(215 ILCS 5/155.24) (from Ch. 73, par. 767.24)
Sec. 155.24.
Motor Vehicle Theft and Motor Insurance Fraud
Reporting and Immunity Law.
(a) As used in this Section:
(1) "authorized governmental agency" means the |
| Illinois State Police, a local governmental police department, a county sheriff's office, a State's Attorney, the Attorney General, a municipal attorney, a United States district attorney, a duly constituted criminal investigative agency of the United States government, the Illinois Department of Insurance, the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation and the office of the Illinois Secretary of State;
|
|
(2) "relevant" means having a tendency to make the
|
| existence of any information that is of consequence to an investigation of motor vehicle theft or insurance fraud investigation or a determination of such issue more probable or less probable than it would be without such information;
|
|
(3) information will be "deemed important" if within
|
| the sole discretion of the authorized governmental agency such information is requested by that authorized governmental agency;
|
|
(4) "Illinois authorized governmental agency" means
|
| an authorized governmental agency as defined in item (1) that is a part of the government of the State of Illinois or any of the counties or municipalities of this State or any other authorized entity; and
|
|
(5) For the purposes of this Section and Section
|
| 155.23, "insurer" means insurance companies, insurance support organizations, self-insured entities, and other providers of insurance products and services doing business in the State of Illinois.
|
|
(b) Upon written request to an insurer by an authorized governmental agency,
an insurer or agent authorized by an insurer to act on its behalf shall
release to the requesting authorized governmental agency any or all relevant
information deemed important to the authorized governmental agency which
the insurer may possess relating to any specific motor vehicle theft or motor
vehicle insurance fraud. Relevant information may include, but is not limited
to:
(1) Insurance policy information relevant to the
|
| motor vehicle theft or motor vehicle insurance fraud under investigation, including any application for such a policy.
|
|
(2) Policy premium payment records which are
|
|
(3) History of previous claims made by the insured.
(4) Information relating to the investigation of the
|
| motor vehicle theft or motor vehicle insurance fraud, including statements of any person, proofs of loss and notice of loss.
|
|
(c) When an insurer knows or reasonably believes to know the identity
of a person whom it has reason to believe committed a criminal or fraudulent
act relating to a motor vehicle theft or a motor vehicle insurance claim
or has knowledge of such a criminal or fraudulent act which is reasonably
believed not to have been reported to an authorized governmental agency,
then for the purpose of notification and investigation, the insurer or an
agent authorized by an insurer to act on its behalf shall notify an authorized
governmental agency of such knowledge or reasonable belief and provide any
additional relevant information in accordance with subsection
(b) of this Section. When the motor vehicle
theft or motor vehicle claim that gives rise to the suspected criminal or
fraudulent act has already generated an incident report to an Illinois
authorized governmental agency, the insurer shall report the suspected
criminal or fraudulent act to that agency. When no prior
incident report has been made, the insurer shall report the suspected criminal
or
fraudulent act to the Attorney General or State's Attorney in the county or
counties where the incident is claimed to have occurred. When the incident
that gives rise to the suspected criminal or fraudulent act is claimed to have
occurred outside the State of Illinois, but the suspected criminal or
fraudulent act occurs within the State of Illinois, the insurer shall make the
report to the Attorney General or State's Attorney in the county or counties
where the suspected criminal or fraudulent act occurred. When the fraud occurs
in multiple counties the report shall also be sent to the Attorney General.
(d) When an insurer provides any of the authorized governmental agencies
with notice pursuant to this Section it shall be deemed sufficient notice
to all authorized governmental agencies for the purpose of this Act.
(e) The authorized governmental agency provided with information pursuant
to this Section may release or provide such information to any other authorized
governmental agency.
(f) Any insurer providing information to an authorized governmental agency
pursuant to this Section shall have the right to request and receive relevant
information from such authorized governmental agency, and receive within
a reasonable time after the completion of the investigation, not to exceed
30 days, the information requested.
(g) Any information furnished pursuant to this Section shall be privileged
and not a part of any public record. Except as otherwise provided by law,
any authorized governmental agency, insurer, or an agent authorized by an
insurer to act on its behalf which receives any information furnished pursuant
to this Section, shall not release such information to public inspection.
Such evidence or information shall not be subject to subpoena duces tecum
in a civil or criminal proceeding unless, after reasonable notice to any
insurer, agent authorized by an insurer to act on its behalf and authorized
governmental agency which has an interest in such information and a hearing,
the court determines that the public interest and any ongoing investigation
by the authorized governmental agency, insurer, or any agent authorized
by an insurer to act on its behalf will not be jeopardized by obedience to
such a subpoena duces tecum.
(h) No insurer, or agent authorized by an insurer on its behalf, authorized
governmental agency or their respective employees shall be subject to any
civil or criminal liability in a cause of action of any kind for releasing
or receiving any information pursuant to this Section. Nothing herein is
intended to or does in any way or manner abrogate or lessen the common and
statutory law privileges and immunities of an insurer, agent authorized
by an insurer to act on its behalf or authorized governmental agency or
any of their respective employees.
(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)
|