Montana Title 33. Insurance and Insurance Companies § 33-2-1114. Dividends and other distributions--commissioner approval

(1) An insurer subject to registration under 33-2-1111 and 33-2-1112 may not pay any extraordinary dividend or make any other extraordinary distribution to its shareholders until 30 days after the commissioner has received notice of the declaration of the dividend or distribution and has not within the period disapproved the payment or the commissioner has approved payment within the 30-day period.

(2) For purposes of this section, an extraordinary dividend or distribution includes any dividend or distribution of cash or other property whose fair market value together with that of other dividends or distributions made within the preceding 12 months exceeds 10% of the insurer's surplus as regards policyholders as of December 31 next preceding, but may not include pro rata distributions of any class of the insurer's own securities.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an insurer may declare an extraordinary dividend or distribution which is conditional upon the commissioner's approval, and the declaration may not confer rights upon shareholders until the commissioner has approved the payment of the dividend or distribution or the commissioner has not disapproved the payment within the 30-day period referred to in subsection (1).

(4) An insurer subject to subsection (1) may not pay any other dividend or make any other distribution to its shareholders unless the insurer has notified the commissioner of the payment 15 days prior to the payment date. The notice must be kept confidential until the payment date of the dividend. The commissioner may order that a dividend not be paid if the commissioner finds that the insurer's surplus as regards policyholders, following the payment to shareholders, would be inadequate or could lead the insurer to a hazardous financial condition.