24-A §2479. Commission records and enforcement -- Article 8 - Maine Statutes

Title 24-A: MAINE INSURANCE CODE

Chapter 28: INTERSTATE INSURANCE PRODUCT REGULATION COMPACT HEADING: PL 2003, C. 680, §1 (NEW)

§2479. Commission records and enforcement -- Article 8

1. Public inspection and copying of information and records. The commission shall promulgate rules establishing conditions and procedures for public inspection and copying of its information and official records, except information and records involving the privacy of individuals and insurers' trade secrets. The commission may promulgate additional rules under which it may make available to federal and state agencies, including law enforcement agencies, records and information otherwise exempt from disclosure, and may enter into agreements with such agencies to receive or exchange information or records subject to nondisclosure and confidentiality provisions.

[ 2003, c. 680, §1 (NEW) .]

2. Laws pertaining to confidentiality or nondisclosure. Except as to privileged records, data and information, the laws of any compacting state pertaining to confidentiality or nondisclosure do not relieve any compacting state commissioner of the duty to disclose any relevant records, data or information to the commission. Disclosure to the commission may not be considered to waive or otherwise affect any confidentiality requirement. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter, the commission is not subject to the compacting state's laws pertaining to confidentiality and nondisclosure with respect to records, data and information in its possession. Confidential information of the commission remains confidential after such information is provided to any commissioner.

[ 2003, c. 680, §1 (NEW) .]

3. Compliance. The commission shall monitor compacting states for compliance with duly adopted bylaws, rules, including uniform standards, and operating procedures. The commission shall notify any noncomplying compacting state in writing of its noncompliance with commission bylaws, rules or operating procedures. If a noncomplying compacting state fails to remedy its noncompliance within the time specified in the notice of noncompliance, the compacting state is in default as set forth in section 2485.

[ 2003, c. 680, §1 (NEW) .]

4. Commissioner's authority to oversee market regulation. The commissioner of any state in which an insurer is authorized to do business or is conducting the business of insurance shall continue to exercise the commissioner's authority to oversee the market regulation of the activities of the insurer in accordance with the provisions of the state's law. The commissioner's enforcement of compliance with the compact is governed by the following provisions.

A. With respect to the commissioner's market regulation of a product or advertisement that is approved by or certified to the commission, the content of the product or advertisement does not constitute a violation of the provisions, standards or requirements of the compact except upon a final order of the commission issued at the request of a commissioner after prior notice to the insurer and an opportunity for hearing before the commission. [2003, c. 680, §1 (NEW).]

B. Before a commissioner may bring an action for violation of any provision, standard or requirement of the compact relating to the content of an advertisement not approved by or certified to the commission, the commission, or an authorized commission officer or employee, must authorize the action. However, authorization pursuant to this paragraph does not require notice to the insurer, opportunity for hearing or disclosure of requests for authorization or records of the commission's action on such requests. [2003, c. 680, §1 (NEW).]

[ 2003, c. 680, §1 (NEW) .]

SECTION HISTORY

2003, c. 680, §1 (NEW).