CHAPTER 8. EXAMINATIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS

§1981. Commissioner of insurance to examine insurers and producers

            A.(1) The commissioner of insurance shall make an examination, not less frequently than once every five years, of all insurers doing business in this state at such times as prescribed by the provisions of this Chapter and at any other time when in the opinion of the commissioner it is necessary for such an examination to be made. The commissioner shall make a timely examination of an insurer upon presentation to him of a resolution approved by a majority of the board of directors of the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association or the Louisiana Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association requesting that such an examination be made of a designated insurer.

            (2) The commissioner may make an examination of any producer doing business in this state whenever he has received at least three complaints within a thirty-day period that the producer is not acting in conformance with this Code.

            (3) For purposes of completing an examination of any company under this Chapter, and in addition to any other power granted to the commissioner by this Code, the commissioner may examine or investigate any person, as defined in R.S. 22:691.2 or the business of any person, in so far as such examination or investigation is, in the sole discretion of the commissioner, necessary or material to the examination of the company.

            B. The commissioner of insurance may examine once in each six months for the first three years after organization or incorporation, and once in each year for the fourth through sixth years after organization or incorporation, and thereafter in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Chapter, all domestic insurers formed under the laws of this state.

            C. In lieu of an examination under this Section of any foreign or alien insurer licensed in this state, the commissioner may accept an examination report on the company as prepared by the insurance department for the company's state of domicile or port-of-entry state. Such reports may be accepted only if:

            (1) The insurance department was, at the time of the examination, accredited under the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Financial Regulation Standards and Accreditation Program.

            (2) The examination is performed under the supervision of an accredited state insurance department, or with the participation of one or more examiners who are employed by such an accredited state insurance department, and who, after a review of the examination work papers and report, state under oath that the examination was performed in a manner consistent with the standards and procedures required by their insurance department.

            D. Upon determining that an examination should be conducted, the commissioner shall appoint one or more examiners to perform the examination and instruct them as to the scope of the examination. In conducting the examination, the examiner or examiners shall observe those guidelines and procedures set forth in the Examiners' Handbook and the Market Regulation Handbook adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The commissioner may also employ such other guidelines or procedures as the commissioner may deem appropriate.

            E. Nothing contained in this Chapter shall be construed to limit the commissioner's authority to use any final or preliminary examination report, any examiner or company workpapers or other documents, or any other information discovered or developed during the course of any examination in the furtherance of any legal or regulatory action which the commissioner may, in his sole discretion, deem appropriate.

            F. Nothing contained in this Chapter shall be construed to limit the authority of the commissioner to terminate or suspend any examination in order to pursue other legal or regulatory action pursuant to the insurance laws of this state. Findings of fact and conclusions made pursuant to any examination shall be prima facie evidence in any legal or regulatory action.

            Acts 1958, No. 125. Amended by Acts 1979, No. 702, §1; Acts 1989, No. 665, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1992, No. 811, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1304, §1, eff. July 12, 1999; Redesignated from R.S. 22:1301 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2012, No. 271, §1; Acts 2016, No. 6, §1; Acts 2024, No. 250, §1.