§ 58-2-160.  Reporting and investigation of insurance and reinsurance fraud and the financial condition of licensees; immunity from liability.

(a) As used in this section, "Commissioner" includes an employee, agent, or designee of the Commissioner.  A person, or an employee or agent of that person, acting without actual malice, is not subject to civil liability for libel, slander, or any other cause of action by virtue of furnishing to the Commissioner under the requirements of law or at the direction of the Commissioner reports or other information relating to (i) any known or suspected fraudulent insurance or reinsurance claim, transaction, or act or (ii) the financial condition of any licensee.  In the absence of actual malice, members of the NAIC, their duly authorized committees, subcommittees, task forces, delegates, and employees, and all other persons charged with the responsibility of collecting, reviewing, analyzing, or disseminating the information developed from filings of financial statements or examinations of licensees are not subject to civil liability for libel, slander, or any other cause of action by virtue of their collection, review, analysis, or dissemination of the data and information collected from such filings or examinations.

(b) The Commissioner, acting without actual malice, is not subject to civil liability for libel or slander by virtue of an investigation of (i) any known or suspected fraudulent insurance or reinsurance claim, transaction, or act or (ii) the financial condition of any licensee; or by virtue of the publication or dissemination of any official report related to any such investigation, which report is published or disseminated in the absence of fraud, bad faith, or actual malice on the part of the Commissioner.  The Commissioner is not subject to civil liability in relation to the collecting, reviewing, analyzing, or dissemination of information that is developed by the NAIC from the filing of financial statements with the NAIC or from the examination of insurers by the NAIC and that is communicated to the Commissioner, including any investigation or publication or dissemination of any report or other information in relation thereto, which report is published or disseminated in the absence of fraud, bad faith, negligence, or actual malice on the part of the Commissioner.

(c) During the course of an investigation of (i) a known or suspected fraudulent insurance or reinsurance claim, transaction, or act or (ii) the financial condition of any licensee, the Commissioner may request any person to furnish copies of any information relative to the (i) known or suspected claim, transaction, or act or (ii) financial condition of the licensee.  The person shall release the information requested and cooperate with the Commissioner pursuant to this section. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 1013, s. 3; 1987, c. 864, s. 43; 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 975, s. 3; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 1054, s. 1.)