted insurer is a continuation of the original mutual life insurer, and the conversion in no way annuls, modifies, or changes any of the original mutual life insurer’s existing suits, rights, contracts, or liabilities, except as provided in the plan of conversion. The insurer, after conversion, shall exercise all the rights and powers and perform all the duties conferred or imposed by law upon insurers writing the classes of insurance written by it, and shall retain the rights and contracts existing prior to conversion, subject to the effect of the plan.

(d) Upon the effective date of the plan of conversion of a mutual holding company, all membership interests and rights in surplus are extinguished, members eligible to receive consideration under the plan of conversion are entitled to receive the consideration in exchange for their membership interests and liquidation of their rights in surplus, and the plan otherwise becomes effective in accordance with its terms. The conversion in no way annuls, modifies, or changes any of the converting mutual holding company’s existing suits, rights, contracts, or liabilities, except as provided in the approved plan of conversion.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 406, Sec. 14. Effective August 19, 1996.)