(1) If the contract is funded by trust, the Secretary of State shall be given a copy of the trust agreement, which the Secretary of State shall review and approve in advance. The Secretary of State may at any time require the submission of the trust agreement for review and approval from any preneed provider. The Secretary of State shall approve in advance any amendments or modifications to the trust agreement. The Secretary of State shall be informed in writing as to how the assets of the trust are held. In the event of any change in the investment composition of the trust assets, or change in the trustee or trust institution, the Secretary of State shall be informed within ten (10) days after the time the change occurs.

(2) Any trustee, other than a financial institution, shall not be the contract provider, the seller, or an officer or director of the contract provider if the contract provider is a corporation.

(3)

(a) In no event may trust funds be loaned, directly or indirectly, to any of the following persons: the preneed provider; any entity in which the preneed provider has any financial interest; any employee, director, member, stockholder, partner, full or partial owner, or principal of the preneed provider; or any person related by blood or marriage to any of those persons.

(b) In no event may trust funds, directly or indirectly, be invested in or with any business or business venture in which any of the following persons have an interest: the preneed provider; any entity in which the preneed provider has any financial interest; any employee, director, member, stockholder, partner, full or partial owner, or principal of the preneed provider; or any person related by blood or marriage to any of those persons.

(4) Not later than the fifth day of the following month from when funds are received, the contract seller shall place in a trust account in a financial institution as defined by this article at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the funds received for funeral services and merchandise. The contract shall disclose to the purchaser in boldface type the percentage of funds the seller is required to trust along with the name of the trust officer, the trust institution, the address and phone number of the same. The purchaser shall initial the corresponding paragraph in the contract indicating notice of the trust percentage and acknowledge being provided the name of the trust officer, the trust institution, address and phone number. The contract seller must provide the trustee with documentation containing the contract owner’s identity and allocable share for each remittance. Trust accounts shall be carried in the name of the preneed seller, but accounting records shall be established and maintained for each individual preneed funeral contract beneficiary showing the amounts deposited and invested. The Secretary of State may by rule address the recordkeeping required for interest, dividends, increases and accretions earned.

(5) Reasonable annual trust fees including any income taxes owed to the State of Mississippi and/or the United States Treasury may be withheld from the earnings of the trust.

(6) At the time of death, if the contract provider provides the merchandise and services indicated in the contract, the contract provider shall furnish to the trustee a copy of the preneed contract, contract owner’s death certificate or proof of death, and a letter of performance indicating that the contracted merchandise and services were provided by the contract provider to the contract insured. Upon receipt of the letter of performance and death certificate, or proof of death, the trustee shall pay to the contract provider all funds, which shall not be less than the amount deposited in trust. In the limited instance only when a preneed provider furnishes a personalized, engraved marker, headstone or monument before death, the trustee may disburse to the preneed provider compensation for the engraved marker, headstone or monument as well as any associated engraving, setting or delivery fees. In those instances, no disbursement from the trust shall be made until the trustee receives from the preneed provider a delivery ticket or invoice, documentation for the engraving of identifying information regarding the purchaser, and a letter of performance indicating that the engraved marker, headstone or monument has been provided.

Any trust officer or trust institution that releases trust funds for funeral services or merchandise in a manner contrary with the provisions of this article shall be liable for the same. Furthermore, any trustee or trust institution that engages in fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or misappropriation of trust funds to the detriment of a contract provider or a contract insured shall be liable for the same.

(7) If a substitute provider was named by the contract beneficiary, during his life, or by one with the legal authority to act on his behalf at any time, the substitute provider shall provide the trustee with a death certificate or published obituary along with an invoice verifying that the substitute provider serviced the final needs of the beneficiary. Within ten (10) days of receipt of the documentation of death and invoice from the substitute provider, the trustee shall pay the substitute provider or the estate of the contract beneficiary not less than the amount deposited in trust on behalf of the serviced beneficiary. For all trust funded preneed contracts sold on or after July 1, 2012, the trustee shall pay the substitute provider not less than the amount deposited into trust on behalf of the serviced beneficiary in addition to all earnings, interest and income on the beneficiary’s principal.

(8) Preneed trust funds are exempt from all claims of creditors of the preneed provider, except as to the claims of the contract purchaser or his representatives, and cannot be used as collateral, pledged or in any way encumbered or placed at risk.