AN ACT relating to insurance; authorizing investment in digital assets by an insurer; and providing for an effective date.
Elections
Enacted
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Sponsor
Corporations
Last action
2020-03-12
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2020
Plain English Breakdown
The official source does not provide specific details on how much insurance companies can invest in digital assets.
Insurance Companies Can Invest in Digital Assets
This law allows insurance companies to invest in digital assets like virtual currency and digital securities, as long as they meet certain requirements.
What This Bill Does
Allows insurance companies to buy digital assets such as virtual currencies and digital securities that comply with Wyoming's Insurance Code.
Defines what kinds of digital assets can be invested in by insurers, excluding consumer-focused digital items.
Who It Names or Affects
Insurance companies in Wyoming
Terms To Know
Digital Assets
Items like virtual currency and digital securities that exist online and have value.
Virtual Currency
A type of digital asset used as a medium of exchange, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
Limits and Unknowns
The law does not specify how much insurance companies can invest in digital assets.
It is unclear what specific types of consumer-focused digital items are excluded from investment by insurers.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: The amendment changes the definition of assets that insurers can invest in by specifying certain types of securities and excluding digital consumer assets.
Replaces the term 'asset' with a specific type of security as defined by Wyoming Statute 34-29-101(a)(iii).
Adds an exclusion for digital consumer assets, which are defined under Wyoming Statute 34-29-101(a)(ii), from being considered in the investment scope.
The amendment assumes familiarity with specific statutory definitions and may be unclear to those not familiar with Wyoming's insurance statutes.
Bill History
2020-03-12LSO
Assigned Chapter Number 67
2020-03-12Governor
Governor Signed HEA No. 0044
2020-03-09Senate
S President Signed HEA No. 0044
2020-03-06House
H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0044
2020-03-06LSO
Assigned Number HEA No. 0044
2020-03-06House
H Concur:Passed 58-0-2-0-0
2020-03-05House
H Received for Concurrence
2020-03-05Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 27-3-0-0-0
2020-03-04Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2020-03-03Senate
S 2nd Reading:Laid Back
2020-03-02Senate
S COW:Passed
2020-02-27Senate
S Placed on General File
2020-02-27Senate
S07 - Corporations:Recommend Do Pass 4-1-0-0-0
2020-02-24Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations
2020-02-14Senate
S Received for Introduction
2020-02-14House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 59-1-0-0-0
2020-02-13House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2020-02-12House
H COW:Passed
2020-02-11House
H Placed on General File
2020-02-11House
H07 - Corporations:Recommend Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0
2020-02-10House
H Introduced and Referred to H07 - Corporations 52-7-1-0-0
2020-02-07House
H Received for Introduction
2019-12-11LSO
Bill Number Assigned
Official Summary Text
Bill Summary - 20LSO-0078
Bill No.:
HB0021
Effective:
7/1/2020 12:00:00 AM
LSO No.:
20LSO-0078
Enrolled Act No.:
HEA No. 0044
Chapter No.:
67
Prime Sponsor:
Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Interim Committee
Catch Title:
Insurance investments-digital assets.
Subject:
Investment in digital assets by an insurer.
Summary/Major Elements:
Under current law, the Wyoming Insurance Code specifies the types of assets that an insurance company may invest in.
The act specifically authorizes insurance companies to invest in digital assets, such as digital securities and virtual currency, that otherwise comply with certain requirements of the Wyoming Insurance Code.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
20LSO-0078
ORIGINAL House
ENGROSSED
Bill No
.
HB0021
ENROLLED ACT NO. 44,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SIXTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2020 Budget Session
AN ACT relating to insurance; authorizing investment in digital assets by an insurer; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1.
W.S. 26
‑
7
‑
104(a) and 26
‑
7
‑
107(a) by creating a new paragraph (xvi) are amended to read:
26
‑
7
‑
104.
General qualifications for investments.
(a)
No security or investment, other than property acquired under W.S. 26
‑
7
‑
107(a)(xiii), is eligible for acquisition unless it is interest bearing or interest accruing or dividend or income paying, is not then in default and the insurer is entitled to receive for its exclusive account and benefit the interest or income accruing thereon. Any stock
or digital security as defined by W.S. 34-29-101(a)(iii)
which has the ability to appreciate in value shall be considered to be income paying for purposes of this subsection.
26
‑
7
‑
107.
Authorized investments.
(a)
An insurer may invest in:
(xvi)
Digital assets, as defined by W.S. 34
‑
29
‑
101(a)(i) and excluding digital consumer assets as defined by W.S. 34-29-101(a)(ii), that otherwise comply with all applicable requirements of this chapter for the applicable asset class or for the most analogous asset class.
Section 2
.
This act is effective July 1, 2020
.
(END)
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Governor
TIME APPROVED: _________
DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.
Chief Clerk
1