§ 27-16-2.1. Enforcement of orders. (a) Enforcement. The attorney general upon request of the commissioner may proceed in the courts of this state or any reciprocal state to enforce an order of decision in any court proceeding or in any administrative proceeding before the commissioner of insurance.

(b) Definitions. In this section:

(1) "Foreign decree" means any decree or order in equity of a court located in a "reciprocal state", including a court of the United States located in the United States, against any insurer incorporated or authorized to do business in this state;

(2) "Qualified party" means a state regulatory agency acting in its capacity to enforce the insurance laws of its state; and

(3) "Reciprocal state" means any state or territory of the United States the laws of which contain procedures substantially similar to those specified in this section for the enforcement of decrees or orders in equity issued by courts located in other states or territories of the United States, against any insurer incorporated or authorized to do business in the state or territory.

(c) List of reciprocal states. The insurance commissioner shall determine which states and territories qualify as reciprocal states and shall maintain at all times an up to date list of those states.

(d) Filing and status of foreign decrees. A copy of any foreign decree authenticated in accordance with the statutes of this state may be filed in the office of the clerk of any superior court of this state. The clerk, upon verifying with the insurance commissioner that the decree or order qualifies as a "foreign decree", shall treat the foreign decree in the same manner as a decree of the superior court of this state. A foreign decree filed in this manner has the same effect and shall be deemed as a decree of the superior court of this state, and is subject to the same procedures, defenses, and proceedings for reopening, vacating, or staying as a decree of the superior court of this state and may be enforced or satisfied in a similar manner.

(e) Notice of filing.

(1) At the time of the filing of the foreign decree, the attorney general shall make and file with the clerk of the court an affidavit setting forth the name and last known post office address of the defendant;

(2) Promptly upon the filing of the foreign decree and the affidavit, the clerk shall mail a notice of the filing of the foreign decree to the defendant at the address given and to the insurance commissioner of this state and shall make a note of the mailing in the docket. In addition, the attorney general may mail a notice of the filing of the foreign decree to the defendant and to the insurance commissioner of this state and may file proof of mailing with the clerk. Lack of a mailing notice of filing by the clerk shall not affect the enforcement proceedings if proof of the mailing by the attorney general has been filed;

(3) No execution or other process for enforcement of a foreign decree filed under this section shall issue until thirty (30) days after the date the decree is filed.

(f) Stay of execution.

(1) If the defendant shows the superior court that an appeal from the foreign decree is pending or will be taken, or that a stay of execution has been granted, the court shall stay the enforcement of the foreign decree until the appeal is concluded, the time for appeal expires, or the stay of execution expires or is vacated, upon proof that the defendant has furnished the security for the satisfaction of the decree required by the state in which it was rendered;

(2) If the defendant shows the superior court any ground upon which enforcement of a decree of the superior court of this state would be stayed, the court shall stay enforcement of the foreign decree for an appropriate period, upon requiring the same security for satisfaction of the decree which is required in this state.

(g) Fees. Any person filing a foreign decree shall pay to the clerk of court five dollars ($5.00). Fees for docketing, transcription, or other enforcement proceedings shall be as provided for decrees of the superior court.

History of Section. (P.L. 1973, ch. 231, § 2.)