Section 6901 - DefinitionsAs used in this article:
(a)(1) "Financial guaranty insurance" means a surety bond, an insurance policy or, when issued by an insurer or any person doing an insurance business as defined in paragraph one of subsection (b) of section one thousand one hundred one of this chapter, an indemnity contract, and any guaranty similar to the foregoing types, under which loss is payable, upon proof of occurrence of financial loss, to an insured claimant, obligee or indemnitee as a result of any of the following events: (A) failure of any obligor on or issuer of any debt instrument or other monetary obligation (including equity securities guarantied under a surety bond, insurance policy or indemnity contract) to pay when due to be paid by the obligor or scheduled at the time insured to be received by the holder of the obligation, principal, interest, premium, dividend or purchase price of or on, or other amounts due or payable with respect to, such instrument or obligation, when such failure is the result of a financial default or insolvency or, provided that such payment source is investment grade, any other failure to make payment, regardless of whether such obligation is incurred directly or as guarantor by or on behalf of another obligor that has also defaulted;(B) changes in the levels of interest rates, whether short or long term or the differential in interest rates between various markets or products;(C) changes in the rate of exchange of currency;(D) changes in the value of specific assets or commodities, financial or commodity indices, or price levels in general; or(E) other events which the superintendent determines are substantially similar to any of the foregoing.(2) Notwithstanding paragraph one of this subsection, "financial guaranty insurance" shall not include:(A) insurance of any loss resulting from any event described in paragraph one of this subsection if the loss is payable only upon the occurrence of any of the following, as specified in a surety bond, insurance policy or indemnity contract: (i) a fortuitous physical event;(ii) failure of or deficiency in the operation of equipment; or(iii) an inability to extract or recover a natural resource;(B) fidelity and surety insurance as defined in paragraph sixteen of subsection (a) of section one thousand one hundred thirteen of this chapter;(C) credit insurance as defined in paragraph seventeen of subsection (a) of section one thousand one hundred thirteen of this chapter;(D) credit unemployment insurance as defined in paragraph twenty-four of subsection (a) of section one thousand one hundred thirteen of this chapter;(E) residual value insurance as defined in paragraph twenty-two of subsection (a) of section one thousand one hundred thirteen of this chapter;(F) mortgage guaranty insurance as defined in paragraph twenty-three of subsection (a) of section one thousand one hundred thirteen of this chapter and as permitted to be written by a mortgage guaranty insurer under article sixty-five of this chapter;(G) guaranteed investment contracts issued by life insurance companies which provide that the life insurer itself will make specified payments in exchange for specific premiums or contributions;(H) indemnity contracts or similar guaranties, to the extent that they are not otherwise limited or proscribed by this chapter:(i) in which a life insurer or an insurer subject to article forty-three of this chapter guaranties its obligations or indebtedness or the obligations or indebtedness of a subsidiary (as defined in paragraph forty of subsection (a) of section one hundred seven of this chapter), other than a financial guaranty insurance corporation, provided that: (I) to the extent that any such obligations or indebtedness are backed by specific assets, such assets must at all times be owned by the insurer or the subsidiary; and(II) in the case of the guaranty of the obligations or indebtedness of the subsidiary that are not backed by specific assets of such insurer, such guaranty terminates once the subsidiary ceases to be a subsidiary; or(ii) in which a life insurer guaranties obligations or indebtedness (including the obligation to substitute assets where appropriate) with respect to specific assets acquired by such life insurer in the course of its normal investment activities and not for the purpose of resale with credit enhancement, or guaranties obligations or indebtedness acquired by its subsidiary, provided that the assets acquired pursuant to this item (ii) have been: (I) acquired by a special purpose entity, whose sole purpose is to acquire specific assets of such life insurer or its subsidiary and issue securities or participation certificates backed by such assets; or(II) sold to an independent third party; or(iii) in which a life insurer guaranties obligations or indebtedness of an employee or insurance agent of such life insurer; or(I) guarantees of higher education loans, unless written by a financial guaranty insurance corporation;(J) guarantees of insurance contracts, except for: (i) guarantees authorized pursuant to section one thousand one hundred fourteen of this chapter;(ii) financial guaranty insurance policies insuring guaranteed