(a) Fund established. Pursuant to Finance Code Chapter 154, Subchapter H, guaranty fund is established to guarantee performance by sellers and providers of prepaid funeral services. The fund is named the Prepaid Funeral Guaranty Fund, and is supervised by an advisory council composed of members as set out in Finance Code §154.355. The fund is composed of two separate accounts, one for trust-funded contracts and one for insurance-funded contracts.     
      (b) Advisory Council. The advisory council is named the Guaranty Fund Advisory Council. The consumer representative and the insurance-funded industry representative serve a two-year term beginning on January 1 of an even-numbered year and ending December 31 of the following odd-numbered year. The trust-funded industry representative serves a two-year term beginning on January 1 of an odd-numbered year and ending December 31 of the following even-numbered year. The banking commissioner or the commissioner's official designee serves as the chairperson of the council.     
      (c) Assessments. The department shall make and collect assessments from all sellers of prepaid funeral benefits pursuant to Finance Code Chapter 154, Subchapter H. Each seller shall remit the amount of its calculated assessment to the department each year with its Annual Report filing.     
      (d) Expenses. The commissioner may use any earnings from the Prepaid Funeral Guaranty Fund for reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by the industry and the consumer representatives of the Guaranty Fund Advisory Council pursuant to the travel guidelines applicable to state employees, and for the expenses of providing any other legislatively mandated action with respect to the Prepaid Funeral Guaranty Fund, including but not limited to audits.     
      (e) Meetings. The Guaranty Fund Advisory Council shall meet on a periodic basis as determined by the commissioner in order to fulfill the requirements of supervising the operation and maintenance of the Prepaid Funeral Guaranty Fund.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §25.17 adopted to be effective November 5, 2009, 34 TexReg 7597; amended to be effective November 10, 2011, 36 TexReg 7505; amended to be effective May 7, 2020, 45 TexReg 2829