Sec. 830.008.  CONFIDENTIALITY.  (a)  Documents, materials, or other information, including a summary report, in the possession or control of the department that is obtained by, created by, or disclosed to the commissioner or any other person under this chapter, including documents, materials, and other information shared or received under Subsection (e), and documents, materials, or other information in the possession or control of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or third-party consultant under this chapter, are confidential and privileged and not subject to:
(1)  Chapter 552, Government Code;
(2)  a response to subpoena; or
(3)  discovery or admissibility in evidence in any civil action.
(b)  Documents, materials, or other information, including a summary report prepared under this chapter and additional information submitted under Section 830.007, in the possession or control of the department that is obtained by, created by, or disclosed to the commissioner or any other person under this chapter is recognized by this state as being proprietary and to contain trade secrets.
(c)  The commissioner may use the documents, materials, or other information described in this section to further any regulatory or legal action brought as part of the commissioner's official duties.  The commissioner shall not otherwise make the documents, materials, or other information public without the prior written consent of the insurer.
(d)  The commissioner and any other person who receives own risk and solvency assessment-related information under this chapter, in an examination, or otherwise under any other law may not testify or be required to testify in any private civil action concerning any documents, materials, or information subject to Subsection (a) or (b).
(e)  In order to assist in the performance of the commissioner's regulatory duties, the commissioner may, on request, share documents, materials, or other own risk and solvency assessment-related information, including confidential and privileged documents, materials, or information subject to Subsection (a) or (b) or confidential or privileged documents, materials, or information subject to Chapter 401, 404, or 823, as necessary, with:
(1)  other state, federal, and international financial regulatory agencies or insurance supervisors;
(2)  members of a supervisory college described in Section 823.0145;
(3)  the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; or
(4)  a third-party consultant designated by the commissioner.
(f)  Before the commissioner may share information under this section, the recipient of the information shall:
(1)  agree in writing to maintain the confidential and privileged status of the documents, materials, or other information shared under this section; and
(2)  verify in writing the recipient's legal authority to maintain the confidential and privileged status of that information.
(g)  The commissioner may receive documents, materials, or other own risk and solvency assessment-related information or any other relevant information, including otherwise confidential and privileged documents, materials, or information and proprietary and trade-secret information or documents, from:
(1)  a regulatory official of a foreign or domestic jurisdiction, including a member of a supervisory college described in Section 823.0145; and
(2)  the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
(h)  The commissioner shall maintain as confidential or privileged any documents, materials, or information received under Subsection (g) with notice and understanding that it is confidential or privileged under the laws of the jurisdiction that is the source of the document, material, or information.
Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 39 (S.B. 655), Sec. 1, eff. May 19, 2015.