The commissioner shall report to the Governor, the Legislature, and to the committees of the Senate and Assembly having jurisdiction over insurance all of the following in the annual report submitted pursuant to Section 12922:
(a)An analysis of the information required by Sections 674.5, 1857.7, 1857.9, and 12963, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1)An aggregate and an average for all insurers for each item of information required by these sections.
(2)The number of insurers reporting policies written for each class during the calendar year.
(3)For each class, the number of insurers reporting a combined loss ratio of 100 percent or more, and the number reporting a combined loss ratio of under 100 percent.
(4)An analysis of adjustments made to loss reserves for prior years.
(5)The change in any item required to be included by paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, from the immediately prior year.
(b)An analysis of the activities of the department in implementing the provisions of Proposition 103 on the November 8, 1988, general election ballot, as set forth in Article 10 (commencing with Section 1861.01) of Chapter 9 of Part 2 of Division 1.
(c)Recommendations and proposals, including suggested legislation, to protect consumers from arbitrary insurance rates and practices, to encourage a competitive insurance marketplace, to provide for an accountable commissioner, and to ensure that insurance is fair, available, and affordable for all Californians.
(d)The requirements of this section shall be satisfied if the analysis required by this section is included in the annual report to the Governor required by Section 12922, and a copy of that report is provided to the Legislature.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 786, Sec. 44. (AB 2303) Effective January 1, 2013.)
Each insurer transacting insurance, as defined in Sections 108 and 116, covering liability for any public entity, as defined in Section 811.2 of the Government Code, where the public entity is the named insured, shall report specified data to the commissioner by type of claim, upon request of the commissioner, which may, for a specified period, include, but not be limited to, the following:
(a)The total number of insureds.
(b)The total amount of premiums received from insureds, both written and earned.
(c)The number of claims reported to the insurer and the number of claims reported closed.
(d)The total number of claims outstanding, together with the monetary amount reserved for loss and allocated loss expense.
(e)The number of claims closed with payment to the claimant, the total monetary amount paid thereon, and the total allocated loss expense paid thereon.
(f)The monetary amount paid on claims with allocated loss expense paid.
(g)The number of claims closed without payment to the claimant and the allocated loss expense paid thereon.
(h)The monetary amount reserved on claims incurred but not reported to the insurer.
(i)The number of lawsuits filed against the insurers insureds.
(j)A distribution by size of payment for those claims closed showing the number of claims and total amount paid for each monetary category, as determined by the commissioner.
As used in this section, the type of claims to be reported shall include, but not be limited to, workers? compensation, liability, personal injury other than automobile, property damage other than automobile liability, liability based upon the dangerous condition of public property, and other general liability claims.
(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 586, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1996.)
The data and other information required to be filed or reported under this article may be transmitted by electronic media or data transmision to the receiver?s electronic data processing system.
(Added by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1110, Sec. 5.)
(a)(1)The department shall develop and implement a coordinated approach to gather, review, and analyze the archives of insurers and other archives and records, using onsite teams and the oversight committee, to provide for research and investigation into insurance policies, unpaid insurance claims, and related matters of victims of the Holocaust or of the Nazi-controlled German government or its allies, and the beneficiaries and heirs of those victims, and for losses arising from the activities of the Nazi-controlled German government or its allies for insurance policies issued before and during World War II by insurers who have affiliates or subsidiaries authorized to do business in California. Information compiled shall be placed in a centralized database for the retention of policy and claimant data, and the data shall be used to implement this section and Section 790.15.
(2)The department has an affirmative duty to play an independent role in representing the interests of Holocaust survivors where necessary, including the duty to carry out research, investigations, and advocacy. The department shall cooperate with, participate in, promote coordination with, and to the extent feasible and consistent with the purposes of this section, work jointly with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the international commission on Holocaust survivor claims or any other entity involved in the documentation, resolution, settlement, or distribution of insurance claims, including the documentation of unpaid claims and the distribution of proceeds, and the establishment and maintenance of a database to contain information relevant to claimants and documents and historical information. The department shall work to recover information and records that will strengthen the claims of California residents.
(3)The department shall employ insurance archaeologists, economists, attorneys, accountants, and other specialists, in this country and in Europe, to implement this section. The department shall work jointly with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and other organizations for this purpose. The department?s cooperation with other states shall be for the purpose of advancing survivors? claims while avoiding duplication of efforts, and shall be dependent upon contributions by other states.
(4)In order to ensure that Holocaust survivors receive the most aggressive and independent representation possible in pursuit of their historic claims, in contracting with accounting firms, law firms, economists, or others to implement this section, the department shall, to the maximum extent possible, avoid any potential or actual conflict of interest by doing the following:
(A)Seek and give preference to firms that are entirely free of any associations with firms representing insurers and nations from which Holocaust survivors are seeking just treatment of their claims.
(B)If the department finds that it is necessary to contract with a firm or firms that have conflicts or potential conflicts of interest, those conflicts or potential conflicts of interest shall be disclosed to the commissioner, and the following requirements shall apply:
(i)The contract shall contain a provision that expresses a formal commitment on the part of the firm to aggressively pursue a maximum just settlement for Holocaust survivors and their families without regard to any adverse impacts on insurers, affiliates of insurers, nations, or others that may have employed the firm or affiliates of the firm that is contracting with the commissioner to assist in carrying out the commissioner?s responsibilities under this section.
