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| Georgia General Assembly |
HBill.html
01 LC 28 0194S
House Bill 455 (COMMITTEE
SUBSTITUTE)
By: Representatives Watson of the
70th, Maddox of the 72nd, Heard of the 89th,
Harbin of the 113th, Turnquest of the 73rd and others
A BILL TO BE
ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to insurance, so as to provide comprehensive regulation of the
dissemination of financial information; to provide a short title; to provide a
statement of the purpose of the provisions; to provide definitions; to provide
for privacy notices and opt-out notices; to provide for limits on disclosure of
information; to provide for exceptions; to provide for rules and regulations; to
provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to insurance, is amended by striking in their entirety paragraphs (6) and (20)
of Code Section 33-39-3, relating to definitions, and inserting in lieu thereof
new paragraphs (6) and (20) and inserting a new paragraph (10.1) to read as
follows:
"(6)
'Consumer report' means any written, oral, or other communication of information
bearing on a natural
person´s
credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character,
general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living which is used or
expected to be used in connection with an insurance
transaction."
"(10.1)
'Information' does not include nonpublic personal financial information as
defined in Code Section
33-39A-3."
"(20)
'Personal information' means any individually identifiable information gathered
in connection with an insurance transaction from which judgments can be made
about an
individual´s
character, habits, avocations, finances, occupation, general
reputation, credit, health, or any other personal
characteristics. 'Personal information' does
not include an
individual´s
name, address, and age when no other underwriting information is gathered on
that individual nor does it include any 'privileged
information.'"
SECTION 2.
Said title is further amended by inserting a new Chapter 39A
to read as follows:
"CHAPTER
39A
ARTICLE 1
33-39A-1.
This chapter shall be
known and may be cited as the 'Financial Information Privacy Protection
Act.'
33-39A-2.
This
chapter shall be liberally construed and applied to promote uniformity and
functional regulation by:
(1) Implementing Title V of
the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, 15 U.S.C. 6801, et seq., herein after referred to as
'GLBA', that requires financial institutions, including insurers, to respect the
privacy of their customers and to protect the security and confidentiality of
those
customers´
nonpublic personal financial information;
(2)
Establishing appropriate consumer privacy standards for insurance providers to
be administered by this
state´s
insurance regulatory authorities;
(3) Ensuring,
pursuant to Section 6805(c) of GLBA, that this state shall be eligible to
override, pursuant to Section 47(g)(2)(B)(iii) of the Federal Deposit Insurance
Act, the insurance customer protections prescribed by a federal banking agency
under Section 45(a) of such act;
(4) Requiring,
pursuant to Sections 6802 and 6803 of GLBA, that insurers maintain a privacy
policy that is clearly communicated to customers and, under certain
circumstances, to consumers; and that, subject to appropriate exceptions, no
nonpublic personal financial information be disclosed to nonaffiliated third
parties unless a consumer has been given a chance to opt out of having his or
her information disclosed;
(5) Providing for the
enforcement of this chapter by the Commissioner of Insurance;
and
(6) Authorizing the Commissioner of Insurance to
promulgate regulations as determined to be necessary to effectuate the purposes
of this
chapter.
33-39A-3.
As used
in this chapter, the term:
(1) 'Affiliate' means any
company that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with another
company.
(2) 'Agent' means any agent, surplus lines
broker, subagent, counselor, or adjuster as defined in Code Section
33-23-1.
(3) 'Clear and conspicuous' means that a
notice is reasonably understandable and designed to call attention to the nature
and significance of the information in the notice.
(4)
'Collect' means to obtain information that the licensee organizes or can
retrieve by the name of an individual or by an identifying number, symbol, or
other particular assigned to the individual, irrespective of the source of the
underlying information.
(5) 'Company' means any
corporation, limited liability company, business trust, general or limited
partnership, association, sole proprietorship, or similar
organization.
(6)(A) 'Consumer' means an individual,
or that
individual´s
legal representative, who seeks to obtain, obtains, or has obtained an insurance
product or service in this state from a licensee that is to be used primarily
for personal, family, or household purposes and about whom the licensee has
nonpublic personal financial information, including, but not limited
to:
(i) An individual who provides nonpublic personal
financial information to a licensee in connection with seeking to obtain or
obtaining financial, insurance, investment, or economic advisory services
regardless of whether the licensee establishes an ongoing
relationship;
(ii) An applicant for insurance prior to
the inception of insurance coverage;
(iii) An
individual who provides nonpublic personal financial information to a licensee
in order to obtain a determination about whether he or she may qualify for a
loan to be used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes,
regardless of whether the loan is extended; and
(iv) To
the extent that a licensee collects any nonpublic personal financial information
for any reason on a beneficiary or claimant, then such beneficiary or claimant
shall be deemed a consumer under this chapter.
(B)
'Consumer' does not necessarily include an individual
who:
(i) Is a beneficiary of a trust for which the
licensee is a trustee;
(ii) Is a third-party liability
claimant;
(iii) Has designated the licensee as trustee
for a trust;
(iv) Is a consumer of another financial
institution to which the licensee acts as agent for, or provides processing or
other services;
(v) Is a participant or a beneficiary
of an employee benefit plan that the licensee administers or sponsors or for
which the licensee acts as a trustee, insurer, or fiduciary;
or
(vi) Is covered under a group or blanket insurance
policy or group annuity contract issued by the
licensee:
(I) Provided that the licensee provides the
initial, annual and revised notices under Code Sections 33-39A-20, 33-39A-21,
and 33-39A-22 of this chapter to the plan sponsor, group or blanket insurance
policyholder, or group annuity contract holder;
and
(II) Provided that the licensee does not disclose
to a non-affiliated third party nonpublic personal financial information about
such an individual other than as permitted under Code Sections 33-39A-60,
33-39A-61, and 33-39A-62 of this chapter.
In no event
shall the individual, solely by virtue of the status described in divisions
(6)(B)(v) and (6)(B)(vi), be deemed to be a customer for purposes of this
chapter.
(7) 'Consumer reporting agency' has the same
meaning as in Section 603(f) of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C.
1681a(f)) and Code Section 10-1-392 and, for the purposes of this chapter, shall
include insurers.
(8) 'Control'
means:
(A) Ownership, control, or power to vote 25
percent or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting security of the
company, directly or indirectly, or acting through one or more other
persons;
(B) Control in any manner over the election
of a majority of the directors, trustees, or general partners, or individuals
exercising similar functions, of the company; or
(C)
The power to exercise, directly or indirectly, a controlling influence over the
management or policies of the company, as the Commissioner of Insurance
determines.