investment contracts issued by life insurers, provided that:(I) the obligations under such contracts are not dependent on the continuance of human life;(II) the financial guaranty insurance policies do not guaranty death benefits provided by such contracts;(III) the obligations insured by the financial guaranty insurance policies are investment grade based on the rating of the life insurers or, in the case of separate account guaranteed investment contracts, based on the ratings of such separate accounts;(IV) the financial guaranty insurance policies shall not condition or delay payment of a claim with respect to such contracts upon the insured or beneficiary making a claim on the contracts with any insurance guaranty fund under this chapter or of any other jurisdiction; and(V) the financial guaranty insurance policies provide that if, prior to payment by the insurer under the financial guaranty insurance policies, the guaranty fund has paid a claim under such contracts for an amount that, when added to the amount payable under the financial guaranty insurance policies, would exceed the amount owed under such contracts, then the financial guaranty insurer shall pay the portion of the amount payable in excess of the contract amounts to the guaranty fund instead of to the beneficiary under such contracts; or(K) any other form of insurance covering risks which the superintendent determines to be substantially similar to any of the foregoing.(b) "Financial guaranty insurance corporation" or "corporation" means an insurer licensed to transact the business of financial guaranty insurance in this state.(c) "Affiliate" means a person which, directly or indirectly, owns at least ten percent but less than fifty percent of the financial guaranty insurance corporation or which is at least ten percent but less than fifty percent, directly or indirectly, owned by a financial guaranty insurance corporation.(d) "Aggregate net liability" means the aggregate amount of insured unpaid principal, interest and other monetary payments, if any, of guarantied obligations insured or assumed, less reinsurance ceded and less collateral.(e) "Asset-backed securities" mean: (1) securities or other financial obligations of an issuer provided that:(A) the issuer is a special purpose corporation, trust or other entity, or (provided that the securities or other financial obligations constitute an insurable risk) is a bank, trust company or other financial institution, deposits in which are insured by the Bank Insurance Fund or the Savings Insurance Fund (or any successor thereto); and(B) a pool of assets:(i) has been conveyed, pledged or otherwise transferred to or is otherwise owned or acquired by the issuer;(ii) such pool of assets backs the securities or other financial obligations issued; and(iii) no asset in such pool, other than an asset directly payable by, guaranteed by or backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government or that otherwise qualifies as collateral under paragraph one or two of subsection (g) of this section, has a value exceeding twenty percent of the pool's aggregate value; or(2) a pool of credit default swaps or credit default swaps referencing a pool of obligations, provided that: (A) the swap counterparty whose obligations are insured under the credit default swap is a special purpose corporation, special purpose trust or other special purpose legal entity;(B) no reference obligation in such pool, other than an obligation directly payable by, guaranteed by or backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government or that otherwise qualifies as collateral under paragraph two of subsection (g) of this section, has a notional amount exceeding ten percent of the pool's aggregate notional amount; and(C) the insurer has the benefit of a deductible or other first loss credit protection against claims under its insurance policy.(f) "Average annual debt service" means the amount of insured unpaid principal and interest on an obligation, multiplied by the number of such insured obligations (assuming each obligation represents one thousand dollars par value), divided by the amount equal to the aggregate life of all such obligations (assuming each obligation represents one thousand dollars par value). This definition, expressed as a formula in regard to bonds, is as follows: Average Annual Debt Service = Total Debt Service x No. of Bonds _________________________________ Bond Years Total Debt Service = Insured Unpaid Principal + Interest Number of Bonds = Total Insured Principal _______________________ $1,000 Bond Years = Number of Bonds x Term in Years Bond Years = Number of Bonds x Term in Years Term in Years = Term to maturity based on scheduled amortization or, in the absence of a scheduled amortization in the case of asset-backed securities or other obligations lacking a scheduled amortization, expected amortization, in each case determined as of the date of issuance of the insurance policy based upon the amortization assumptions employed in pricing the insured obligations or otherwise used by the insurer to determine aggregate net liability.