MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2013 Regular Session
To: Insurance
By: Senator(s) Carmichael
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 83-5-205, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE TO CONDUCT FINANCIAL AND MARKET ANALYSIS REVIEW OF ALL INSURERS AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE; TO AMEND SECTION 83-5-209, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF ANCILLARY INFORMATION RECEIVED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE DURING AN EXAMINATION, FINANCIAL REVIEW AND MARKET ANALYSIS REVIEW; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 83-5-205, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
83-5-205. (1) The commissioner or any of his examiners may conduct an examination under Sections 83-5-201 through 83-5-217 of any company as often as the commissioner, in his or her sole discretion, deems appropriate but, at a minimum, shall conduct an examination of every insurer licensed in this state not less frequently than once every five (5) years. In scheduling and determining the nature, scope and frequency of the examinations, the commissioner shall consider such matters as the results of financial statement analyses and ratios, changes in management or ownership, actuarial opinions, reports of independent certified public accountants and other criteria as set forth in the Examiners' Handbook adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and in effect when the commissioner exercises discretion under this section.
(2) For purposes of completing an examination of any company under Sections 83-5-201 through 83-5-217, the commissioner may examine or investigate any person, or the business of any person, insofar as such examination or investigation, in the sole discretion of the commissioner, is necessary or material to the examination of the company.
(3) In lieu of an examination under Sections 83-5-201 through 83-5-217 of any foreign or alien insurer licensed in this state, the commissioner may accept an examination report on the company as prepared by the insurance department for the company's state of domicile or port-of-entry state until January 1, 1994. Thereafter, such reports may only be accepted if (a) the insurance department was at the time of the examination accredited under the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Financial Regulation Standards and Accreditation Program; or (b) the examination is performed under the supervision of an accredited insurance department or with the participation of one or more examiners who are employed by such an accredited state insurance department and who, after a review of the examination work papers and report, state under oath that the examination was performed in a manner consistent with the standards and procedures required by their insurance department.
(4) In addition to those examinations performed by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the commissioner shall conduct financial and market analysis review of all insurers authorized to do business in this state and may conduct regulatory review of entities regulated by the department. The reviews may include the annual statement and the market conduct annual statement of the insurer or regulated entity reviewed, company financial reports rendered pursuant to good and acceptable accounting practices, results of insurance solvency standards testing as performed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, results of prior examinations and office reviews, management changes, consumer complaints, and such other relevant information as from time to time may be required by the commissioner.
(5) In lieu of conducting a financial or market analysis under this section of any foreign or alien insurer licensed in this state, the commissioner may rely upon the financial or market analysis conducted by the insurance department of the company's state of domicile or port-of-entry accredited under the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Financial Regulation Standards and Accreditation Program.
(6) Every insurer or regulated entity shall produce and make freely accessible to the commissioner the accounts, records, documents and files in its possession or control. Failure by an insurer or regulated entity to supply information requested by the department during a course of financial or market analysis may subject the insurer or regulated entity to revocation or suspension of its license, or, in lieu thereof, a fine not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) per occurrence.
SECTION 2. Section 83-5-209, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
83-5-209. (1) All examination reports shall be comprised of only facts appearing upon the books, records or other documents of the company, its agents or other persons examined, or as ascertained from the testimony of its officers or agents or other persons examined concerning its affairs and such conclusions and recommendations as the examiners find reasonably warranted from the facts.
(2) No later than sixty (60) days following completion of the examination, the examiner in charge shall file with the department a verified written report of examination under oath. Upon receipt of the verified report, the department shall transmit the report to the company examined, together with a notice which shall afford the company examined a reasonable opportunity of not more than thirty (30) days to make a written submission or rebuttal with respect to any matters contained in the examination report.
(3) Within thirty (30) days of the end of the period allowed for the receipt of written submissions or rebuttals, the commissioner shall fully consider and review the report, together with any written submissions or rebuttals and any relevant portions of examiner work papers and enter an order:
(a) Adopting the examination report as filed, or with modification or corrections. If the examination report reveals that the company is operating in violation of any law, regulation or prior order of the commissioner, the commissioner may order the company to take any action the commissioner considers necessary and appropriate to cure such violation; or
(b) Rejecting the examination report with directions to the examiners to reopen the examination for purposes of obtaining additional data, documentation or information and refiling in accordance with subsections (1) and (2) of this section; or
(c) Calling for an investigatory hearing with no less than twenty (20) days' notice to the company for purposes of obtaining additional documentation, data, information and testimony.
(4) All orders entered in accordance with subsection (3)(a) of this section shall be accompanied by findings and conclusions resulting from the commissioner's consideration and review of the examination report, relevant examiner work papers, and any written submissions or rebuttals. Any such order shall be considered a final administrative decision and may be appealed under the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Act and shall be served upon the company by certified mail, together with a copy of the adopted examination report. Within thirty (30) days of the issuance of the adopted report, the company shall file affidavits executed by each of its directors stating under oath that they have received a copy of the adopted report and related orders.