(9) 'Customer' means a consumer who has a
customer relationship with a licensee. In no event, however, shall a
beneficiary or a claimant under a policy of insurance, solely by virtue of their
status as a beneficiary or claimant, be deemed to be a customer for the purposes
of this chapter if nonpublic personal financial information has not been
collected from the beneficiary or claimant by a
licensee.
(10) 'Customer relationship' means a
continuing relationship between a consumer and a licensee under which the
licensee provides one or more financial products or services to the consumer
that are to be used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. For a
'customer relationship' to be established, a consumer must meet certain
criteria, including, but not limited to, the
following:
(A) Be a current policyholder of an
insurance product or other product issued by or through a licensee;
or
(B) Obtain financial, investment, or economic
advisory services relating to an insurance product or service from a licensee
for a fee.
(11) 'Financial institution' means the same
as that term is defined in Section 509(3) of GLBA and is as
follows:
(A) The term 'financial institution' means
any institution the business of which is engaging in financial activities as
described in Section 4(k) of the federal Bank Holding Company Act of
1956;
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the term
'financial institution' does not include any person or entity with respect to
any financial activity that is subject to the jurisdiction of the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission under the federal Commodity Exchange
Act;
(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the term
'financial institution' does not include the Federal Agricultural Mortgage
Corporation or any entity chartered and operating under the Farm Credit Act of
1971; and
(D) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the
term 'financial institution' does not include institutions chartered by Congress
specifically to engage in transactions described in Section 502(e)(1)(C) of the
GLBA, so long as such institutions do not sell or transfer nonpublic personal
financial information to a nonaffiliated third
party.
(12) 'Financial product or service' means any
product or service that is offered by a licensee pursuant to this title,
including, but not limited to, a
licensee´s
evaluation or brokerage of information that the licensee collects in connection
with a request or an application from a consumer for a financial product or
service.
(13) 'Licensee' means a person or other
covered entity who is licensed or required to be licensed, authorized or
required to be authorized, or registered or required to be registered pursuant
to this title. A licensee that is a producer or independent insurance agent is
subject to all the requirements of this chapter, except when the producer or
agent is acting as agent for a licensee. A producer acting as agent for a
licensee is exempt only from the notice requirements of this chapter, and only
if such producer does not disclose consumer information other than as permitted
by Code Sections 33-39A-60, 33-39A-61, and
33-39A-62.
(A) 'Covered entities' shall include
unauthorized insurers who place business through licensed surplus line brokers
in this state but only in regard to the surplus line placements placed pursuant
to Article 2 of Chapter 5 of this title.
(B) Licensed
surplus line brokers placing business underwritten by covered entities and those
covered entities shall be deemed to be in compliance with the notice and opt-out
requirements for nonpublic personal financial information set forth in this
chapter provided:
(i) Such licensed surplus line
brokers and covered entities do not disclose nonpublic personal financial
information of a consumer or a customer to nonaffiliated third parties for any
purpose, including joint servicing or marketing under Code Section 33-39A-60,
except as permitted by Code Section 33-39A-61 or 33-39A-62;
and
(ii) At the time the customer relationship is
established, a single notice is delivered to the consumer on behalf of all such
licensed surplus line brokers and covered entities involved in the provision of
a financial product or service to a consumer or customer on which the following
is printed in 16 point type:
'PRIVACY NOTICE
NEITHER THE U.S. BROKER(S) THAT HANDLED THIS INSURANCE
NOR THE INSURER(S) THAT HAVE UNDERWRITTEN THIS INSURANCE WILL DISCLOSE NONPUBLIC
PERSONAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE BUYER TO NONAFFILIATES OF SUCH
BROKER(S) OR SUCH INSURER(S) EXCEPT AS PERMITTED BY
LAW.'
(14) 'Nonaffiliated third party' means any
person, including, but not limited to, any company that is an affiliate solely
by virtue of the
licensee´s
or its
affiliate´s
direct or indirect ownership or control of the company
conducting:
(A) Merchant banking or investment banking
activities of the type described in Section 4(k)(4)(H) of the federal Bank
Holding Company Act; or
(B) Insurance company
investment activities of the type described in Section 4(k)(4)(I) of the federal
Bank Holding Company Act (12 U.S.C. 1843(k)(4)(H) and (I)),
except:
(i) The
licensee´s
affiliate; or
(ii) A person employed jointly by a
licensee and any company that is not the
licensee´s
affiliate. Nonaffiliated third party includes the other company that jointly
employs the person.
(15) 'Nonpublic personal financial
information' means:
(A) Personally identifiable
financial information;
(B) Any list, description, or
other grouping of consumers, and publicly available information pertaining to
them, that is derived using any personally identifiable financial information
that is not publicly available; and
(C) Any list of
individuals´
names and street addresses that is derived in whole or in part using personally
identifiable financial information that is not publicly available, such as
policy or contract numbers.
(D) Nonpublic personal
financial information does not include:
(i) Health
information which shall be governed by the provisions of Chapter 39 of this
title;
(ii) Publicly available information, except as
included on a list as described in division (iv) of this
subparagraph;
(iii) Any list, description, or other
grouping of consumers, and publicly available information pertaining to them,
that is derived without using any personally identifiable financial information
that is not publicly available; or
(iv) Any list of
individuals´
names and addresses that contains only publicly available information, is not
derived in whole or in part using personally identifiable information that is
not publicly available, and is not disclosed in a manner that indicates that any
of the individuals on the list is a consumer of a financial
institution.
(16) 'Opt out' means a direction by the
consumer that a licensee not disclose nonpublic personal financial information
about that consumer to a nonaffiliated third party, other than as permitted by
Code Sections 33-39A-60, 33-39A-61, and 33-39A-62.
(17)
'Personally identifiable financial information' means financial
information:
(A) A consumer provides to a licensee to
obtain a financial product or service from the
licensee;
(B) About a consumer resulting from any
transaction involving a financial product or service between a licensee and a
consumer; or
(C) A licensee otherwise obtains about a
consumer in connection with providing a financial product or service to that
consumer.
(18) 'Publicly available information' means
any information that the licensee has a reasonable basis to believe is lawfully
made available to the general public from:
(A)
Federal, state, or local government records;
(B)
Widely distributed media; or
(C) Disclosures to the
general public that are required to be made by federal, state or local
law.