(g) "Collateral" means: (2) the cash flow from specific obligations which are not callable and scheduled to be received based on expected prepayment speed on or prior to the date of scheduled debt service (including scheduled redemptions or prepayments) on the insured obligation provided that (i) such specific obligations are directly payable by, guaranteed by or backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government, (ii) in the case of insured obligations denominated or payable in foreign currency as permitted under paragraph four of subsection (b) of section six thousand nine hundred four of this article, such specific obligations are directly payable by, guaranteed by or backed by the full faith and credit of such foreign government or the central bank thereof, or (iii) such specific obligations are insured by the same insurer that insures the obligations being collateralized, and the cash flows from such specific obligations are sufficient to cover the insured scheduled payments on the obligations being collateralized;(3) the market value of investment grade obligations, other than obligations evidencing an interest in the project or projects financed with the proceeds of the insured obligations;(4) the face amount of each letter of credit that:(B) provides for payment under the letter of credit in lieu of or as reimbursement to the insurer for payment required under a financial guaranty insurance policy;(C) is issued, presentable and payable either:(i) at an office of the letter of credit issuer in the United States; or(ii) at an office of the letter of credit issuer located in the jurisdiction in which the trustee or paying agent for the insured obligation is located;(D) contains a statement that either: (i) identifies the insurer and any successor by operation of law, including any liquidator, rehabilitator, receiver or conservator, as the beneficiary; or(ii) identifies the trustee or the paying agent for the insured obligation as the beneficiary;(E) contains a statement to the effect that the obligation of the letter of credit issuer under the letter of credit is an individual obligation of such issuer and is in no way contingent upon reimbursement with respect thereto;(F) contains an issue date and a date of expiration;(G) either: (i) has a term at least as long as the shorter of the term of the insured obligation or the term of the financial guaranty policy; or(ii) provides that the letter of credit shall not expire without thirty days prior written notice to the beneficiary and allows for drawing under the letter of credit in the event that, prior to expiration, the letter of credit is not renewed or extended or a substitute letter of credit or alternate collateral meeting the requirements of this subsection is not provided;(H) states that it is governed by the laws of the state of New York or by the 1983 or 1993 Revision of the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits of the International Chamber of Commerce (Publication 400 or 500) or any successor Revision if approved by the superintendent, and contains a provision for an extension of time, of not less than thirty days after resumption of business, to draw against the letter of credit in the event that one or more of the occurrences described in Article 19 of Publication 400 or 500 occurs; and(I) is issued by a bank, trust company, or savings and loan association that: (i) is organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or, in the case of a non-domestic financial institution, has a branch or agency office licensed under the laws of the United States or any state thereof and is domiciled in a member country of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development having a sovereign rating in one of the top two generic lettered rating classifications by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization acceptable to the superintendent; (ii) has (or is the principal operating subsidiary of a financial institution holding company that has) a long-term debt rating of at least investment grade; and(iii) is not a parent, subsidiary or affiliate of the trustee or paying agent, if any, with respect to the insured obligation if such trustee or paying agent is the named beneficiary of the letter of credit; or(5) the amount of credit protection available to the insurer (or its nominee) under each credit default swap that: (A) may not be amended without the consent of the insurer and may only be terminated: (i) at the option of the insurer; (ii) at the option of the counterparty to the insurer (or its nominee), if the credit default swap provides for the payment of a termination amount equal to the replacement cost of the terminated credit default swap determined with reference to standard documentation of the International Swap and Derivatives Association, Inc. or otherwise acceptable to the superintendent; or (iii) at the discretion of the superintendent acting as a rehabilitator, liquidator or receiver of the insurer upon payment by or on behalf of the insurer of any termination amount due from the insurer; (B) provides for payment under all instances in which payment under a financial guaranty insurance policy is required, except that payment under the credit default swap may be on