Delaware Code Title 18 Sec. 8409 – Confidentiality
(a) Documents, materials or other information, including the ORSA summary report, in the possession of or control of the Department of Insurance that are obtained by, created by or disclosed to the Insurance Commissioner or any other person under this chapter, is recognized by this State as being proprietary and to contain trade secrets. All such documents, materials or other information shall be confidential by law and privileged, shall not be subject to this State’s Freedom of Information Act, § 10001 et seq. of Title 29, shall not be subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action. However, the Insurance 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 Insurance Commissioner’s official duties. The Insurance Commissioner shall not otherwise make the documents, materials or other information public without the prior written consent of the insurer.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 18 Sec. 8409
- 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.
- Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. Source: OCC
- insurance group: shall mean those insurers and affiliates included within an insurance holding company system as defined in Chapter 50 of this title. See Delaware Code Title 18 Sec. 8403
- 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.
- ORSA summary report: shall mean a confidential high-level summary of an insurer or insurance group's ORSA. See Delaware Code Title 18 Sec. 8403
- State: means the State of Delaware; and when applied to different parts of the United States, it includes the District of Columbia and the several territories and possessions of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
- Testify: Answer questions in court.
(b) Neither the Insurance Commissioner nor any person who received documents, materials or other ORSA-related information, through examination or otherwise, while acting under the authority of the Insurance Commissioner or with whom such documents, materials or other information are shared pursuant to this chapter shall be permitted or required to testify in any private civil action concerning any confidential documents, materials, or information subject to subsection (a) of this section.
(c) In order to assist in the performance of the Insurance Commissioner’s regulatory duties, the Insurance Commissioner:
(1) May, upon request, share documents, materials or other ORSA-related information, including the confidential and privileged documents, materials or information subject to subsection (a) of this section, including proprietary and trade secret documents and materials with other state, federal and international financial regulatory agencies, including members of any supervisory college, as described in § 5014 of this title, with the NAIC and with any third-party consultants designated by the Insurance Commissioner, provided that the recipient agrees in writing to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the ORSA-related documents, materials or other information and has verified in writing the legal authority to maintain confidentiality; and
(2) May receive documents, materials or other ORSA-related information, including otherwise confidential and privileged documents, materials or information, including proprietary and trade-secret information or documents, from regulatory officials of other foreign or domestic jurisdictions, including members of any supervisory college, and from the NAIC, and shall maintain as confidential or privileged any documents, materials 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.
(3) Shall enter into a written agreement with the NAIC or a third-party consultant governing sharing and use of information provided pursuant to this chapter, consistent with this subsection that shall:
a. Specify procedures and protocols regarding the confidentiality and security of information shared with the NAIC or a third-party consultant pursuant to this chapter, including procedures and protocols for sharing by the NAIC 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 ORSA-related documents, materials or other information and has verified in writing the legal authority to maintain confidentiality;
b. Specify that ownership of information shared with the NAIC or a third-party consultant pursuant to this chapter remains with the Insurance Commissioner and the NAIC’s or a third-party consultant’s use of the information is subject to the direction of the Insurance Commissioner;
c. Prohibit the NAIC or third-party consultant from storing the information shared pursuant to this chapter in a permanent database after the underlying analysis is completed;
d. Require prompt notice to be given to an insurer whose confidential information in the possession of the NAIC or a third-party consultant pursuant to this chapter is subject to a request or subpoena to the NAIC or a third-party consultant for disclosure or production;
e. Require the NAIC or a third-party consultant to consent to intervention by an insurer in any judicial or administrative action in which the NAIC or a third-party consultant may be required to disclose confidential information about the insurer shared with the NAIC or a third-party consultant pursuant to this chapter; and
f. In the case of an agreement involving a third-party consultant, provide for the insurer’s written consent.
(d) The sharing of information and documents by the Insurance Commissioner pursuant to this chapter shall not constitute a delegation of regulatory authority or rulemaking, and the Insurance Commissioner is solely responsible for the administration, execution and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter.
(e) No waiver of any applicable privilege or claim of confidentiality in the documents, proprietary and trade-secret materials or other ORSA-related information shall occur as a result of disclosure of such ORSA-related information or documents to the Insurance Commissioner under this section or as a result of sharing as authorized in this chapter.
(f) Documents, materials or other information in the possession or control of the NAIC or a third-party consultant pursuant to this chapter shall be confidential by law and privileged, shall not be subject to this State’s Freedom of Information Act, § 10001 et seq. of Title 29, shall not be subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any private civil action.