(a) All reports obtained by or disclosed to the Commissioner under this chapter in the possession or control of the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking shall be confidential and privileged; shall not be subject to subchapter II of Chapter 5 of Title 2; shall not be subject to subpoena; and shall not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in a private civil action without the prior written consent of the insurer to which it pertains; provided, that the Commissioner may use the documents, materials, or other information in the furtherance of any regulatory or legal action brought as a part of the Commissioner’s official duties.
(b) If the Commissioner, after giving the insurer who would be affected notice and an opportunity to be heard, determines that the interest of policyholders, shareholders, or the public will be served by publication of the information subject to subsection (a) of this section, the Commissioner may publish all or any part in the manner that the Commissioner considers appropriate.
(c) The Commissioner or any person who received documents, materials, or other information while acting under the authority of the Commissioner shall not be permitted or required to testify in a private civil action concerning any confidential documents, materials, or information subject to subsection (a) of this section.
(d) To assist in the performance of the Commissioner’s duties, the Commissioner:
(1) May share documents, materials, or other information, including the confidential and privileged documents, materials, or other information subject to subsection (a) of this section, with other state, federal, and international regulatory agencies; with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, including its affiliates and subsidiaries; and with state, federal, and international law enforcement authorities; provided, that the recipient agrees, and has the legal authority, to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the documents, materials, or other information;
(2) May receive documents, materials, or other information, including confidential and privileged documents, materials, or other information, from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, including its affiliates and subsidiaries, and from regulatory and law enforcement officials of other foreign or domestic jurisdictions, and shall maintain as confidential or privileged any document, material, or other information received with notice or the understanding that it is confidential or privileged under the laws of the jurisdiction that is the source of the document, material, or other information; or
(3) May enter into agreements governing the sharing and use of information consistent with this section.
(e) No waiver of an applicable privilege or claim of confidentiality in the documents, materials, or other information shall occur as a result of disclosure to the Commissioner under this section or of sharing as authorized in subsection (d) of this section. Nothing in this section shall require an insurer to disclose documents, materials, or other information that is not otherwise required by law to be disclosed.
(May 24, 1996, D.C. Law 11-123, § 4a; as added Oct. 21, 2000, D.C. Law 13-191, § 6(b), 47 DCR 7311; June 11, 2004, D.C. Law 15-166, § 4(f), 51 DCR 2817.)
Effect of AmendmentsD.C. Law 15-166, in subsec. (a), substituted “Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking” for “Department of Insurance and Securities Regulation”.
Emergency LegislationFor temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 4(f) of Consolidation of Financial Services Emergency Amendment Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-381, February 27, 2004, 51 DCR 2653).