a first loss, excess of loss or other non-pro-rata basis and may apply on an aggregate basis to more than one policy;(C) is provided by:(i) a counterparty whose obligations under the credit default swap are insured by a financial guaranty insurance corporation licensed under this article or guaranteed by a financial institution referred to in items (ii) and (iii) of this subparagraph;(ii) a financial institution satisfying the requirements of items (i) through (iii) of subparagraph (I) of paragraph four of this subsection; provided that (A) obligations of such financial institution on parity with its obligations under the credit default swap are investment grade and (B) if such financial institution is not organized under, or acting through a branch or agency office licensed under, the laws of the United States or any state thereof, then such financial institution is required to collateralize the replacement cost of the credit default swap in the event that it shall fail to maintain such rating; or(iii) any other financial institution that the superintendent determines to be substantially similar to any of the foregoing. Collateral must be deposited with the insurer; held in trust by a trustee or custodian acceptable to the superintendent for the benefit of the insurer; or held in trust pursuant to the bond indenture or other trust arrangement, for the benefit of security holders in the form of funds for the payment of insured obligations, sinking funds or other reserves which may be used for the payment of insured obligations and trustee and other administrative fees on a first priority basis established and continually maintained pursuant to the bond indenture or other trust arrangement by a trustee acceptable to the superintendent. The superintendent may promulgate regulations to limit the amount of collateral provided by obligations, letters of credit or credit default swaps or to limit the amount of collateral provided by any single issuer, bank or counterparty as provided for in this subsection.
(h) "Commercial real estate" means income producing real property other than residential property consisting of less than five units.(i)(1) "Consumer debt obligations" guaranties means financial guaranty insurance that indemnifies a purchaser or lender against loss or damage resulting from defaults on a pool of debts owed for extensions of credit (including in respect of installment purchase agreements and leases) to individuals, provided in the normal course of the purchaser's or lender's business, provided that (A) such pool meets the requirements of paragraph two of subsection (e) of this section and (B) such pool has been determined to be investment grade.(2) Consumer debt obligations guaranty policies shall contain a provision that all coverage under the policies terminates upon sale or transfer of the underlying consumer debt obligation to any transferee not insured by the same insurer under a similar policy.(j) "Contingency reserve" means an additional liability reserve established to protect policyholders against the effects of adverse economic developments or cycles or other unforeseen circumstances.(j-1) "Credit default swap" means an agreement referencing the credit derivative definitions published from time to time by the International Swap and Derivatives Association, Inc. or otherwise acceptable to the superintendent, pursuant to which a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a payment default by, insolvency of, or other adverse credit event in respect of, an issuer of a specified security or other obligation; provided that such agreement does not constitute an insurance contract and the making of such credit default swap does not constitute the doing of an insurance business.(k) "Governmental unit" means the United States of America, Canada, a member country of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development having a sovereign rating in one of the top three generic lettered rating classifications by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization acceptable to the superintendent, a state, territory or possession of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, a province of Canada, a municipality, or a political subdivision of any of the foregoing, or any public agency or instrumentality thereof.(k-1) "Excess spread" means, with respect to any insured issue of asset-backed securities, the excess of (A) the scheduled cash flow on the underlying assets that is reasonably projected to be available, over the term of the insured securities after payment of the expenses associated with the insured issue, to make debt service payments on the insured securities over (B) the scheduled debt service requirements on the insured securities, provided that such excess is held in the same manner as collateral is required to be held under subsection (g) of this section.(l) "Industrial development bond" means any security or other instrument, other than a utility first mortgage obligation, under which a payment obligation is created, issued by or on behalf of a governmental unit, to finance a project serving a private industrial, commercial or manufacturing purpose, and not payable or guarantied by a governmental unit.