WASHINGTON STATUTES AND CODES

32.04.220 - Examination reports and other information -- Confidential -- Privileged -- Penalty.

Examination reports and other information — Confidential — Privileged — Penalty.

(1) All examination reports and all information obtained by the director and the director's staff in conducting examinations of savings banks, and information obtained by the director and the director's staff from other state or federal bank regulatory authorities with whom the director has entered into agreements pursuant to RCW 32.04.211, and information obtained by the director and the director's staff relating to examination and supervision of holding companies owning a savings bank in this state or subsidiaries of such holding companies, is confidential and privileged information and shall not be made public or otherwise disclosed to any person, firm, corporation, agency, association, governmental body, or other entity.

     (2) Subsection (1) of this section notwithstanding, the director may furnish all or any part of examination reports, work papers, final orders, or other information obtained in the conduct of an examination or investigation prepared by the director's office to:

     (a) Federal agencies empowered to examine savings banks;

     (b) Bank regulatory authorities with whom the director has entered into agreements pursuant to RCW 32.04.211, and other bank regulatory authorities who are the primary regulatory authority or insurer of accounts for a holding company owning a savings bank the principal operations of which are conducted in this state or a subsidiary of such holding company; provided that the director shall first find that the reports of examination to be furnished shall receive protection from disclosure comparable to that accorded by this section;

     (c) Officials empowered to investigate criminal charges subject to legal process, valid search warrant, or subpoena. If the director furnishes any examination report to officials empowered to investigate criminal charges, the director may only furnish that part of the report which is necessary and pertinent to the investigation, and the director may do this only after notifying the affected savings bank and any customer of the savings bank who is named in that part of the report of the order to furnish the part of the examination report unless the officials requesting the report first obtain a waiver of the notice requirement from a court of competent jurisdiction for good cause;

     (d) The examined savings bank or holding company thereof;

     (e) The attorney general in his or her role as legal advisor to the director;

     (f) Liquidating agents of a distressed savings bank;

     (g) A person or organization officially connected with the savings bank as officer, director, attorney, auditor, or independent attorney or independent auditor;

     (h) The Washington public deposit protection commission as provided by RCW 39.58.105;

     (i) Organizations insuring or guaranteeing the shares of, or deposits in, the savings bank; or

     (j) Other persons as the director may determine necessary to protect the public interest and confidence.

     (3) All examination reports, work papers, final orders, and other information obtained in the conduct of an examination or investigation furnished under subsections (2) and (4) of this section shall remain the property of the department of financial institutions, and be confidential, and no person, agency, or authority to whom reports are furnished or any officer, director, or employee thereof shall disclose or make public any of the reports or any information contained therein except in published statistical material that does not disclose the affairs of any individual or corporation: PROVIDED, That nothing herein shall prevent the use in a criminal prosecution of reports furnished under subsection (2) of this section.

     (4) The examination report made by the department of financial institutions is designed for use in the supervision of the savings bank, and the director may furnish a copy of the report to the savings bank examined. The report shall remain the property of the director and will be furnished to the savings bank solely for its confidential use. Under no circumstances shall the savings bank or any of its trustees, officers, or employees disclose or make public in any manner the report or any portion thereof, to any person or organization not connected with the savings bank as officer, director, employee, attorney, auditor, or candidate for executive office with the bank. The savings bank may also, after execution of an agreement not to disclose information in the report, disclose the report or relevant portions thereof to a party proposing to acquire or merge with the savings bank.

     (5) Examination reports and information obtained by the director and the director's staff in conducting examinations, or from other state and federal bank regulatory authorities with whom the director has entered into agreements pursuant to RCW 32.04.211, or relating to examination and supervision of holding companies owning a savings bank the principal operations of which are conducted in this state or a subsidiary of such holding company, shall not be subject to public disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW.

     (6) In any civil action in which the reports are sought to be discovered or used as evidence, any party may, upon notice to the director, petition the court for an in camera review of the report. The court may permit discovery and introduction of only those portions of the report which are relevant and otherwise unobtainable by the requesting party. This subsection shall not apply to an action brought or defended by the director.

     (7) This section shall not apply to investigation reports prepared by the director and the director's staff concerning an application for a new savings bank or an application for a branch of a savings bank: PROVIDED, That the director may adopt rules making confidential portions of the reports if in the director's opinion the public disclosure of the portions of the report would impair the ability to obtain the information which the director considers necessary to fully evaluate the application.

     (8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or other applicable law, a savings bank or holding company shall not be in violation of any provision of this section on account of its compliance with required reporting to the federal securities and exchange commission, including the disclosure of any order of the director.

     (9) Every person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a gross misdemeanor.