(a) (1) Documents, materials, or other information, including the CGAD, in the possession or control of the department that are obtained by, created by, or disclosed to, the commissioner or any other person under this article are recognized by this state as being proprietary and to contain trade secrets. All those documents, materials, or other information shall be confidential by law and privileged, shall not be subject to disclosure by the commissioner pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code), shall not be subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery from the commissioner or admissible in evidence in any private civil action if obtained from the commissioner in any manner.

(2) 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 shall not otherwise disclose or make public the documents, materials, or other information without the prior written consent of the insurer.

(3) This section shall not 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 subdivision (c) to assist in the performance of the commissioner’s regulatory duties.

(b) Neither the commissioner nor any person who received documents, materials, or other CGAD-related information, through examination or otherwise, while acting under the authority of the commissioner, or with whom those documents, materials, or other information are shared pursuant to this article shall be permitted or required to testify in any private civil action concerning any confidential documents, materials, or information described in subdivision (a).

(c) In order to assist in the performance of the commissioner’s regulatory duties, the commissioner may do both of the following:

(1) Upon request, share documents, materials, or other CGAD-related information, including the confidential and privileged documents, materials, or information described in subdivision (a), including proprietary and trade secret documents and materials with other state, federal, and international financial regulatory agencies, including members of any supervisory college as defined in Section 1215.7 (Insurance Holding Company System Regulatory Act), with the NAIC, and with third-party consultants pursuant to Section 936.7, provided that the recipient agrees in writing to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the CGAD-related documents, materials, or other information and has verified in writing the legal authority to maintain confidentiality.

(2) 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 defined in Section 1215.7 (Insurance Holding Company System Regulatory Act), 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 documents, materials, or information.

(d) The sharing of information and documents by the commissioner pursuant to this article shall not constitute a delegation of regulatory authority or rulemaking, and the commissioner is solely responsible for the administration, execution, and enforcement of this article.

(e) No waiver of any applicable privilege or claim of confidentiality in the documents, proprietary and trade-secret materials, or other CGAD-related information shall occur as a result of disclosure of that CGAD-related information or those documents to the commissioner under this section or as a result of sharing as authorized in this article.

(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 615, Sec. 303. (AB 474) Effective January 1, 2022. Operative January 1, 2023, pursuant to Sec. 463 of Stats. 2021, Ch. 615.)