(a)It is the obligation of every insurer admitted in this state to transact life or disability insurance, or both, to maintain certain records specified in this article pertaining to the activities of its life, life and disability, and disability agents and any other agents for the inspection and examination of the commissioner.
(b)The original or certified copies of the records shall be delivered to the commissioner within a period of 30 days following receipt of written demand therefor.
(c)The records required to be maintained or made available in this state may be in the form of originals, carbon, or facsimile copies, microfilm copies, or electronic data-processing records if printouts are available within a reasonable period of time, and shall include, to the extent the data are pertinent and available for each insurance transaction, the names, dates, amounts and policy numbers involved. The records are composed of all of the following:
(1)The original application for each insurance policy or contract sold in this state.
(2)Records showing, for each insurance policy or contract issued, the premiums received by the insurer.
(3)Production records showing all insurance policies or contracts sold by each agent or other agent in the expired portion of the current calendar year and the whole of each of the preceding five calendar years.
(4)Records showing, for each insurance policy or contract issued, the amount of commissions paid and to whom.
(5)Records or memoranda identifying any agent other, than the agent whose name appears on the application who, to the actual knowledge of the insurer, handled any part of an insurance transaction for which the other agent was not compensated.
(6)Correspondence, written solicitations or proposals, or other written communications sent by the insurer to a prospect, applicant, or insured, or received from him or her by the insurer, excluding printed material in general use distributed by the insurer, either directly or indirectly through its life agents.
(7)Correspondence, written proposals, notices, a statement of reasons, or other written communications, if any, pertaining to the recision, termination, or nonrenewal of a policy or contract, or the election of nonforfeiture values thereunder, sent by an insurer to a policyholder or contractholder or received from him or her by an insurer.
(8)A copy of a written comparison of benefits, limitations, exclusions, and costs of existing accident, sickness, or long-term care coverage and proposed coverage.
(9)A copy of the outline of coverage or disclosure statement required by law or regulation.
(10)Copies of any correspondence between the policyholder or prospective policyholder and the agent or insurer.
(11)Copies of correspondence between anyone acting on behalf of the policyholder or prospective policyholder and the agent or insurer.
(d)Except as otherwise provided, the records shall be maintained for a minimum period of five years following the actual delivery of the insurance policy or contract to which each pertains, or, if no policy or contract was issued, for a minimum period of five years after the date of the application therefor.
(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 166, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2004.)
It shall be the obligation of each life, life and disability, and disability insurance agent and any other agent and insurer to preserve and maintain all applicable records defined in Section 10508 in his or her possession, in addition to those records transmitted to the insurer, at his or her principal place of business for a minimum of five years. The records shall be kept in an orderly manner so that the information therein is readily available, and shall be open to inspection or examination by the commissioner at all times.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 631, Sec. 3.)
(a)The Legislature finds and declares that there is no statutory authority for the commissioner to gather information or data on life insurance, annuity, or disability products for the purpose of evaluating trends in the marketplace or the uses these contracts serve.
(b)The commissioner may collect, compile, analyze, and report data relating to life and disability insurance, annuity contracts, and related contracts offered, issued, delivered, or renewed in this state through any method of marketing.
(c)Any officer, manager, agent, or employee of any institution offering life and disability insurance, annuity contracts, or related contracts, shall, upon request by the commissioner, exhibit to the commissioner all books, records, accounts, documents, or agreements governing its method of operation, together with all data, statistics, and information of every kind and character collected or considered by the institution in the conduct of its operations.
(d)The commissioner may adopt reasonable rules and regulations requiring an annual reporting of the data authorized for collection under this section.
(e)The commissioner may, for the purpose of furthering the uniform administration of regulatory laws, exchange information and data with law enforcement officials of this and other states relating to the implementation of the reporting requirements imposed by this section, and may consult with those officials regarding that information and data.
(Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 166, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2004.)
A person subject to the requirements of Section 10508.6 who submits any false information in connection with a request for information or data pursuant to that section shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). A person subject to the requirements of Section 10508.6 who fails to comply with a request for information or data pursuant to that section shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each 30-day period in which the person fails to comply. If the failure to comply is willful, the person shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each 30-day period in which the person fails to comply, but not to exceed an aggregate amount of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). In determining the penalty, the commissioner shall consider the good faith of the person and any similar prior violations by the person under this code.
(Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 166, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2004.)
The commissioner shall ensure, to the furthest extent possible, that any data call issued by him or her does not conflict with any similar data call or data collection request, including, but not limited to, a request issued by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
(Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 166, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2004.)