Sec. 25. (a) Any documents, materials, or other information in the control or possession of the department that are:
(1) furnished by a licensee or an employee or agent acting on behalf of a licensee under section 20(c), 21(d)(2) through 21(d)(5), 21(d)(8), or 21(d)(10) through 21(d)(11) of this chapter; or
(2) obtained by the commissioner in an investigation or examination under section 24 of this chapter;
are confidential by law and privileged, are not subject to IC 5-14-3, are not subject to subpoena, and are not subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action. However, the commissioner is authorized to use the documents, materials, or other information in the furtherance of any regulatory or legal action brought as a part of the commissioner's duties. The commissioner shall not otherwise make the documents, materials, or other information public without the prior written consent of the licensee.
(b) Neither the commissioner nor any person who received documents, materials, or other information while acting under the authority of the commissioner shall be permitted or required to testify in any private civil action concerning any confidential documents, materials, or information subject to subsection (a).
(c) In order to assist in the performance of the commissioner's duties under this chapter, the commissioner:
(1) may share documents, materials, or other information, including the confidential and privileged documents, materials, or information subject to subsection (a), with other state, federal, and international regulatory agencies, with the NAIC and its affiliates or subsidiaries, and with state, federal, and international law enforcement authorities, provided that the recipient agrees in writing to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the document, material, or other information;
(2) may receive documents, materials, or information, including otherwise confidential and privileged documents, materials, or information, from the NAIC and its affiliates or 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 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 information;
(3) may share documents, materials, or other information subject to subsection (a), with a third party consultant or vendor provided the consultant or vendor agrees in writing to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the document, material, or other information; and
(4) may enter into agreements governing sharing and use of information consistent with this subsection.
(d) No waiver of any applicable privilege or claim of confidentiality in the documents, materials, or information shall occur as a result of disclosure to the commissioner under this section or as a result of sharing as authorized in subsection (c).
(e) Nothing in this chapter prohibits the commissioner from releasing final, adjudicated actions that are open to public inspection under IC 5-14-3 to a data base or other clearinghouse service maintained by the NAIC, its affiliates, or subsidiaries.
(f) Documents, materials, or other information in the possession or control of the NAIC or a third party consultant or vendor under this chapter shall be confidential by law and privileged, shall not be subject to IC 5-14-3, shall not be subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action.
As added by P.L.130-2020, SEC.10.