(a) Whenever a written complaint has been filed with the commissioner, the commissioner shall review and investigate the matter complained of as provided by Section 1858 and shall make a determination whether there is probable cause to believe that a violation of this chapter has occurred. This determination shall be made within a reasonable time, but in no event more than 60 days after the complaint regarding a policy in a personal line of insurance or 90 days in the case of a policy in a class of commercial insurance is filed unless the complainant consents to a greater time or unless the complainant enters into informal conciliation of the complaint. The time and location of the conciliation shall be mutually agreeable to the complainant and to the insurer.
(b) Whenever a written complaint is accompanied by written request for a public hearing, the commissioner shall review and investigate the matter complained of as provided in Section 1858 and shall grant or deny the request for a public hearing within a reasonable time, but in no event more than 90 days when the complaint is regarding a policy in a personal line of insurance or 120 days in the case of a policy in a class of commercial insurance, unless the complainant consents to a greater time or unless the complainant enters into informal conciliation of the complaint. The time and location of the conciliation shall be mutually agreeable to the complainant and to the insurer.
(c) In the event the complainant enters into informal conciliation of the complaint, the time set forth in subdivisions (a) and (b) for making a determination or for granting or denying a request for a public hearing shall be tolled for up to 10 working days until informal conciliation results in resolution of the complaint or informal conciliation is ended without resolution of the complaint. Should informal conciliation fail to result in resolution of the complaint, the commissioner shall review the facts presented by the complainant and the insurer or rating organization, together with the facts alleged in the complaint and any response to the complaint, to determine whether probable cause exists to believe that a violation of this chapter has occurred.
(d) For purposes of this subdivision, “personal insurance” means all coverages combined in private passenger automobile insurance policies as those policies are described in Section 660 and all forms combined in property or multiperil insurance policies as those policies are described in Section 675.
(e) For purposes of this subdivision, “commercial insurance” means any class, as defined by the Insurance Services Office of commercial insurance and any class of insurance designated under subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 1857.9.
(Added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 1289, Sec. 1.5.)