(m) "Insurable risk" means, with respect to asset-backed securities, as defined in subsection (e) of this section, that such obligation on an uninsured basis has been determined to be not less than investment grade based solely on the pool of assets backing the insured obligation or securing the insurer, without consideration of the creditworthiness of the issuer.(n) "Investment grade" means that: (1) the obligation or parity obligation of the same issuer has been determined to be in one of the top four generic lettered rating classifications by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization acceptable to the superintendent;(2) the obligation or parity obligation of the same issuer has been identified in writing by such nationally recognized statistical rating organization to be of investment grade quality; or(3) if the obligation or parity obligation of the same issuer has not been submitted to any such nationally recognized statistical rating organization, the obligation is determined to be investment grade (as indicated by a rating in category 1 or 2) by the Securities Valuation Office of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.(o) "Municipal bonds" means municipal obligation bonds and special revenue bonds.(p) "Municipal obligation bond" means any security or other instrument, including a lease payable or guaranteed by the United States or another national government that qualifies as a governmental unit or any agency, department or instrumentality thereof, or by a state or an equivalent political subdivision of another national government that qualifies as a governmental unit, but not a lease of any other governmental unit, under which a payment obligation is created, issued by or on behalf of or payable or guaranteed by a governmental unit or issued by a special purpose corporation, special purpose trust or other special purpose legal entity to finance a project serving a substantial public purpose, and which is: (1)(A) payable from tax revenues, but not tax allocations, within the jurisdiction of such governmental unit;(B) payable or guaranteed by the United States or another national government that qualifies as a governmental unit, or any agency, department or instrumentality thereof, or by a housing agency of a state or an equivalent subdivision of another national government that qualifies as a governmental unit;(C) payable from rates or charges (but not tolls) levied or collected in respect of a non-nuclear utility project, public transportation facility (other than an airport), or public higher education facility; or(D) with respect to lease obligations, payable from future appropriations; and(2) provided that, in the case of obligations of a special purpose corporation, special purpose trust or other special purpose legal entity, (A) such obligations are investment grade at the time of issuance; (B) such obligations are payable from sources enumerated in subparagraph (A), (B), (C) or (D) of paragraph one of this subsection; and (C) the project being financed or the tolls, tariffs, usage fees or other similar rates or charges for its use are subject to regulation or oversight by a governmental unit. (q) "Reinsurance" means cessions qualifying for credit under section six thousand nine hundred six of this article.(r) "Special revenue bond" means any security or other instrument, under which a payment obligation is created, issued by or on behalf of or payable or guaranteed by a governmental unit to finance a project serving a substantial public purpose, and not payable from any of the sources enumerated in subsection (p) of this section; or securities which are the functional equivalent of the foregoing issued by a not-for-profit corporation or a special purpose corporation, special purpose trust or other special purpose legal entity; provided that, in the case of obligations of a special purpose corporation, special purpose trust or other special purpose legal entity, (1) such obligations are investment grade at the time of issuance; (2) such obligations are not payable from the sources enumerated in subparagraph (A), (B), (C) or (D) of paragraph one of subsection (p) of this section; and (3) the project being financed or the tolls, tariffs, usage fees or other similar rates or charges for its use are subject to regulation or oversight by a governmental unit. (s) "Utility first mortgage obligation" means any obligation of an issuer secured by a first priority mortgage on utility property owned by or leased to an investor-owned or cooperative-owned utility company and located in the United States, Canada or a member country of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development having a sovereign rating in one of the top two generic lettered rating classifications by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization acceptable to the superintendent; provided that the utility or utility property or the usage fees or other similar utility rates or charges are subject to regulation or oversight by a governmental unit.Amended by New York Laws 2023, ch. 568,Sec. 2, eff. 10/25/2023.Amended by New York Laws 2023, ch. 568,Sec. 1, eff. 10/25/2023.