A. Every insurer or licensed insurance professional that has a reasonable belief that an act of insurance fraud will be, is being or has been committed shall furnish and disclose knowledge and information about it to the superintendent and shall cooperate fully with any investigation conducted by the superintendent. Failure to comply with this subsection shall constitute grounds for the superintendent to impose an administrative penalty pursuant to Section 59A-1-18 NMSA 1978 in addition to any applicable suspension, revocation or denial of a license or certificate of authority.

B. A person who has a reasonable belief that an act of insurance fraud will be, is being or has been committed, or any person who collects, reviews or analyzes information concerning insurance fraud, may furnish and disclose any information in his possession concerning the insurance fraud to the superintendent or to an authorized representative of an insurer that requests the information for the purpose of detecting, prosecuting or preventing insurance fraud.

C. If an insurer has a reasonable belief or probable cause to believe that an insurance fraud has been committed and has properly notified the superintendent of its suspicion, that notification shall toll any applicable time period in any unfair claims proceeding based on the alleged fraud until thirty days after determination by the superintendent and notice to the insurer that the superintendent will not recommend action on the claim. The determination by the superintendent shall not be admissible in any subsequent civil proceeding.

D. The superintendent, in cooperation with insurers or others, may establish a voluntary fund to reward persons not connected with the insurance industry who provide information or furnish evidence leading to the arrest and conviction of persons responsible for insurance fraud.

History: Laws 1998, ch. 115, § 6.