§ 31–304. Designation of independent certified public accountant.

(a) Each insurer required by this chapter to file an annual audited financial report, within 60 days after becoming subject to the requirement, shall register in writing with the Mayor the name and address of the independent certified public accountant or accounting firm retained to conduct the required annual audit. Insurers not retaining an independent certified public accountant on October 21, 1993, shall register the name and address of their retained certified public accountant not less than 6 months before the date when the first audited financial report is to be filed.

(b) The insurer shall obtain a letter from the accountant, and file a copy with the Mayor, stating that the accountant is aware of the provisions of the insurance laws and rules of the District of Columbia that relate to accounting and financial matters, and affirming that he or she will express his or her opinion on the financial statements in terms of their conformity to the statutory accounting practices prescribed or otherwise permitted by the jurisdiction where it is domiciled, specifying any exceptions he or she believes appropriate.

(c) If an accountant who was the accountant for the immediately preceding filed audited financial report is dismissed or resigns, the insurer shall, within 5 business days, notify the Mayor of this event. The insurer shall, within 10 business days of the above notification, also furnish the Mayor with a separate letter stating whether in the 24 months preceding the event there were any disagreements with the former accountant on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of the former accountant, would have caused him or her to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in connection with his or her opinion. The disagreements required to be reported in response to this subsection include both those resolved to the former accountant’s satisfaction and those not resolved to the former accountant’s satisfaction. Disagreements contemplated by this section are those that occur at the decision-making level, that is between personnel of the insurer responsible for presentation of its financial statements and personnel of the accounting firm responsible for rendering its report. The insurer shall also request in writing that the former accountant furnish a letter addressed to the insurer stating whether the accountant agrees with the statements contained in the insurer’s letter, and, if not, stating the reasons that he does not agree. The insurer shall furnish the responsive letter from the former accountant to the Mayor together with its own.

(Oct. 21, 1993, D.C. Law 10-48, § 5, 40 DCR 6102; Mar. 12, 2011, D.C. Law 18-317, § 2(d), 57 DCR 12418.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 35-3204.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 31-313.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 18-317, in subsec. (b), substituted “by the jurisdiction where it is domiciled” for “by the Mayor”.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(d) of Annual Financing Reporting Modernization Emergency Amendment Act of 2010 (D.C. Act 18-665, December 28, 2010, 58 DCR 80).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(d) of Annual Financial Reporting Modernization Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2011 (D.C. Act 19-30, March 15, 2011, 58 DCR 2591).