(a) On or before August 1 of each year in which this program is in effect, the commissioner shall report to the Governor, the Legislature, and to the committees of the Senate and Assembly having jurisdiction over insurance on the status of the program in the prior year, including statistics about the number of cases suitable for mediation, the number sent to mediation, and the number accepted, as well as declined, by the insurers, and other similar information concerning the operation of the program in the annual report submitted pursuant to Section 12922.

(b) At six-month intervals, the department shall collect from the mediators with which it contracts for this service the following information: the number of persons to whom mediation was offered, the number of insurers that accepted and declined mediation, the number of settlements, and of those settlements, the number rejected within the three business day cooling off period. For each settlement, the mediation service shall also report the amount initially claimed by the consumer and the amount agreed to be paid, if any, by the insurer or other party.

(c) The department may adopt regulations, including reporting requirements, in the commissioner’s discretion, to implement this chapter. The regulations shall be adopted as emergency regulations pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. The adoption of the regulations is deemed necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, or general welfare.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 405, Sec. 8. Effective September 22, 2006. Operative January 1, 2007, by Sec. 14 of Ch. 405.)