(ii)If any conflict or potential conflict exists between the firm, or an affiliate of the firm, and an insurer, an affiliate of an insurer, a nation or others directly or indirectly involving Holocaust claims, the firm shall disclose both the fact of the conflict or potential conflict, and all relevant information describing the nature of the conflict or potential conflict.
(iii)If a conflict or potential conflict exists between the firm, or an affiliate of the firm, and an insurer, an affiliate of an insurer, a nation, or others that does not directly or indirectly involve Holocaust claims, the firm shall disclose the fact of the conflict or potential conflict and identify the source of the conflict or potential conflict, but need not describe the particular circumstances or facts that create the conflict or potential conflict.
(C)The department may take whatever special measures it deems necessary to avoid either the appearance or the reality of conflicts that may undermine public confidence in the integrity of the effort to secure justice for Holocaust survivors.
(b)The funding of the activities provided for by this section for the 1998?99 fiscal year shall be from funds transferred pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1523 of the Code of Civil Procedure, which funds are hereby appropriated to the commissioner for that purpose. The commissioner shall seek reimbursement of those funds as provided in subdivision (c).
Funding for subsequent fiscal years shall be subject to the Budget Act and based on a plan submitted by the commissioner to the Legislature outlining the plan for reimbursement of expenses of the department by affected insurers.
Funds made available to implement this section shall be used to develop and implement a coordinated approach to gather, review, and analyze the archives of affected insurance groups, and other archives and records, using onsite teams and the oversight committee. These funds shall also be used to fund the necessary expenses of the Holocaust Era Insurance Claims Oversight Committee established in subdivision (d). The information compiled shall be placed in a centralized database for the retention of policy and claimant data, and that data shall be used by the department to implement this section.
(c)(1)Any funds recovered by the department for the purpose of reimbursing the state for costs associated with investigation and enforcement actions under this section shall not be deposited in the Insurance Fund, but instead shall be delivered to the Controller for deposit into the General Fund.
(2)To the maximum extent possible, the department shall seek reimbursement for its costs incurred in implementing this section, including funds transferred pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1523 of the Code of Civil Procedure, from any settlements reached with affected insurers.
(d)(1)There is established a seven-member Holocaust Era Insurance Claims Oversight Committee, that shall be known as the oversight committee, and whose members shall be appointed as follows:
(A)Four members shall be appointed by the Governor.
(B)One member shall be appointed by the President pro Tempore of the Senate.
(C)One member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
(D)One member shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Insurance.
(2)The Governor shall designate one of the Governor?s appointees as the chairperson of the committee.
(3)Each member of the committee shall serve at the pleasure of the authority that appointed the member to serve on the committee.
(4)The oversight committee shall be composed of qualified individuals with experience in Holocaust claims cases, similar investigations, archival research, and international law. The oversight committee shall also include Holocaust survivors. No member of the oversight committee shall have a potential or actual conflict of interest, or shall be employed by a person who has a potential or actual conflict of interest.
(5)The appointments shall be expedited because of the urgency due to survivors? needs.
(6)The oversight committee shall have the following authority and shall do all of the following:
(A)Review and make recommendations concerning any insurance settlement negotiation or offer relating to a Holocaust era insurance claim in which the department is involved.
(B)Review and make recommendations to the commissioner on the priorities for expenditure of funds and use of resources by the department for Holocaust era insurance claims-related activities.
(C)Recommend whether a proposed settlement of a Holocaust era insurance claim submitted to the committee pursuant to paragraph (7) is equitable before the department finalizes the settlement agreement.
(7)The commissioner, in the event of a proposed settlement of any policy or group of policies relating to Holocaust era insurance claims, shall confer with the committee prior to the department finalizing the settlement agreement. The department may not finalize a proposed settlement of a Holocaust era insurance claim unless the committee, pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (6), recommends that the proposed settlement is equitable.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 50, Sec. 256. (AB 378) Effective January 1, 2022.)
(a)Every pleading issued by the commissioner to initiate a formal enforcement action under this code against a licensee or applicant, and every order issued by the commissioner or a court of competent jurisdiction or other document that resolves a formal enforcement action, shall be displayed on the department?s internet website, if the document is a public record that is not exempt from disclosure to the public pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).
(b)Notwithstanding Section 12969, if an enforcement action against a licensee or applicant is withdrawn, then each pleading, document, or order against that licensee or applicant shall be removed from the department?s internet website within 30 days of the withdrawal of the action. If a pleading, document, or order contains allegations against multiple licensees or applicants, and the department withdraws all allegations against any one or more of the licensees or applicants, then the department shall post, on its internet website, a pleading, document, or order that clarifies that the enforcement action against that specific licensee or applicant has been withdrawn.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 615, Sec. 317. (AB 474) Effective January 1, 2022. Operative January 1, 2023, pursuant to Sec. 463 of Stats. 2021, Ch. 615.)
An order or pleading posted on the department?s internet website that is related to a disciplinary proceeding or enforcement action under this code against a licensee or applicant, or that is related to a restricted license, shall be removed from the site 10 years from the date the disciplinary or enforcement action becomes final or, in actions resulting in the issuance of a restricted license, 10 years from the date the restriction on the license is removed. This section does not apply to an order or pleading related to an enforcement action resulting in a suspended or revoked license. This section is intended to apply solely to the department?s internet website and shall not be construed to require the department to permanently remove any information from its public record.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 201, Sec. 13. (AB 1813) Effective January 1, 2020.)