(19) 'Reasonable basis' means the licensee has a
reasonable basis to believe that information is lawfully made available to the
general public because the licensee has taken steps to
determine:
(A) That the information is of the type
that is available to the general public; and
(B)
Whether an individual can direct that the information not be made available to
the general public and, if so, that a
licensee´s
consumer has not done
so.
33-39A-4.
This
chapter:
(1) Requires a licensee to provide notice to
customers and, under certain circumstances, to consumers about its privacy
policies and practices;
(2) Describes the conditions
under which a licensee may disclose nonpublic personal financial information
about consumers and customers to nonaffiliated third
parties;
(3) Provides a method for consumers and
customers to prevent a licensee from disclosing that information unless
otherwise exempted as routine business disclosures in Code Section 33-39A-60,
33-39A-61, or 33-39A-62;
(4) Establishes reasonable
exceptions in Code Sections 33-39A-60, 33-39A-61, and 33-39A-62 of this chapter
to the notice requirements of licensees and the ability of consumers and
customers to opt out of or authorize certain disclosures;
and
(5) Applies only to nonpublic personal financial
information about individuals who obtain financial products or services in this
state from an insurer for personal, family, or household purposes. This chapter
does not apply to information about companies or individuals who obtain
financial products or services for business, commercial, or agricultural
purposes. In particular, this chapter does not apply to commercial insurance
policies issued by the licensee.
ARTICLE 2
33-39A-20.
(a) A licensee must
provide a clear and conspicuous notice that accurately reflects the
licensee´s
privacy policies and practices to:
(1) An individual
who becomes a
licensee´s
customer, not later than the time that the licensee establishes a customer
relationship, except as provided in subsection (e) of this Code section;
and
(2) A consumer, before a licensee discloses any
nonpublic personal financial information about the consumer to any nonaffiliated
third party, if a licensee makes such a disclosure other than as authorized by
Code Sections 33-39A-61 and 33-39A-62.
(b) A licensee
is not required to provide an initial notice to a consumer under subsection (a)
of this Code section if:
(1) The licensee does not
disclose any nonpublic personal financial information about the consumer to any
nonaffiliated third party, other than as authorized by Code Sections 33-39A-61
and 33-39A-62;
(2) The licensee does not have a
customer relationship with the consumer; or
(3) A
notice has been provided by an affiliated licensee, so long as the notice
clearly identifies all licensees to whom the notice applies or states that it
applies to all affiliates of the named licensee, and is accurate with respect to
the licensee and the other institutions.
(c)(1) A
licensee establishes a customer relationship at the time the licensee and the
consumer enter into a continuing relationship, where the
consumer´s
status is other than solely a beneficiary or
claimant.
(2) A licensee establishes a customer
relationship under circumstances including, but not limited to, the
following:
(A) When the consumer becomes a
policyholder. This occurs when an insurance policy or contract is delivered to
the consumer; or
(B) When the consumer agrees to
obtain financial, insurance, economic, or investment advisory services from the
licensee for a fee.
(d) When an existing customer
obtains a new financial product or service from a licensee that is to be used
primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, a licensee satisfies the
initial notice requirements of subsection (a) of this Code section as
follows:
(1) A licensee may provide a revised policy
notice, under Code Section 33-39A-25, that covers the
customer´s
new financial product or service; or
(2) If the
initial, revised, or annual notice that a licensee most recently provided to
that customer was accurate with respect to the new financial product or service,
a licensee does not need to provide a new privacy notice under subsection (a) of
this Code section.
(e) A licensee may provide the
initial notice required by paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this Code section
within a reasonable time after the licensee establishes a customer relationship
if:
(1) Establishing the customer relationship is not
at the
customer´s
election, including, but not limited to, if the licensee acquires or is assigned
the insurance policy or related records from another financial institution or
residual market mechanism and the customer does not have a choice about such
acquisition or assignment; or
(2) Providing notice not
later than when the licensee establishes the customer relationship would
substantially delay the
customer´s
transaction, including, but not limited to, when the licensee and the individual
agree over the telephone to enter into a customer relationship involving prompt
delivery of the financial product or service, and the customer agrees to receive
the notice at a later time.
(f) If two or more
consumers jointly obtain a financial product or service from a licensee, the
licensee may satisfy the requirements of subsection (a) of this Code section by
providing one initial notice to those consumers
jointly.
(g) When a licensee is required to deliver an
initial privacy notice by this Code section, a licensee must deliver it
according to Code Section 33-39A-26. If a licensee uses a short form initial
notice for noncustomers according to subsection (c) of Code Section 33-39A-22,
the licensee may deliver its privacy notice according to paragraph (3) of
subsection (c) of Code Section
33-39A-22.
33-39A-21.
(a)
A licensee must provide a clear and conspicuous notice to a customer that
accurately reflects the
licensee´s
privacy policies and practices not less than annually during the continuation of
the customer relationship. Annually means at least once in any period of 12
consecutive months during which that relationship exists. A licensee may define
the 12 consecutive month period, but the licensee must apply it to the customer
on a consistent basis.
(b) A licensee is not required
to provide an annual notice to a former customer. A former customer is an
individual with whom a licensee no longer has a customer relationship. A
licensee no longer has a customer relationship with an
individual:
(1) If the individual no longer is a
current policyholder of an insurance product or no longer obtains insurance
services with or through the licensee;
(2) If the
individual´s
policy is lapsed, expired, or otherwise inactive or dormant under the
licensee´s
business practices and the licensee has not communicated with the customer about
the relationship for a period of 12 consecutive months other than to provide
annual privacy notices, materials required by law or regulation, or promotional
materials;
(3) If the
individual´s
last known address according to the
licensee´s
records is deemed to be invalid. An address of record is deemed invalid if mail
sent to that address by the licensee has been returned by the postal authorities
as undeliverable and if subsequent attempts by the licensee to obtain a current
valid address for the individual have been unsuccessful;
or
(4) In the case of providing real estate settlement
services, at the time the customer completes execution of all documents related
to the real estate closing, payment for those services has been received or once
the licensee has completed all of its responsibilities with respect to the
settlement including filing documents on the public record, whichever is
later.
(c) When the licensee is required to deliver an
annual privacy notice by this Code section, the licensee must deliver it
according to Code Section 33-39A-25.
(d) Such annual
notice may be provided by an affiliated licensee, so long as the notice clearly
identifies all licensees to which the notice applies or states that it applies
to all affiliates of the named licensee, and is accurate with respect to the
licensee and other
institutions.
