9. a. (1) Any person who believes that a violation of this act has been or is being made shall notify the bureau and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor immediately after discovery of the alleged violation of this act and shall send to the bureau and office, on a form and in a manner jointly prescribed by the commissioner and the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, the information requested and such additional information relative to the alleged violation as the bureau or office may require. The bureau and the office shall jointly review the reports and select those alleged violations as may require further investigation by the office for possible criminal prosecution, and those that may warrant investigation and possible civil action or enforcement proceeding by the bureau in lieu of or in addition to criminal prosecution. The bureau and office may consult, as necessary, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to assist with the investigation of the failure to properly classify employees in violation of any provision of State wage, benefit and tax laws as defined in section 1 of P.L.2009, c.194 (C. 34:1A-1.11) for the purpose of wrongfully obtaining the benefits or of evading the full payment of the insurance benefits or insurance premiums. The Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and the assistant commissioner shall meet monthly to ensure that reports are handled in an expedited fashion.

(2) Whenever the Bureau of Fraud Deterrence or any employee of the bureau obtains information or evidence of a reasonable possibility of criminal wrongdoing not previously known or disclosed to the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, the bureau shall immediately refer that information or evidence to that office. In determining whether a referral to the office is appropriate, the bureau shall utilize appropriate levels of internal review, which shall include but not be limited to approval at the assistant commissioner level. Upon referral, the bureau shall provide the office with all documents related to the referral consistent with section 39 of P.L.1998, c.21 (C. 17:33A-23).

b. No person shall be subject to civil liability for libel, violation of privacy or otherwise by virtue of the filing of reports or furnishing of other information, in good faith and without malice, required by this section or required by the bureau or the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor as a result of the authority conferred upon it by law.

c. The commissioner may, by regulation, require insurance companies licensed to do business in this State to keep such records and other information as he deems necessary for the effective enforcement of this act.

L.1983, c.320, s.9; amended 1991, c.331, s.6; 2010, c.32, s.4; 2021, c.167, s.4.