(5) Any hearing conducted under subsection (3)(c) of this section by the commissioner or authorized representative shall be conducted as a nonadversarial confidential investigatory proceeding as necessary for the resolution of any inconsistencies, discrepancies or disputed issues apparent upon the face of the filed examination report or raised by or as a result of the commissioner's review of relevant work papers or by the written submission or rebuttal of the company. Within twenty (20) days of the conclusion of any such hearing, the commissioner shall enter an order in accordance with subsection (3)(a) of this section.
(a) The commissioner shall not appoint an examiner as an authorized representative to conduct the hearing. The hearing shall proceed expeditiously with discovery by the company limited to examiner work papers which tend to substantiate any assertions set forth in any written submission or rebuttal. The commissioner or his representative may issue subpoenas for the attendance of any witnesses or the production of any documents deemed relevant to the investigation whether under the control of the department, the company or other persons. The documents produced shall be included in the record, and testimony taken by the commissioner or his representative shall be under oath and preserved for the record.
Nothing contained in this section shall require the department to disclose any information or records which would indicate or show the existence or content of any investigation or activity of a criminal justice agency.
(b) The hearing shall proceed with the commissioner or his representative posing questions to the persons subpoenaed. Thereafter, the company and the department may present testimony relevant to the investigation. Cross-examination shall be conducted only by the commissioner or his representative. The company and the department shall be permitted to make closing statements and may be represented by counsel of their choice.
(6) (a) Upon the adoption of the examination report under subsection (3)(a) of this section, the commissioner shall continue to hold the content of the examination report as private and confidential information for a period of ten (10) days except to the extent provided in subsection (2) of this section. Thereafter, the commissioner may open the report for public inspection so long as no court of competent jurisdiction has stayed its publication.
(b) Nothing contained in Sections 83-5-201 through 83-5-217 shall prevent or be construed as prohibiting the commissioner from disclosing the content of an examination report, preliminary examination report or results, or any matter relating thereto, to the insurance department of this or any other state or country, or to law enforcement officials of this or any other state or agency of the federal government at any time, so long as such agency or office receiving the report or matters relating thereto agrees in writing to hold it confidential and in a manner consistent with Sections 83-5-201 through 83-5-217.
(c) If the commissioner determines that regulatory action is appropriate as a result of any examination, he may initiate any proceedings or actions as provided by law.
(7) * * *
(a) (i) Except as provided in subsection (6)
and in this subsection (7), documents, materials or other information,
including, but not limited to, all working papers, and copies thereof, created,
produced or obtained by or disclosed to the commissioner or any other person in
the course of an examination made under Sections 83-5-201 through 83-5-217, or
in the course of analysis by the commissioner of the financial condition or
market conduct of a company, shall be confidential by law and privileged, shall
not be subject to the Mississippi Public Records Act, shall not be subject to
subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in
any private civil action. The commissioner is authorized to use the documents,
materials or other information in the furtherance of any regulatory or legal
action brought as part of the commissioner's official duties.
(ii) Documents, materials or other information, including, but not limited to, all working papers, and copies thereof, in the possession or control of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries shall be confidential by law and privileged, shall not be subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action, if they are:
1. Created, produced or obtained by or disclosed to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries in the course of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries assisting an examination made under Sections 83-5-201 through 83-5-217, or the laws of another state or jurisdiction that is substantially similar to Sections 83-5-201 through 83-5-217, or assisting a commissioner in the analysis of the financial condition or market conduct of a company; or
2. Disclosed to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries under paragraph (c) of this subsection by a commissioner.
(b) Neither the commissioner nor any person who received the documents, material or other information while acting under the authority of the commissioner, including the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries, shall be permitted to testify in any private civil action concerning any confidential documents, materials or information subject to paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(c) In order to assist in the performance of the commissioner's duties, the commissioner:
(i) May share documents, materials or other information, including the confidential and privileged documents, materials or information subject to paragraph (a) of this subsection, with other state, federal and international regulatory agencies, with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries, and with state, federal and international law enforcement authorities, provided that the recipient agrees to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the document, material, communication or other information;
(ii) May receive documents, materials, communications or information, including otherwise confidential and privileged documents, materials or information, from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and 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 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; and
(iii) May enter into agreements governing the 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 paragraph (c) of this subsection.
(e) A privilege established under the law of any state or jurisdiction that is substantially similar to the privilege established under this subsection shall be available and enforced in any proceeding in, and in any court of, this state.
(f) For the purposes of this subsection, the terms "department," "insurance department," "law enforcement agency," "regulatory agency," and the "National Association of Insurance Commissioners" include, but are not limited to, their employees, agents, consultants and contractors.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2013.