Georgia § 33-65-7 - Use of third-party consultants by Commissioner; advisory capacity; confidentiality standards; free of conflict of interests.

§ 33-65-7. Use of third-party consultants by Commissioner; advisory capacity; confidentiality standards; free of conflict of interests.

The Commissioner may retain, at the insurer's expense, third-party consultants, including attorneys, actuaries, accountants, and other experts not otherwise a part of the Commissioner's staff as may be reasonably necessary to assist the Commissioner in reviewing the corporate governance annual disclosure and related information or the insurer's compliance with this chapter. Any persons retained under subsection (a) of this Code section shall be under the direction and control of the Commissioner and shall act in a purely advisory capacity. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners and third-party consultants shall be subject to the same confidentiality standards and requirements as the Commissioner. As part of the retention process, a third-party consultant shall verify to the Commissioner, with notice to the insurer, that it is free of conflicts of interest and that it has internal procedures in place to monitor compliance of potential conflicts and to comply with the confidentiality standards and requirements of this chapter. A written agreement between the Commissioner and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or a third-party consultant governing sharing and use of information provided pursuant to this chapter shall contain the following provisions and expressly require the written consent of the insurer prior to making public information provided under this chapter: Specific procedures and protocols for maintaining the confidentiality and security of corporate governance annual disclosure related information shared with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or a third-party consultant pursuant to this chapter; Procedures and protocols for sharing by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners only with other state regulators from states in which the insurance group has domiciled insurers. The agreement shall provide that the recipient agrees in writing to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the corporate governance annual disclosure related documents, materials, or other information and has verified in writing the legal authority to maintain confidentiality; A provision specifying that ownership of the corporate governance annual disclosure related information shared with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or a third-party consultant remains with the department, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' or third-party consultant's use of the information is subject to the direction of the Commissioner; A provision that prohibits the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or a third-party consultant from storing the information shared pursuant to this chapter in a permanent data base after the underlying analysis is completed; A provision requiring the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or a third-party consultant to provide prompt notice to the Commissioner and to the insurer or insurance group regarding any subpoena, request for disclosure, or request for production of the insurer's corporate governance annual disclosure related information; and A requirement that the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or a third-party consultant consent to intervention by an insurer in any judicial or administrative action in which the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or a third-party consultant may be required to disclose confidential information about the insurer shared with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or a third-party consultant pursuant to this chapter. (Code 1981, § 33-65-7 , enacted by Ga. L. 2019, p. 1038, § 1/HB 367.)