Wash. Admin. Code § 284-07-110

Current through Register Vol. 24-23, December 1, 2024

Section 284-07-110 - Definitions

For the purposes of WAC 284-07-100 through 284-07-230 the following definitions shall apply:

(1) "Accountant" or "independent certified public accountant" means an independent certified public accountant or accounting firm in good standing with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and in all states in which he or she is licensed to practice; for Canadian and British companies, the terms mean a Canadian-chartered or British-chartered accountant.

(2) An "affiliate" of, or person "affiliated" with, a specific person, is a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the person specified.

(3) "Audit committee" means a committee (or equivalent body) established by the board of directors of an entity for the purpose of overseeing the accounting and financial reporting processes of an insurer or group of insurers, the internal audit functions of an insurer or group of insurers (if applicable), and external audits of financial statements of the insurer or group of insurers. The audit committee of any entity that controls a group of insurers may be deemed to be the audit committee for one or more of these controlled insurers solely for the purposes of WAC 284-07-100 through 284-07-230 at the election of the controlling person. Refer to WAC 284-07-213(5) for exercising this election. If an audit committee is not designated by the insurer, the insurer's entire board of directors constitutes the audit committee.

(4) "Audited financial report" means and includes those items specified in WAC 284-07-130.

(5) "Group of insurers" means those licensed insurers included in the reporting requirements of chapter 48.31B RCW, or a set of insurers as identified by management, for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.

(6) "Indemnification" means an agreement of indemnity or a release from liability where the intent or effect is to shift or limit in any manner the potential liability of the person or firm for failure to adhere to applicable auditing or professional standards, whether or not resulting in part from knowing of other misrepresentations made by the insurer or its representatives.

(7) "Independent board member" has the same meaning as described in WAC 284-07-213(3).

(8) "Insurer" has the same meaning as set forth in RCW 48.01.050. It also includes health care service contractors registered under chapter 48.44 RCW, health maintenance organizations registered under chapter 48.46 RCW, fraternal benefit societies registered under chapter 48.36A RCW, and self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangements authorized under chapter 48.125 RCW.

(9) "Internal audit function" means a person or persons that provide independent, objective and reasonable assurance designed to add value and improve an organization's operations and accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes.

(10) "Internal control over financial reporting" means a process effected by an entity's board of directors, management and other personnel designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the financial statements, i.e., those items specified in WAC 284-07-130(2)(b) through (g) and includes those policies and procedures that:

(a) Pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of assets;

(b) Provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the financial statements, i.e., those items specified in WAC 284-07-130(2)(b) through (g) and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors; and

(c) Provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements, i.e., those items specified in WAC 284-07-130(2)(b) through (g).

(11) "NAIC" means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

(12) "Policy holder" also means subscriber.

(13) "SEC" means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

(14) "Section 404" means Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the SEC's rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(15) "Section 404 report" means management's report on internal control over financial reporting as defined by the SEC and the related attestation report of the independent certified public accountant described in WAC 284-07-110(1).

(16) "SOX compliant entity" means an entity that either is required to be compliant with, or voluntarily is compliant with, all of the following provisions of the Sar-banes-Oxley Act of 2002:

(a) The preapproval requirements of Section 201 (Section 10A(i) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934);

(b) The audit committee independence requirements of Section 301 (Section 10A (m)(3) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934); and

(c) The internal control of financial reporting requirements of Section 404 (Item 308 of SEC Regulations S-K).

Wash. Admin. Code § 284-07-110

Amended by WSR 15-22-062, Filed 10/30/2015, effective 1/1/2016

Amended by WSR 20-01-008, Filed 12/5/2019, effective 1/5/2020

Statutory Authority: RCW 48.02.060, 48.44.050, 48.46.200, 48.05.250, 48.44.095, 48.46.080, 48.46.200, and 48.125.090. 09-20-069 (Matter No. R 2009-09), § 284-07-110, filed 10/5/09, effective 11/5/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 48.02.060, 48.05.250, 48.44.050, 48.44.095, 48.46.080, 48.46.200, and 48.125.090. 09-07-044 (Matter No. R 2008-29), § 284-07-110, filed 3/11/09, effective 4/11/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 48.02.060, 48.44.050, and 48.46.200. 02-21-120 (Matter No. R 2002-07), § 284-07-110, filed 10/23/02, effective 11/23/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 48.02.060, 48.43.140, 48.44.050 and 48.46.200. 94-04-045 (Order R 94-2), § 284-07-110, filed 1/27/94, effective 2/27/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 48.02.060. 92-19-040 (Order R 92-10), § 284-07-110, filed 9/9/92, effective 10/10/92.