(a) Subject to subdivision (b), a licensed rating organization shall make available any policy information contained in its records to the following:

(1) The Department of Industrial Relations.

(2) Any other governmental agency if the Insurance Commissioner, after consultation with the licensed rating organization, approves the release of the policy information requested to the agency.

(b) The Department of Industrial Relations and any other governmental agency shall specify to the licensed rating organization, in writing, the information requested, that the information requested is to be used to facilitate the agency’s performance of its constitutional or statutory duties, and that the information received will not be released to others, except in the discharge of a specific statutory or constitutional duty, or published without the prior written consent of the licensed rating organization. In addition, if the Insurance Commissioner’s approval is required for the release of the policy information requested, a written copy of the approval shall be submitted to the licensed rating organization.

(c) As used in this section, “policy information” means information which is contained in a workers’ compensation policy, including, but not limited to, the identity and address of the employer, the identity of the insurer, the policy number, and the policy period.

(d) Information obtained by a governmental agency pursuant to this section shall be confidential and not subject to public disclosure under any other law of this state.

(e) No licensed rating organization or member thereof, or member of a committee of a licensed rating organization when acting in its capacity as a member of the committee, or officer or employee of a licensed rating organization, when acting within the scope of his or her employment, shall be liable to any person for injury, personal or otherwise, or damages caused or alleged to have been caused, either directly or indirectly, by the disclosure of information to a governmental agency pursuant to this section, or for the accuracy or completeness of the information so disclosed.

(f) This section shall not be construed as implying the existence of liability in circumstances not defined in this section, nor as implying a legislative recognition that, except for enactment of this section, a liability has existed or would exist in the circumstances stated in this section.

(g) This section shall not be construed as limiting any authority of a licensed rating organization to disclose information contained in its records to others.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 452, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2007.)