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<section article="gfi" article_name="Financial Institutions" number="12-412" title_number="12" title_name="Miscellaneous Institutions and Activities" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Maryland Money Transmission Act">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Average daily money transmission liability” means the amount of the applicant’s or licensee’s outstanding money transmission obligations in the State at the end of each day in a given quarter, added together and divided by the total number of days in that quarter.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Trust company” has the meaning stated in § 1–101 of the Estates and Trusts Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>With an application for a new license, an applicant shall file a surety bond with the Commissioner.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The bond shall run to the Commissioner, as obligee, for the benefit of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Any individual who has been damaged by a violation of State law or regulation governing the business of money transmission committed by a licensee or an authorized delegate of a licensee.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The bond shall be:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>In the amount required under subsection (d) of this section;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Issued by a surety company that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Is authorized to do business in the State; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Holds a certificate of authority issued by the Maryland Insurance Commissioner; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Conditioned that the licensee and any authorized delegate of the licensee shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Comply with all State and federal laws and regulations governing the business of money transmission; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Fulfill all obligations to all parties to a money transmission.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The liability of the surety:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Shall be continuous;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>May not be aggregated or cumulative, whether or not the bond is renewed, continued, replaced, or modified;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>May not be determined by adding together the penal sum of the bond, or any part of the penal sum of the bond, in existence at any two or more points in time;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Shall be considered to be one continuous obligation, regardless of increases or decreases in the penal sum of the bond;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>May not be affected by:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The insolvency or bankruptcy of the licensee;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Any misrepresentation, breach of warranty, failure to pay a premium, or any other act or omission of the licensee; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>The suspension of the licensee’s license;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>May not require an administrative enforcement action by the Commissioner as a prerequisite to liability; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>Shall continue for 3 years after the later of the date on which:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The bond is canceled; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The licensee, for any reason, ceases to be licensed.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <level label="i">
        <text>A bond may be canceled by the surety or the licensee by giving notice of cancellation to the Commissioner.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Notice under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Be in writing; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>A cancellation of a bond under this paragraph is not effective until 90 days after receipt of a notice of cancellation by the Commissioner.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>A claim against the bond may be filed with the surety by:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A claimant; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Commissioner for the benefit of a claimant or the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>If the amount of claims under a bond exceeds the amount of the bond, the surety:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Shall pay the amount of the bond to the Commissioner for pro rata distribution to claimants; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Is relieved of liability under the bond.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <level label="i">
        <text>If the penal amount of a bond is reduced by payment of a claim or judgment, the licensee shall file a new or additional bond with the Commissioner.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Commissioner may permit a bond to be reduced or eliminated if the amount of the licensee’s payment instruments outstanding in the State are reduced.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A deposit in lieu of a surety bond made to satisfy the provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Have a market value equal to the amount required under subsection (d) of this section; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Be held by the Commissioner to secure the same obligations as are required to be secured by a surety bond under subsection (b) of this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>At any time, a licensee may exchange investments for other investments that meet the requirements of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Commissioner may sell or transfer investments and distribute the proceeds on the same basis as provided for claims against a surety bond under paragraph (b)(2) of this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>As long as a licensee is solvent, the licensee is entitled to receive any interest or dividends earned by the investments.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Commissioner may place the investments in the custody of any qualified trust company in this State.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The licensee shall pay the compensation of this custodian.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The amount of the surety bond under subsection (b) of this section or the deposit in lieu of a surety bond under subsection (c) of this section shall be the greater of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>$150,000; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>100% of the applicant’s average daily money transmission liability in the State calculated for the most recently completed quarter, up to a maximum of $2,000,000.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The quarters for calculating the average daily money transmission liability under paragraph (1) of this subsection for any licensee required to do so shall be the quarters ending March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If the penal amount of a surety bond or a deposit in lieu of a surety bond is reduced by a payment of a claim or judgment, the licensee shall file with the Commissioner evidence of any new or additional surety bond or deposit in lieu of a surety bond in the amount that the Commissioner sets.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If the Commissioner at any time believes that the surety bond or the deposit in lieu of a surety bond is insufficient, exhausted, or otherwise unsatisfactory, the Commissioner may require evidence of an additional surety bond or deposit in lieu of a surety bond to be filed by the licensee.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Within 30 days after the Commissioner makes a written demand for the new surety bond or deposit in lieu of a surety bond, the licensee shall file the evidence of the new surety bond or deposit in lieu of a surety bond.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>A penalty imposed against a licensee under § 2–115(b) of this article or § 12–426(e)(2) of this subtitle may be collected and paid from the proceeds of a surety bond or a deposit in lieu of a surety bond required under this section.</text>
  </level>
</section>