33-39A-22
(a)
The initial, annual, and revised privacy notices that a licensee provides under
Code Sections 33-39A-20, 33-39A-21, and 33-39A-24 must include each of the
following items of information that applies to the licensee or to the consumers
to whom the licensee sends its privacy notice, in addition to any other
information the licensee wishes to provide:
(1) The
categories of nonpublic personal financial information that the licensee
collects;
(2) The categories of nonpublic personal
financial information that the licensee discloses;
(3)
The categories of affiliates and nonaffiliated third parties to whom the
licensee discloses nonpublic personal financial information, other than those
parties to whom the licensee discloses information under Code Sections 33-39A-61
and 33-39A-62;
(4) The categories of nonpublic
personal financial information about the
licensee´s
former customers that it discloses and the categories of affiliates and
nonaffiliated third parties to whom the licensee discloses nonpublic personal
financial information about its former customers, other than those parties to
whom it discloses information under Code Sections 33-39A-61 and
33-39A-62;
(5) If a licensee discloses nonpublic
personal financial information to a nonaffiliated third party under Code Section
33-39A-60 and no other exception applies to that disclosure, a separate
statement of the categories of information the licensee discloses and the
categories of third parties with whom the licensee has
contracted;
(6) An explanation of the right under Code
Section 33-39A-40 to opt out of the disclosure of nonpublic personal financial
information to nonaffiliated third parties, including the methods by which the
consumer may exercise those rights at that time;
(7)
Any disclosures that the licensee makes under Section 603(d)(2)(A)(iii) of the
federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681a(d)(2)(A)(iii)), that is,
notices regarding the ability to opt out of disclosures of information among
affiliates;
(8) The
licensee´s
policies and practices with respect to protecting the confidentiality and
security of nonpublic personal financial information;
and
(9) A statement to the effect that the licensee
makes disclosures under subsection (b) of this Code section, if such disclosures
are made.
(b) If a licensee discloses nonpublic
personal financial information about a consumer to third parties only as
authorized under Code Sections 33-39A-61 and 33-39A-62, the licensee is not
required to list those exceptions in the initial or annual privacy notices
required by this chapter. When describing the categories with respect to those
parties, a licensee is only required to state that it makes disclosures to other
nonaffiliated third parties as permitted by law.
(c)(1)
The licensee may satisfy the initial notice requirements of this chapter for a
consumer who is not a customer by providing a short form initial notice at the
same time as the licensee delivers an opt-out notice as required in Code Section
33-39A-25.
(2) A short form initial notice
must:
(A) Be clear and
conspicuous;
(B) State that a
licensee´s
privacy notice is available upon request; and
(C)
Explain a reasonable means by which the consumer may obtain that notice,
including, but not limited to, providing a toll-free telephone number the
consumer may call to request the notice or, for a consumer who conducts business
in person in the
licensee´s
office, providing notice to the consumer immediately upon
request.
(3) The licensee must deliver its short form
notice according to Code Section 33-39A-25. A licensee is not required to
deliver its privacy notice with its short form initial notice. A licensee may
instead simply provide the consumer with a reasonable means to obtain the
licensee´s
privacy notice. If a consumer who receives the
licensee´s
short form notice requests the
licensee´s
privacy notice, the licensee must deliver its privacy notice according to Code
Section 33-39A-25.
(d) A
licensee´s
notice may include:
(1) Categories of nonpublic
personal financial information that the licensee reserves the right to disclose
in the future but does not currently disclose; and
(2)
Categories of affiliates or nonaffiliated third parties to whom the licensee
reserves the right in the future to disclose, but to whom it does not currently
disclose, nonpublic personal financial
information.
33-39A-23.
(a)
If a licensee is required to provide an opt-out notice under Code Section
33-39A-40, the licensee must provide a clear and conspicuous notice to each of
its consumers that accurately explains the right to opt out under that section.
The notice must state:
(1) That the licensee discloses
or reserves the right to disclose nonpublic personal financial information about
its consumer to a nonaffiliated third party;
(2) That
the consumer has the right to opt out of that disclosure;
and
(3) A reasonable means by which the consumer may
exercise the opt out-right, provided that the licensee may require that the
consumer opt out through a specified procedure, so long as the procedure is
reasonable for that consumer. A licensee provides reasonable procedures to
exercise an opt-out right if it:
(A) Designates check
off boxes in a prominent position on the relevant forms with the opt-out
notice;
(B) Includes a reply form together with the
opt-out notice;
(C) Provides an electronic means to
opt out, such as a form that can be sent via electronic mail or a process at the
licensee´s
website, if the consumer agrees to the electronic delivery of
information;
(D) Provides a toll-free telephone number
that consumers may call to opt out; or
(E) Provides
the opt-out notice together with or on the same written or electronic form as
the initial notice the licensee provides in accordance with Code Section
33-39A-20.
(b) If a licensee provides the opt-out
notice later than required for the initial notice in accordance with subsection
(e) of Code Section 33-39A-20, the licensee must also include a copy of the
initial notice in writing or, if the consumer agrees,
electronically.
(c)(1) If two or more consumers
jointly obtain a financial product or service from a licensee, the licensee may
provide a single opt-out notice. The
licensee´s
opt-out notice must explain how the licensee will treat an opt-out direction by
a joint consumer as provided in paragraph (2) of this
subsection.
(2) Any of the joint consumers may
exercise the right to opt out. The licensee may
either:
(A) Treat an opt-out direction by a joint
consumer as applying to all of the associated joint consumers;
or
(B) Permit each joint consumer to opt out
separately.
(3) If the licensee permits each joint
consumer to opt out separately, the licensee must permit one of the joint
consumers to opt out on behalf of all of the joint
consumers.
(4) A licensee may not require all joint
consumers to opt out before the licensee implements any opt-out
direction.
(d) A licensee must comply with a
consumer´s
opt-out direction as soon as reasonably practicable after the licensee receives
it.
(e) A consumer may exercise the right to opt out
at any time.
(f)(1) A
consumer´s
direction to opt out under this Code section is effective until the consumer
revokes it in writing or, if the consumer agrees,
electronically.
(2) When a customer relationship
terminates, the
customer´s
opt-out direction continues to apply to the nonpublic personal financial
information the licensee collected during or related to that relationship. If
the individual subsequently establishes a new customer relationship with the
licensee, the opt-out direction that applied to the former relationship does not
apply to the new relationship.
(g) When a licensee is
required to deliver an opt-out notice by this Code section, the licensee must
deliver it in accordance with Code Section
33-39A-25.
33-39A-24.
