(1) Only a life insurance producer who has been duly licensed as a resident insurance producer with a lifeline of authority in this state or his or her home state for at least one year and is licensed as a nonresident producer in this state is permitted to operate as a broker.

     (2) Not later than thirty days from the first day of operating as a broker, the life insurance producer must notify the commissioner that he or she intends acting as a broker on a form prescribed by the commissioner, pay a fee of one hundred dollars, and if a nonresident producer appoint the commissioner as attorney for service of process under RCW 48.02.200. Notification must include an acknowledgment by the life insurance producer that he or she will operate as a broker in accordance with this chapter.

     (3) A person licensed as an attorney, certified public accountant, or financial planner accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation agency, who is retained to represent the owner, whose compensation is not paid directly or indirectly by the provider or purchaser, may negotiate life settlement contracts on behalf of the owner without having to obtain a license as a broker.

     (4) The authority to act as a broker continues in force until suspended, revoked, or not renewed. The authority to act as a broker automatically expires if not timely renewed. The authority to act as a broker is valid for a time period coincident with the expiration date of the broker's insurance producer license. The authority to act as a broker is renewable at that time, upon payment of a renewal fee in the amount of one hundred dollars and if the payment is received by the commissioner prior to the expiration date, the broker's authority to act as a broker continues in effect.

     (a) If the renewal fee is not received by the commissioner prior to the expiration date, the broker must pay to the commissioner in addition to the renewal fee, a surcharge as follows:

     (i) For the first thirty days or part thereof of delinquency the surcharge is fifty percent of the renewal fee;

     (ii) For the next thirty days or part thereof delinquency the surcharge is one hundred percent of the renewal fee;

     (b) If the payment of the renewal fee is not received by the commissioner after sixty days the surcharge is two hundred percent of the renewal fee.

     (5) Subsection (4)(a) of this section does not exempt any person from any penalty provided by law for transacting life settlement business without the valid authority to act as a broker.

     (6)(a) A nonresident broker must appoint the commissioner as its attorney to receive service of, and upon whom must be served, all legal process issued against it in this state upon causes of action arising within this state. Service upon the commissioner as attorney constitutes service upon the broker. Service of legal process against the broker can be had only by service upon the commissioner.

     (b) The appointment of the commissioner as attorney is irrevocable, binds any successor in interest or to the assets or liabilities of the broker, and remains in effect as long as there is in this state any contract made by the broker or liabilities or duties arising therefrom.

     (c) The service of process must be accomplished and processed in the manner prescribed in RCW 48.02.200.

     (7) A broker may not use any person to perform the functions of a provider unless such a person holds a current, valid license as a provider, and as provided in this chapter.

[2011 c 47 § 15; 2009 c 104 § 4.]