A. There is hereby created within the Insurance Department, under the control and direction of the Insurance Commissioner, an "Anti-Fraud Unit" within the Legal and Investigation Division of the Insurance Department.
B. Violations of any statute or administrative rule of this state pertaining to suspected insurance fraud or pertaining to any insurance product, insurance organization, or licensee under the regulation or authority of the Commissioner may be investigated by the Anti-Fraud Unit. Whenever the Unit determines that a violation of any criminal law of this state may have occurred, it may refer the matter to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation for further investigation pursuant to Section 150.5 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes or the Attorney General pursuant to Section 18b of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The Insurance Department shall retain the authority to initiate and prosecute any administrative or civil action it deems necessary or advisable.
C. The Anti-Fraud Unit may employ investigators who may be commissioned by the Insurance Commissioner to serve as peace officers, as defined by and pursuant to the guidelines and requirements of Section 3311 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes and Sections 99 and 99a of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
D. Records, documents, reports and evidence obtained or created by the Anti-Fraud Unit as a result of an inquiry or investigation of any suspected insurance related crime shall be confidential and shall not be subject to the Oklahoma Open Records Act or to outside review or release by any individual. Information and records shall be disclosed upon request to officers and agents of federal, state, county, or municipal law enforcement agencies, to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, to the Attorney General's office and to district attorneys, in the furtherance of criminal investigations.
Added by Laws 1999, c. 344, § 1, emerg. eff. June 8, 1999. Amended by Laws 2002, c. 307, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 2002; Laws 2004, c. 131, § 1; Laws 2005, c. 129, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2005; Laws 2009, c. 176, § 21, eff. Nov. 1, 2009; Laws 2012, c. 235, § 4, eff. July 1, 2012; Laws 2016, c. 97, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2016.