(a)
Except as otherwise authorized in this chapter, a licensee shall not, directly
or through any affiliate, disclose any nonpublic personal financial information
about a consumer to a nonaffiliated third party other than as described in the
initial notice that the licensee provided to that consumer under Code Section
33-39A-20, unless:
(1) The licensee has provided to
the consumer a revised notice that accurately describes the
licensee´s
policies and practices;
(2) The licensee has provided
to the consumer a new opt-out notice and, if appropriate, an authorization as
required in Code Section 33-39A-60;
(3) The licensee
has given the consumer a reasonable opportunity, before the licensee discloses
the information to the nonaffiliated third party, to opt out of or, if
appropriate, authorize the disclosure; and
(4) The
consumer does not opt out or, if appropriate, the consumer authorizes the
disclosure.
(b) When the licensee is required to
deliver a revised privacy notice by this Code section, the licensee must deliver
it in accordance with Code Section
33-39A-25.
33-39A-25.
(a)
A licensee must provide all privacy and opt-out notices, including short form
initial notices, that this chapter requires so that each consumer can reasonably
be expected to receive actual notice in writing or, if the consumer agrees,
electronically.
(1) The licensee may reasonably expect
that a consumer will receive actual notice if the
licensee:
(A) Hand delivers a printed copy of the
notice to the consumer;
(B) Mails a printed copy of
the notice to the last known address of the consumer, separately or in a policy,
billing, or other written communication;
(C)
Electronically, clearly, and conspicuously posts the notice on the electronic
site for the consumer who regularly accesses the
licensee´s
website to conduct transactions; or
(D) For an
isolated transaction with the consumer, such as the licensee providing an
insurance quote or selling the consumer travel insurance, posts the notice and
requires the consumer to acknowledge receipt of the notice as a necessary step
to obtaining the particular financial product or
service.
(2) A licensee may not reasonably expect that
a consumer will receive actual notice of the
licensee´s
privacy policies and practices if the licensee:
(A)
Only posts a sign in its branch or office or generally publishes advertisements
of its privacy policies and practices; or
(B) Sends
the notice via electronic mail to a consumer who does not obtain a financial
product or service electronically.
(b) A licensee may
reasonably expect that a customer will receive actual notice of the
licensee´s
annual privacy notice if:
(1) The customer agrees to
receive notices at the website, and the licensee posts its current privacy
notice continuously in a clear and conspicuous manner on the website;
or
(2) The customer has requested that the licensee
refrain from sending any information regarding the customer relationship, and
the
licensee´s
current privacy notice remains available to the customer upon request.
(c) A licensee may not provide any notice required by
this chapter solely by oral explanation of the notice, either in person or over
the telephone.
(d) For customers only, a licensee must
provide the initial notice, the annual notice, and the revised notice required
by this chapter, so that the customer can retain them or obtain them later in
writing or, if the customer agrees, electronically, including, but not limited
to, hand delivering a printed copy of the notice to the customer, mailing a
printed copy of the notice to the last known address of the customer upon the
request of the customer, or making the
licensee´s
current privacy notice available on a website for the customer who agrees to
receive the notice at a website.
(e) A licensee may
provide a joint notice from the licensee and one or more of the
licensee´s
affiliates, other licensees, or other financial institutions or on behalf of
another financial institution, so long as the notice is accurate with respect to
the licensee and the other institutions.
(f) If two or
more consumers jointly obtain a financial product or service from a licensee,
the licensee may satisfy the initial, annual, and revised notice requirements of
this chapter by providing one notice to those consumers
jointly.
33-39A-26.
(a)
No licensee shall unfairly discriminate against any customer or consumer on the
basis of the
customer´s
or
consumer´s
exercise of his or her right to opt out of the sharing of his or her nonpublic
personal financial information in the manner provided in this chapter. Nothing
in this Code section shall prohibit licensees from engaging in their usual,
appropriate, or acceptable method for insurance
underwriting.
(b) Nothing in this chapter requires a
licensee to provide a benefit or commence or continue payment of a claim in the
absence of nonpublic personal financial information to support or deny the
claim.
ARTICLE 3
33-39A-40.
(a) Except as
otherwise authorized in this chapter, a licensee may not, directly or through
any affiliate, disclose any nonpublic personal financial information about a
consumer to a nonaffiliated third party unless:
(1)
The licensee has provided to the consumer an initial notice as required under
Code Section 33-39A-20;
(2) The licensee has provided
to the consumer an opt-out notice as required in Code Section
33-39A-24;
(3) The licensee has given the consumer a
reasonable opportunity, before the licensee discloses the information to the
nonaffiliated third party, to opt out of the disclosure. Methods of complying
with this provision include, but are not limited
to:
(A) The licensee mailing the notice required in
paragraph (1) of this subsection to the consumer and allowing the consumer to
opt out by mailing a form, calling a toll-free telephone number, or any other
reasonable means within 30 days from the date the licensee mailed the
notice;
(B) A customer opening an on-line account with
the licensee and agreeing to receive the notice required in paragraph (1) of
this subsection electronically, and the licensee making the notice available to
the customer on its website and allowing the customer to opt out by any
reasonable means within 30 days after the date that the customer acknowledges
receipt of the notice in conjunction with opening the account;
or
(C) For an isolated transaction, such as providing
the consumer with an insurance quote, a licensee providing a reasonable
opportunity to opt out if the licensee provides the consumer the notice required
in paragraph (1) of this subsection at the time of the transaction and requests
that the consumer decide, as a necessary act of the transaction, whether to opt
out before completing the transaction; and
(4) The
consumer declining the opt-out right.
(b)(1) A
licensee must comply with this Code section, regardless of whether the licensee
and the consumer have established a customer
relationship.
(2) Unless a licensee complies with this
Code section, the licensee may not, directly or through any affiliate, disclose
any nonpublic personal financial information about a consumer that it has
collected, regardless of whether the licensee collected it before or after
receiving the direction to opt out from the
consumer.
33-39A-41.
(a)
If the licensee receives nonpublic personal financial information from a
nonaffiliated financial institution under an exception in this chapter, the
licensee´s
disclosure and use of that information is limited as follows:
(1) The licensee may disclose the information to the
affiliates of the financial institution from which the licensee received the
information;
(2) The licensee may disclose the
information to its affiliates and agents, but the affiliates and agents may, in
turn, disclose and use the information only to the extent that the licensee may
disclose and use the information; and
(3) The licensee
may disclose and use the information pursuant to an exception in Code Section
33-39A-61 or 33-39A-62 in the ordinary course of business to carry out the
activity covered by the exception under which the licensee received the
information.
