NRS679B.190. Maintenance, inspection and destruction of records; confidentiality and use of documents and other information.

      1.  The Commissioner shall carefully preserve in the Division and in permanent form all papers and records relating to the business and transactions of the Division and shall hand them over to the successor in office of the Commissioner.

      2.  Except as otherwise provided in subsections 3 and 5 to 9, inclusive, other provisions of this Code and NRS 616B.015, the papers and records must be open to public inspection.

      3.  Except as otherwise provided in NRS 239.0115, any records or information in the possession of the Division related to an investigation conducted by the Commissioner is confidential unless:

      (a) The Commissioner releases, in the manner that he or she deems appropriate, all or any part of the records or information for public inspection after determining that the release of the records or information:

             (1) Will not harm the investigation or the person who is being investigated; or

             (2) Serves the interests of a policyholder, the shareholders of the insurer or the public; or

      (b) A court orders the release of the records or information after determining that the production of the records or information will not damage any investigation being conducted by the Commissioner.

      4.  The Commissioner may destroy unneeded or obsolete records and filings in the Division in accordance with provisions and procedures applicable in general to administrative agencies of this State.

      5.  The Commissioner may classify as confidential:

      (a) Specified records and information obtained from a governmental agency; and

      (b) Documents obtained or received from other sources upon the express condition that they remain confidential.

      6.  All information and documents in the possession of the Division or any of its employees which are related to cases or matters under investigation by the Commissioner or the staff of the Commissioner are confidential for the period of the investigation and may not be made public unless the Commissioner finds the existence of an imminent threat of harm to the safety or welfare of the policyholder, shareholders or the public and determines that the interests of the policyholder, shareholders or the public will be served by publication thereof, in which event the Commissioner may make a record public or publish all or any part of the record in any manner he or she deems appropriate.

      7.  The Commissioner may classify as confidential the records of a consumer or information relating to a consumer to protect the health, welfare or safety of the consumer.

      8.  In performing his or her duties, the Commissioner may:

      (a) Share documents, materials or other information, including any documents, materials or information classified as confidential, with other state, federal and international regulatory or law enforcement agencies or with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries if the recipient agrees to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the documents, materials or other information.

      (b) May receive documents, materials or other information, including any documents, materials or information otherwise confidential and privileged, from other state, federal and international regulatory or law enforcement agencies or from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and its affiliates and subsidiaries, and shall maintain as confidential or privileged any document, material or information received with notice or the understanding that it is confidential or privileged under the law of the jurisdiction from which it was received.

      (c) Enter into agreements, consistent with this subsection, governing the sharing and use of information.

      9.  No waiver of confidentiality or privilege with respect to any document, material or information occurs as a result of disclosure to the Commissioner under this section or of sharing as authorized under this chapter.

      (Added to NRS by 1971, 1565; A 1983, 1386; 1991, 1617; 1993, 1900; 1995, 1611, 2165, 2698; 1997, 660, 661; 1999, 2783; 2001, 2181; 2007, 2153)