(a) This article shall be known as the Standard Valuation Law.

(b) For the purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “Accident and health insurance” means contracts that incorporate morbidity risk and provide protection against economic loss resulting from accident, sickness, or medical conditions and as may be specified in the valuation manual.

(2) “Company” means an entity that (A) has written, issued, or reinsured life insurance contracts, accident and health insurance contracts, or deposit-type contracts in this state and has at least one policy in force or on claim or (B) has written, issued, or reinsured life insurance contracts, accident and health insurance contracts, or deposit-type contracts in any state and is required to hold a certificate of authority to write life insurance, accident and health insurance, or deposit-type contracts in this state.

(3) “Deposit-type contract” means contracts that do not incorporate mortality or morbidity risks and as may be specified in the valuation manual.

(4) “Life insurance” means contracts that incorporate mortality risk, including annuity and pure endowment contracts, and as may be specified in the valuation manual.

(5) “NAIC” means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

(6) “Principle-based valuation” means a reserve valuation that uses one or more methods or one or more assumptions determined by the insurer and is required to comply with Section 10489.97, as specified in the valuation manual.

(7) “Valuation manual” means the manual of valuation instructions adopted by the NAIC as specified in this article or as subsequently amended.

(c) For the purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply on and after the operative date of the valuation manual:

(1) “Appointed actuary” means a qualified actuary who is appointed in accordance with the valuation manual to prepare the actuarial opinion required in subdivision (b) of Section 10489.15.

(2) “Policyholder behavior” means any action a policyholder, contractholder, or any other person with the right to elect options, such as a certificate holder, may take under a policy or contract subject to this article, including, but not limited to, lapse, withdrawal, transfer, deposit, premium payment, loan, annuitization, or benefit elections prescribed by the policy or contract, but excluding events of mortality or morbidity that result in benefits prescribed in their essential aspects by the terms of the policy or contract.

(3) “Qualified actuary” means an individual who is qualified to sign the applicable statement of actuarial opinion in accordance with the American Academy of Actuaries qualification standards for actuaries signing those statements and who meets the requirements specified in the valuation manual.

(4) “Tail risk” means a risk that occurs either when the frequency of low probability events is higher than expected under a normal probability distribution or when there are observed events of very significant size or magnitude.

(d) This article and Sections 10480, 10481, 10483, 10484, and 10486 shall apply (1) to the valuation of policies and contracts subject to this article issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual and (2) as provided in Section 10489.3 as to the valuation of benefits purchased under group annuity and pure endowment contracts issued prior to that operative date.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 658, Sec. 4. (SB 696) Effective January 1, 2016.)