(b) If a licensee receives nonpublic
personal financial information from a nonaffiliated financial institution other
than under an exception in this chapter, the licensee may disclose the
information only:
(1) To the affiliates of the
financial institution from which the licensee received the
information;
(2) To the
licensee´s
affiliates and agents, but the
licensee´s
affiliates and agents may, in turn, disclose the information only to the extent
that the licensee can disclose the information; and
(3)
To any other person, if the disclosure would be lawful if made directly to that
person by the financial institution from which the licensee received the
information.
(c) If the licensee discloses nonpublic
personal financial information to a nonaffiliated third party under an exception
in Code Section 33-39A-61 or 33-39A-62, the third party may disclose and use
that information only as follows:
(1) The third party
may disclose the information to the
licensee´s
affiliates;
(2) The third party may disclose the
information to its affiliates, but its affiliates may, in turn, disclose and use
the information only to the extent that the third party may disclose and use the
information; and
(3) The third party may disclose and
use the information pursuant to an exception in Code Section 33-39A-61 or
33-39A-62 in the ordinary course of business to carry out the activity covered
by the exception under which it received the
information.
(d) If a licensee discloses nonpublic
personal financial information to a nonaffiliated third party other than under
an exception in Code Section 33-39A-61 or 33-39A-62, the third party may
disclose the information only:
(1) To the
licensee´s
affiliates;
(2) To the third
party´s
affiliates, but the third
party´s
affiliates, in turn, may disclose the information only to the extent the third
party can disclose the information; and
(3) To any
other person, if the disclosure would be lawful if the licensee made it directly
to that
person.
33-39A-42.
(a) A
licensee must not, directly or through an affiliate, disclose, other than to a
consumer reporting agency, a policy or contract number or similar form of access
number or access code for a
consumer´s
credit card account, deposit account, or transaction account to any
nonaffiliated third party for use in telemarketing, direct mail marketing, or
other marketing through electronic mail to the
consumer.
(b) Subsection (a) of this Code section does
not apply if the licensee discloses a policy or contract number or similar form
of access number or access code:
(1) To the
licensee´s
agent or service provider solely in order to perform marketing for the
licensee´s
products or services, so long as the agent or service provider is not authorized
to directly initiate charges to the account;
(2) To a
participant in a private label credit card program or an affinity or similar
program where the participants in the program are identified to the customer
when the customer enters into the program; or
(3) To a
licensee who is a producer solely in order to perform marketing for the
licensee´s
own products or services.
ARTICLE 4
33-39A-60
(a) The opt-out
requirements of this chapter do not apply when a licensee provides nonpublic
personal financial information to a nonaffiliated third party to perform
services for or functions on behalf of the licensee, if the
licensee:
(1) Provides the initial notice in
accordance with this chapter; and
(2) Enters into a
contractual agreement with the third party that prohibits the third party from
disclosing or using the information other than to carry out the purposes for
which the licensee disclosed the information, including use under an exception
in Code Section 33-39A-61 or 33-39A-62, in the ordinary course of business to
carry out those purposes.
(b) A licensee may use and
disclose personally identifiable financial information to a person acting on
behalf of or at the direction of the licensee to perform the
licensee´s
insurance functions, including, but not limited to, claims administration;
claims adjustment and management; fraud investigation; underwriting; loss
control; rate making functions; reinsurance; risk management; case management;
disease management; quality assessment; quality improvement; provider
credentialing verification; utilization review; peer review activities;
grievance procedures; internal administration of compliance, managerial, and
information systems; policyholder service functions; account administration;
processing premium payments; processing insurance claims; administering
insurance benefits, including utilization review activities; participating in
research projects; and as otherwise required or specifically permitted by
federal or state law.
(c) The services performed for a
licensee by a nonaffiliated third party under subsection (a) this Code
section may include marketing of the
licensee´s
own products or services or marketing of financial products or services offered
pursuant to joint agreements between the licensee and one or more financial
institutions.
(d) For purposes of this Code section,
'joint agreement' means a written contract pursuant to which a licensee and one
or more financial institutions jointly offer, endorse, or sponsor a financial
product or
service.
33-39A-61.
(a)
The requirements for initial notice to consumers in paragraph (2) of subsection
(a) of Code Section 33-39A-20, providing the opt-out opportunity to consumers
and customers, and the application of this chapter to service providers and
joint marketing do not apply if a licensee discloses nonpublic personal
financial information as necessary to effect, administer, or enforce a
transaction requested or authorized by the consumer, or in connection
with:
(1) Servicing or processing a financial product
or service requested or authorized by the consumer, including such products or
services under consideration by a consumer;
(2)
Maintaining or servicing the
consumer´s
account with the licensee or with another entity;
(3)
Transactions involving a person acting as agent of the licensee, provided such
agent agrees not to disclose said nonpublic personal financial information to
additional third parties; or
(4) A proposed or actual
securitization; secondary market sale, including sales of servicing rights; or
similar transaction related to a transaction of the
consumer.
(b) The requirements of this chapter do not
apply if a licensee discloses nonpublic personal financial information for any
purpose related to effecting, administering, or replacing a group benefit plan,
a group health plan, or a group welfare plan.
(c)
'Necessary to effect, administer, or enforce a transaction' means, in this Code
section, that the disclosure is:
(1) Required, or is
one of the lawful or appropriate methods, to enforce the
licensee´s
rights or the rights of other persons engaged in carrying out the financial
transaction or providing the product or service; or
(2)
Required, or is a usual, appropriate, or acceptable
method:
(A) To carry out the transaction or the
product or service business of which the transaction is a part, and record,
service, or maintain the
consumer´s
account in the ordinary course of providing the financial service or financial
product;
(B) To administer, adjudicate, or service
benefits or claims relating to the transaction or the product or service
business of which it is a part;
(C) To provide a
confirmation, statement, or other record of the transaction or information on
the status or value of the financial service or financial product to the
consumer or the
consumer´s
agent or broker;
(D) To accrue or recognize incentives
or bonuses associated with the transaction that are provided by the licensee or
any other party;
(E) To underwrite insurance at the
consumer´s
request or for reinsurance purposes or for any of the following purposes as they
relate to a
consumer´s
insurance: account administration; reporting; investigating; preventing fraud or
material misrepresentation; processing premium payments; processing insurance
claims; administering insurance benefits, including utilization review
activities; participating in research projects; or as otherwise required or
specifically permitted by federal or state law; or
(F)
In connection with:
(i) The authorization, settlement,
billing, processing, clearing, transferring, reconciling, or collection of
amounts charged, debited, or otherwise paid using a debit, credit, or other
payment card, check, or policy or contract number, or by other payment
means;
(ii) The transfer of receivables, accounts, or
interests therein; or
(iii) The audit of debit,
credit, or other payment
information.
