The following definitions govern the construction of this article, unless the context requires otherwise:

(a) “Authorized governmental agency” means the district attorney of any county, any city attorney whose duties include criminal prosecutions, any law enforcement agency investigating workers’ compensation fraud, the office of the Attorney General, the Department of Insurance, the Department of Industrial Relations, the Employment Development Department, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Public Employees’ Retirement System, and any licensing agency governed by the Business and Professions Code.

(b) “Relevant” means having a tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the investigation or determination of an issue more probable or less probable than it would be without the information.

(c) “Insurer” means an insurer admitted to transact workers’ compensation insurance in this state, the State Compensation Insurance Fund, an employer that has secured a certificate of consent to self-insure pursuant to subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 3700 of the Labor Code, or a third-party administrator that has secured a certificate pursuant to Section 3702.1 of the Labor Code.

(d) “Licensed rating organization” means a rating organization licensed by the Insurance Commissioner pursuant to Section 11750.1.

(e) Information shall be deemed important if, within the sole discretion of the authorized governmental agency, that information is requested by that authorized governmental agency.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 369, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2009.)