Montana Code 33-2-2107. Confidentiality
33-2-2107. Confidentiality. (1) Documents, materials, or other information, including the CGAD, in the possession or control of the department of insurance that are obtained by, created by, or disclosed to the commissioner or any other person under this part are recognized by the state as being proprietary and to contain trade secrets. These documents, materials, and other information are confidential by law and privileged, may not be subject to Title 2, chapter 6, part 10, may not be subject to subpoena, and may not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action. However, the commissioner is authorized to use the documents, materials, or other information in the furtherance of any regulatory or legal action brought as a part of the commissioner’s official duties. The commissioner may not otherwise make the documents, materials, or other information public without the prior written consent of the insurer. Nothing in this section may be construed to require written consent of the insurer before the commissioner may share or receive confidential documents, materials, or other CGAD-related information pursuant to subsection (3) to assist in the performance of the commissioner’s regular duties.
Terms Used In Montana Code 33-2-2107
- CGAD: means a corporate governance annual disclosure, a confidential report filed by the insurer or insurance group made in accordance with the requirements of this part. See Montana Code 33-2-2103
- Commissioner: means the insurance commissioner of the state of Montana. See Montana Code 33-2-2103
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Insurer: has the meaning provided in 33-1-201, except that it may not include agencies, authorities, or instrumentalities of the United States, its possessions and territories, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, or a state or political subdivision of a state. See Montana Code 33-2-2103
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- NAIC: means the national association of insurance commissioners. See Montana Code 33-2-2103
- Person: includes a corporation or other entity as well as a natural person. See Montana Code 1-1-201
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
- Writing: includes printing. See Montana Code 1-1-203
(2)Neither the commissioner nor any person who receives documents, materials, or other CGAD-related information, through examination or otherwise, while acting under the authority of the commissioner or with whom the documents, materials, or other information are shared pursuant to this part may be permitted or required to testify in any private civil action concerning any confidential documents, materials, or other information subject to subsection (1).
(3)In order to assist in the performance of the commissioner’s regular duties, the commissioner may:
(a)upon request, share documents, materials, or other CGAD-related information, including the confidential and privileged documents, materials, or information subject to subsection (1), including proprietary and trade secret documents and materials with other state, federal, and international financial regulatory agencies, including members of any supervisory college as provided in Title 33, chapter 2, part 11, with the NAIC and with third-party consultants pursuant to 33-2-2108, provided that the recipient agrees in writing to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the CGAD-related documents, material, or other information and has verified in writing the legal authority to maintain confidentiality; and
(b)receive documents, materials, or other CGAD-related information, including otherwise confidential and privileged documents, materials, or information, including proprietary and trade-secret information or documents, from regulatory officials of other state, federal, and international financial regulatory agencies, including members of any supervisory college as provided in Title 33, chapter 2, part 11, and from the NAIC, 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.
(4)The sharing of information and documents by the commissioner pursuant to this part does not constitute a delegation of regulatory authority or rulemaking, and the commissioner is solely responsible for the administration, execution, and enforcement of the provisions of this part.
(5)A waiver of any applicable privilege or claim of confidentiality in the documents, proprietary and trade-secret materials, or other CGAD-related information may not occur as a result of disclosure of such CGAD-related information or documents to the commissioner under this section or as a result of sharing as authorized in this part.