33-39A-62.
(a)
The requirements for initial notice to consumers in paragraph (2) of subsection
(a) of Code Section 33-39A-20, the opportunity to opt out, and the provisions
applicable to service providers and joint marketing in this chapter do not apply
when a licensee discloses nonpublic personal financial
information:
(1) With the consent or at the direction
of the consumer, provided that the consumer has not revoked the consent or
direction;
(2) To protect the confidentiality or
security of a
licensee´s
records pertaining to the consumer, service, product, or
transaction;
(3) To protect against or prevent actual
or potential fraud, unauthorized transactions, claims, or other
liability;
(4) For required institutional risk control
or for resolving consumer disputes or inquiries;
(5)
To persons holding a legal or beneficial interest relating to the
consumer;
(6) To persons acting in a fiduciary or
representative capacity on behalf of the consumer;
(7)
To provide information to insurance rate advisory organizations, guaranty funds
or agencies, agencies that are rating the licensee, persons that are assessing
the
licensee´s
compliance with industry standards, and the
licensee´s
attorneys, accountants, and auditors;
(8) To the
extent specifically permitted or required under other provisions of law and in
accordance with the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 3401, et
seq.), to law enforcement agencies, including a federal functional regulator,
the secretary of the treasury of the United States, with respect to 31 U.S.C.
Chapter 53, Subchapter II — Records and Reports on Monetary
Instruments and Transactions, and 12 U.S.C. Chapter 21 — Financial
Recordkeeping; a state insurance authority, with respect to any person domiciled
in that insurance
authority´s
state that is engaged in providing insurance; the Federal Trade Commission;
self-regulatory organizations; or for an investigation on a matter related to
public safety;
(9) To a consumer reporting agency in
accordance with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681, et seq.)
and the fair credit laws of this state;
(10) From a
consumer report reported by a consumer reporting
agency;
(11) In connection with a proposed or actual
sale, merger, transfer, or exchange of all or a portion of a business or
operating unit if the disclosure of nonpublic personal financial information
concerns solely consumers of such business or
unit;
(12) To comply with federal, state, or local
laws, rules, and other applicable legal
requirements;
(13) To comply with a properly
authorized civil, criminal, or regulatory investigation or subpoena or summons
by federal, state, or local authorities;
(14) To
respond to judicial process or government regulatory authorities having
jurisdiction over a licensee for examination, compliance, or other purposes as
authorized by law;
(15) Necessary to provide ongoing
health care treatment;
(16) In connection with quality
assessment evaluations or investigations;
(17) To
reveal a
consumer´s
general health condition and presence in a facility owned by the
licensee;
(18) To a reinsure, stop-loss, or excess
loss carrier for the purpose of underwriting, claims adjudication, and
conducting claim file audits;
(19) Needed for one of
the following purposes:
(A) To identify a deceased
individual;
(B) To determine the cause and manner of
death by a chief medical examiner or the medical
examiner´s
designee; or
(C) To provide necessary protected health
information about a deceased individual who is a donor of an anatomical
gift;
(20) To a state department of insurance that is
performing an examination, investigation, or audit of the licensee;
or
(21) Pursuant to a court order issued after the
court´s
determination that the public interest in disclosure outweighs the
consumer´s
privacy interest and that the information is not reasonably available by other
means.
(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed
as applicable to information disclosures by licensees in connection with the
purchase of insurance coverage by the licensee or the arrangement of insurance
coverage by the licensee for its employees.
ARTICLE 5
33-39A-80.
(a) Nothing in this
chapter shall be construed to modify, limit, or supersede the operation of the
federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681, et seq.), and no inference
shall be drawn on the basis of the provisions of this chapter regarding whether
information is transaction or experience information under Section 603 of that
act. The protections of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681,
et seq.) shall be fully available and are in no way inconsistent with the intent
of this chapter including, but not limited to:
(1)
Section 1681g, requiring the disclosure of information to
consumers;
(2) Section 1681h, assuring timely
disclosures in person or by telephone;
(3) Section
1681i, outlining the summary procedure to contest the accuracy of information;
and
(4) Section 1681j, permitting a charge for copies
of disclosures.
(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be
construed to modify, limit, or supersede the operation of the fair credit law of
this state.
(c) Nothing in this chapter shall preempt
or supercede existing state law related to medical records, health, or insurance
information
privacy.
33-39A-81.
(a)
No licensee shall knowingly or willfully violate the provisions of this
chapter.
(b) The Commissioner shall have power to
examine and investigate into the affairs of every licensee doing business in
this state to determine whether the licensee has been or is engaged in any
conduct in violation of this chapter.
33-39A-82.
(a) Whenever
the Commissioner has reason to believe that a licensee has been or is engaged in
conduct in this state which violates this chapter, or if the Commissioner
believes that a licensee has been or is engaged in conduct outside this state
which has an effect on a customer residing in this state and which violates this
chapter, the Commissioner shall issue and serve upon such licensee a statement
of charges and notice of hearing to be held at a time and place fixed in the
notice. The date for such hearing shall be not less than 30 days after the date
of service.
(b) At the time and place fixed for such
hearing the licensee charged shall have an opportunity to answer the charges
against it and present evidence on its behalf. Upon good cause shown, the
Commissioner shall permit any adversely affected person to intervene, appear,
and be heard at such hearing by counsel or in person.
(c) At any hearing conducted pursuant to this Code
section, the Commissioner may administer oaths, examine and cross-examine
witnesses, and receive oral and documentary evidence. The Commissioner shall
have the power to subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, and require the
production of books, papers, records, correspondence, and other documents which
are relevant to the hearing. A stenographic record of the hearing shall be made
upon the request of any party or at the discretion of the Commissioner. If no
stenographic record is made and if judicial review is sought, the Commissioner
shall prepare a statement of the evidence for use on review. Hearings conducted
under this Code section shall be governed by the same rules of evidence and
procedure as set forth in Chapter 2 of this title.
(d) Statements of charges, notices, orders, and other
processes of the Commissioner under this chapter may be served by anyone duly
authorized to act on behalf of the Commissioner. Service of process may be
completed in the manner provided by law for service of process in civil actions
or by registered mail or statutory overnight delivery. A copy of the statement
of charges, notice, order, or other process shall be provided to the customer or
customers whose rights under this chapter have been allegedly violated. A
verified return setting forth the manner of service, or return postcard receipt
in the case of registered mail or statutory overnight delivery shall be
sufficient proof of
service.
