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2009 SESSION

090042864
HOUSE BILL NO. 1935
Offered January 14, 2009
Prefiled January 13, 2009
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 38.2-221.3, relating to the confidentiality of certain insurance information.
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Patron-- Plum
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Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 38.2-221.3 as follows:

§ 38.2-221.3. Confidentiality of applications and investigations. 

A. For purposes of this section, "business entity" means a partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or other legal entity that is entitled to hold property in its own name and that is not a sole proprietorship. 

B. This section applies to the Commission's authority to (i) license, register, or authorize business entities pursuant to this title and (ii) license automobile clubs pursuant to Chapter 3.1 (§ 13.1-400.1 et seq.) of Title 13.1. This section shall not apply to any license issued under Chapter 18 (§ 38.2-1800 et. seq.).

C. All applications, documents, materials, or other information produced by, obtained by, or disclosed to the Commission or any other person in the course of an investigation, or a review of an application, shall be given confidential treatment, is not subject to subpoena, and may not be made public by the Commission or any other person. The Commission may grant access to (i) a regulatory official of any state or country; (ii) the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, its affiliate, or its subsidiary; or (iii) a law-enforcement authority of any state or country, provided that those officials are required under their law to maintain its confidentiality. Any such disclosure by the Commission shall not constitute a waiver of confidentiality of such applications, documents, materials, or other information, or copies thereof. Any parties receiving such information shall agree in writing prior to receiving the information to provide to it the same confidential treatment as required by this section, unless the prior written consent of the business entity to which it pertains has been obtained.

D.  Nothing in this section shall prohibit the Commission from (i) using such confidential information in furtherance of any regulatory or legal action; (ii) publishing any decisions, orders, findings, opinions, or judgments; or (iii) publishing any final report or any other report containing aggregated findings, provided that such reports, decisions, orders, findings, opinions, or judgments shall not disclose any such confidential information.