1.    All examination reports must be comprised of only facts appearing upon the books, records, or other documents of the company, its agents, or other persons examined, or as ascertained from the testimony of its officers or agents or other persons examined concerning its affairs, and the conclusions and recommendations as the examiners find reasonably warranted from the facts.

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 26.1-03-19.4

  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • 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.
  • Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Verified: means sworn to before an officer authorized to administer oaths. See North Dakota Code 1-01-42
  • written: include "typewriting" and "typewritten" and "printing" and "printed" except in the case of signatures and when the words are used by way of contrast to typewriting and printing. See North Dakota Code 1-01-37

2.    No later than sixty days following completion of the examination, the examiner in charge shall file with the department a verified written report of examination under oath. Upon receipt of the verified report, the department shall transmit the report to the company examined, together with a notice which must afford the company examined a reasonable opportunity of not more than thirty days to make a written submission or rebuttal with respect to any matters contained in the examination report.

3.    Within thirty days of the end of the period allowed for the receipt of written submissions or rebuttals, the commissioner shall fully consider and review the report, together with any written submissions or rebuttals and any relevant portions of the examiner’s workpapers, and enter an order:

a.    Adopting the examination report as filed or with modification or corrections. If the examination report reveals that the company is operating in violation of any law, regulation, or prior order of the commissioner, the commissioner may order the company to take any action the commissioner considers necessary and appropriate to cure the violation; b.    Rejecting the examination report with directions to the examiners to reopen the examination for purposes of obtaining additional data, documentation, or information and refiling pursuant to subsection 1; or

c.    Calling for an investigatory hearing with no less than twenty days’ notice to the company for purposes of obtaining additional documentation, data, information, and testimony.

4.     a.    All orders entered pursuant to subdivision a of subsection 3, except those entered pursuant to section 26.1-01-03.1 or 26.1-11-09, must be accompanied by findings and conclusions resulting from the commissioner’s consideration and review of the examination report, relevant examiner workpapers, and any written    submissions or rebuttals. The company may, within thirty days of the entry of any such order, request a hearing to vacate or amend the order. This hearing must be conducted in compliance with chapter 28-32. The order must be served upon the company, together with a copy of the adopted examination report. Within thirty days of the issuance of the adopted report, the company shall acknowledge receipt of the adopted report and related orders.

b.    Any hearing conducted under subdivision c of subsection 3 by the commissioner or authorized representative must be conducted as a nonadversarial confidential investigatory proceeding as necessary for the resolution of any inconsistencies, discrepancies, or disputed issues apparent upon the face of the filed examination report or raised by or as a result of the commissioner’s review of relevant workpapers or by the written submission or rebuttal of the company. Within twenty days of the conclusion of any hearing, the commissioner shall enter an order pursuant to subdivision a of subsection 3.

5.     a.    Upon the adoption of an examination report under subdivision a of subsection 3, the commissioner shall continue to hold the content of the examination report as private and confidential information for a period of fifteen days except to the extent provided in subsection 2. Thereafter, the commissioner may open the report for public inspection so long as no court of competent jurisdiction has stayed its publication.

b.    Nothing contained in this code prevents or may be construed as prohibiting the commissioner from disclosing the content of an examination report, preliminary examination report, or results, or any matter relating thereto, to the insurance department of this or any other state or country, or to law enforcement officials of this or any other state or agency of the federal government at any time, so long as the agency or office receiving the report or matters relating thereto agrees in writing to hold it confidential and in a manner consistent with this chapter.

c.    In the event the commissioner determines that regulatory action is appropriate as a result of any examination, the commissioner may initiate any proceedings or actions as provided by law.

6.    All working papers, recorded information, documents, and copies thereof produced by, obtained by, or disclosed to the commissioner or any other person in the course of an examination made under this chapter, or in the course of analysis by the commissioner of the financial condition or market conduct of the company, must be given confidential treatment and are not subject to subpoena and may not be made public by the commissioner or any other person, except to the extent provided in subsection 5. Access also may be granted to the national association of insurance commissioners. The parties must agree in writing prior to receiving the information to provide to it the same confidential treatment as required by this section, unless the prior written consent of the company to which it pertains has been obtained.