Earlier this year, John Oxendine, former Georgia Insurance Commissioner, issued himself several licenses to sell insurance and adjust claims on his last day in office on Sunday, which was January 9, 2011. In doing so, Oxendine waived the mandatory 80 hours of education requirements and testing that apply to other persons seeking similar licensure. According to local media reports, Oxendine stated that his experience of regulating the insurance industry in Georgia for the past 16 years qualified him for a waiver of the education requirements. Oxedine also stated that he waived the written examination requirements because he did not want to be a distraction to other applicants. While Oxedine stated that he does not plan to sell insurance, he did register a company called Oxendine Insurance Services with the Georgia Secretary of State days after he gave himself the licenses.
Current Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens told local media that Oxendine used bad judgment and appeared to have ignored the advice of the office’s staff when he issued himself the licenses. Commissioner Hudgens also stated that he doesn’t have the power to revoke the licenses. As a result, the Georgia House has unanimously approved H.B. 347 to prohibit state insurance commissioners from granting themselves insurance licenses without passing mandatory written examinations.