33-39A-83.
For
the purpose of this chapter, a licensee transacting business outside this state
which has an effect on a customer residing in this state shall be deemed to have
appointed the Commissioner to accept service of process on its behalf, provided
the Commissioner causes a copy of such service to be mailed forthwith by
registered mail or statutory overnight delivery to the licensee at its last
known principal place of business. The return postcard receipt for such mailing
shall be sufficient proof that the same was properly mailed by the
Commissioner.
33-39A-84.
(a)
If, after a hearing pursuant to Code Section 33-39A-82, the Commissioner
determines that the licensee charged has engaged in conduct or practices in
violation of this chapter, the Commissioner shall reduce his or her findings to
writing and shall issue and cause to be served upon such licensee a copy of such
findings and an order requiring such licensee to cease and desist from the
conduct or practices constituting violation of this chapter.
(b) If, after a hearing pursuant to Code Section
33-39A-82, the Commissioner determines that the licensee charged has not engaged
in conduct or practices in violation of this chapter, the Commissioner shall
prepare a written report which sets forth findings of fact and conclusions of
law. Such report shall be served upon the licensee charged and upon the customer
whose rights under this chapter were allegedly violated.
(c) Until the expiration of the time allowed under
Code Section 33-39A-86 for filing a petition for review or until such petition
is actually filed, whichever occurs first, the Commissioner may modify or set
aside any order or report issued under this Code section. After the expiration
of the time allowed under Code Section 33-39A-86 for filing a petition for
review, if no such petition has been duly filed, the Commissioner may, after
notice and opportunity for hearing, alter, modify, or set aside, in whole or in
part, any order or report issued under this Code section whenever conditions of
fact or law warrant such action or if the public interest so
requires.
33-39A-85.
(a)
In any case where a hearing pursuant to Code Section 33-39A-82 results in the
finding of a knowing violation of this chapter, the Commissioner may, in
addition to the issuance of a cease and desist order as prescribed in Code
Section 33-39A-84, order payment of a monetary penalty of not more than $500.00
for each violation but not to exceed $10,000.00 in the aggregate for multiple
violations.
(b) Any licensee who violates a cease
and desist order of the Commissioner under Code Section 33-39A-84 may, after
notice and hearing and upon order of the Commissioner, be subject to one or more
of the following penalties, at the discretion of the Commissioner:
(1) A monetary fine of not more than $10,000.00 for
each violation;
(2) A monetary fine of not more than
$50,000.00 if the Commissioner finds that violations have occurred with such
frequency as to constitute a general business practice; or
(3) Suspension or revocation of a
licensee´s
license.
33-39A-86.
(a)
Any licensee subject to an order of the Commissioner under Code Section
33-39A-84 or Code Section 33-39A-85 may obtain a review of any order or report
of the Commissioner by filing in the Superior Court of Fulton County, within 30
days from the date of the service of such order or report, a written petition
requesting that the order or report of the Commissioner be set aside. A copy of
such petition shall be simultaneously served upon the Commissioner, who shall
forthwith certify and file in such court a transcript of the entire record of
the proceeding giving rise to the order or report which is the subject of the
petition. Upon filing of the petition and transcript the court shall have
jurisdiction to make and enter a decree modifying, affirming, or reversing any
order or report of the Commissioner, in whole or in part. The findings of the
Commissioner as to the facts supporting any order or report, if supported by any
evidence, shall be conclusive.
(b) To the extent an
order or report of the Commissioner is affirmed, the court shall issue its own
order commanding obedience to the terms of the order or report of the
Commissioner. If a licensee affected by an order or report of the Commissioner
shall apply to the court for leave to produce additional evidence and shall show
to the satisfaction of the court that such additional evidence is material and
that there are reasonable grounds for the failure to produce such evidence in
prior proceedings, the court may order such additional evidence to be taken
before the Commissioner in such manner and upon such terms and conditions as the
court may deem proper. The Commissioner may modify his or her findings of fact
or make new findings by reason of the additional evidence so taken and shall
file such modified or new findings along with any recommendation, if any, for
the modification or revocation of a previous order or report. If supported by
clear and convincing evidence, the modified or new findings shall be conclusive
as to the matters contained therein.
(c) An order or
report issued by the Commissioner under Code Section 33-39A-84 or 33-39A-85
shall become final:
(1) Upon the expiration of the
time allowed for the filing of a petition for review, if no such petition has
been duly filed except that the Commissioner may modify or set aside an order or
report to the extent provided in subsection (c) of Code Section 33-39A-84; or
(2) Upon a final decision of the superior court if it
directs that the order or report of the Commissioner be affirmed or the petition
for review dismissed.
(d) No order or report of the
Commissioner under this chapter or order of the court to enforce the same shall
in any way relieve or absolve any licensee affected by such order or report from
any liability under any law of this
state.
33-39A-87.
No cause
of action in the nature of defamation, invasion of privacy, or negligence shall
arise against any licensee for disclosing nonpublic personal financial
information in accordance with this chapter, nor shall such a cause of action
arise against any licensee for furnishing nonpublic personal financial
information to a licensee; provided, however, this Code section shall provide no
immunity for disclosing or furnishing false nonpublic personal financial
information with malice or willful intent to injure any
person.
33-39A-88.
Any
person who knowingly and willfully obtains information about a customer from a
licensee under false pretenses shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor.
33-39A-89.
The
Commissioner of Insurance may promulgate such rules and regulations necessary to
implement and enforce the provisions of this
chapter.
33-39A-90.
(a)
This chapter shall become effective on July 1, 2001. In order to provide
sufficient time for insurers and other licensees to establish policies and
systems to comply with the requirements of this chapter, time for compliance
with this chapter is extended until January 1,
2002.
(b) By January 1, 2002, the licensee shall have
provided an initial notice, as required by Code Section 33-39A-20, to consumers
who are the
licensee´s
customers on January 1, 2002.
(c) Until January 1,
2003, a contract that the licensee has entered into with a nonaffiliated third
party to perform services for the licensee or functions on its behalf does not
need to satisfy the provisions of Code Section 33-39A-60, which provides that
the third party maintain the confidentiality of nonpublic personal financial
information, so long as the licensee entered into the agreement before July 1,
2001."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective on July 1,
2001.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are
repealed.