17:23-44 Documents, materials, other information deemed proprietary and containing trade secrets.

7. a. Documents, materials or other information including the disclosure, in the possession or control of the department that are obtained by, created by or disclosed to the commissioner or any other person under this act, shall be recognized by this State as being proprietary and to contain trade secrets. All such documents, materials or other information shall be confidential by law and privileged, shall not be subject to disclosure by the commissioner pursuant to P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.), shall not be subject to subpoena, and shall not be subject to discovery from the commissioner or admissible in evidence in any private civil action. However, the commissioner shall be authorized to use the documents, materials or other information in the furtherance of any regulatory or legal action brought as a 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. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require written consent of the insurer before the commissioner may share or receive confidential documents, materials or other disclosure-related information pursuant to subsection c. of this section to assist in the performance of the commissioner's regular duties.

b. Neither the commissioner nor any person who received documents, materials or other disclosure-related information, through examination or otherwise, while acting under the authority of the commissioner, or with whom those documents, materials or other information are shared pursuant to this act shall be subject to subpoena, permitted or required to testify in any private civil action concerning any confidential documents, materials, or information subject to subsection a. of this section.

c. In order to assist in the performance of the commissioner's regulatory duties, the commissioner may:

(1) upon request, share documents, materials or other disclosure-related information including the confidential and privileged documents, materials or information subject to subsection a. of this section, including proprietary and trade secret documents and materials. with other state, federal and international financial regulatory agencies, including members of any supervisory college as provided in section 7 of P.L.2014, c.81 (C.17:27A-5.1), with the NAIC, and with third party consultants pursuant to section 8 of this act, provided that the recipient agrees in writing to maintain the confidentiality and privileged status of the disclosure-related documents, material or other information and has verified in writing the legal authority to maintain confidentiality; and

(2) receive documents, materials or other disclosure-related information, including otherwise confidential and privileged documents, materials or information, including proprietary and trade-secret information or documents, from regulatory officials of other state, federal and international financial regulatory agencies, including members of any supervisory college as provided in section 7 of P.L.2014, c.81 (C.17:27A-5.1), and from the NAIC, and shall maintain as confidential or privileged any documents, materials or information received with notice or the understanding that it is confidential or privileged under the laws of the jurisdiction that is the source of the document, material or information.

d. The sharing of information and documents by the commissioner pursuant to this act shall not constitute a delegation of regulatory authority or rulemaking, and the commissioner is solely responsible for the administration, execution and enforcement of the provisions of this act.

e. No waiver of any applicable privilege or claim of confidentiality in the documents, proprietary and trade-secret materials or other disclosure-related information shall occur as a result of disclosure of disclosure-related information or documents to the commissioner under this section or as a result of sharing as authorized in this act.

L.2019, c.350, s.7.