(a) Any individual, partnership, corporation or unincorporated association providing group life insurance coverage for its employees shall furnish each insured employee, upon cancellation or discontinuation of such life insurance, notice of the cancellation or discontinuation of such insurance. The notice shall be mailed or delivered to the insured employee not less than fifteen days next preceding the effective date of cancellation or discontinuation. Any individual or any such entity that fails to provide timely notice shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars for each violation. The Labor Commissioner shall have the authority to assess all such fines. This section shall apply to any such individual, partnership, corporation or unincorporated association that substitutes one policy providing such group life insurance coverage for another such policy with no interruption in coverage.
(b) If any individual or any such entity fails to furnish notice pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the individual or entity shall be liable for benefits to the same extent as the insurer would have been liable if coverage had not been cancelled or discontinued.