2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 215 - INSURANCE › 215 ILCS 5/ - Illinois Insurance Code. › Article XXIV - Director Of Insurance, Hearings And Review

(215 ILCS 5/Art. XXIV heading)
ARTICLE XXIV.  
		DIRECTOR OF INSURANCE, HEARINGS AND REVIEW
(215 ILCS 5/401) (from Ch. 73, par. 1013)
Sec. 401. General powers of the director. The Director is charged with the rights, powers and duties appertaining
to the enforcement and execution of all the insurance laws of this State.
He shall have the power
(a) to make reasonable rules and regulations as may     be necessary for making effective such laws;
(b) to conduct such investigations as may be     necessary to determine whether any person has violated any provision of such insurance laws;
(c) to conduct such examinations, investigations and     hearings in addition to those specifically provided for, as may be necessary and proper for the efficient administration of the insurance laws of this State; and
(d) to institute such actions or other lawful     proceedings as he may deem necessary for the enforcement of the Illinois Insurance Code or of any Order or action made or taken by him under this Code. The Attorney General, upon request of the Director, may proceed in the courts of this State to enforce an Order or decision in any court proceeding or in any administrative proceeding before the Director.
Whenever the Director is authorized or
required by law to consider some aspect of criminal history record
information for the purpose of carrying out his statutory powers and
responsibilities, then, upon request and payment of fees in conformance
with the requirements of Section 2605-400 of the Illinois State Police Law, the Illinois State Police is
authorized to furnish, pursuant to positive identification, such
information contained in State files as is necessary to meet the
requirements of such authorization or statutes.
(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)
(215 ILCS 5/401.1) (from Ch. 73, par. 1013.1)
Sec. 401.1. 
		
		(1) This Section applies to all companies and persons subject to
examination by the Director, or purporting to do insurance business in
this State, or in the process of organization with intent to do such
business therein, or for whom a Certificate of Authority is required for
the transaction of business, or whose Certificate of Authority is
revoked or suspended.
(2) Whenever it appears to the Director that any person or company
subject to this Code is conducting its business and affairs in such a
manner as to threaten to render it insolvent, or that it is in a
hazardous condition, or is conducting its business and affairs in a
manner which is hazardous to its policyholders, creditors or the public,
or that it has committed or engaged in, or is committing or engaging in,
any unlawful act, or any act, practice or transaction which under any
provision of this Code would constitute ground rendering the person
subject to conservation, liquidation or rehabilitation proceedings and
that irreparable loss and injury to the property and business of a
person or company has occurred or may occur unless the Director acts
immediately, the Director may, without notice, and before hearing, issue
and cause to be served upon such person or company an order requiring
such person or company to forthwith cease and desist from engaging
further in the acts, practices or transactions which are causing such
conduct, condition or ground to exist.
(3) At the same time an order is served pursuant to paragraph (2) of
this Section, the Director must issue and also serve upon the person or
company a notice of hearing to be held at a time and place fixed therein
which may not be less than 20 or more than 30 days after the service
thereof. The notice must contain a statement of the conduct, condition
or ground which the Director deems violative of the provisions of this
Section.
(4) If, after hearing as provided by paragraph (3) of this Section,
any of the statements as to conduct, conditions or grounds in the notice
are found to be true, the Director may make such order or orders as may
be reasonably necessary to correct, eliminate or remedy such conduct,
conditions or grounds.
(5) Any person or company subject to an order pursuant
to this Article is entitled to judicial review of the order in accordance
with the provisions of the Administrative Review Law.
(6) If any person or company violates or fails to comply with any
order of the Director or any part thereof which as to such person has
become final and is still in effect, the Director may, after a hearing
and notice at which it is determined that a violation of such order has
been committed, further order that:
(a) Such person shall forfeit and pay to the State of Illinois a sum
not to exceed $100 per day for each and every day that such violation or
failure to comply shall continue, but in no event to exceed a maximum
amount of $5,000. Such liability shall be enforced in an action brought
in any court of competent jurisdiction by the Director in the name of
the people of the State of Illinois; and
(b) Proceedings be commenced to revoke or suspend any license or
Certificate of Authority held by such person under this Code, in
accordance with the procedures provided therefor.
(7) The powers vested in the Director by this Section are additional
to any and all other powers and remedies vested in the Director by law,
and nothing herein shall be construed as requiring that the Director
shall employ the powers conferred herein instead of or as a condition
precedent to the exercise of any other power or remedy vested in the
Director.
(8) Any order or notice of the Director hereunder may be served on
any person, in the same manner and with the same effect as provided for
in civil actions in a Circuit Court of this State.
(Source: P.A. 82-783.)
(215 ILCS 5/401.3)
Sec. 401.3. Advisory council; powers and duties. There is created within the Department an advisory council to review and make recommendations to the Department regarding rules to be adopted with respect to continuing education courses for which the approval of the Department is required under the provisions of this Code.  In addition, the advisory council shall make recommendations to the Department regarding rules with respect to course materials, curriculum, and credentials of instructors.
The advisory council shall be  comprised of 7 members appointed by the Director. One member shall be an educational instructor who has regularly provided educational offerings for more than 5 out of the last 10 years to individuals licensed under this Code.  Three members shall be recommended by the leadership of 3 statewide trade organizations whose memberships are primarily composed of individuals licensed under this Code, none of which may come from the same organization.  Three members shall represent a domestic company.
The members' terms shall be 3 years or until their successors are appointed, and the expiration of their terms shall be staggered.  No individual may serve more than 3 consecutive terms.
The Director shall appoint an employee of the Department to serve as the chairperson of the advisory council, ex officio, without a vote.
Four voting advisory council members shall constitute a quorum.  A quorum is necessary for all advisory council decisions and recommendations.
(Source: P.A. 100-876, eff. 8-14-18.)
(215 ILCS 5/401.5)
Sec. 401.5. 
		Investigation of insurance law violations.
(a) If the Director of Insurance has cause to
believe that a person has engaged in, or is engaging in, an act,
activity, or practice that constitutes a business offense,
misdemeanor, or felony violation of the Illinois Insurance Code or related
insurance laws, he or she shall designate appropriate investigators or
agents to investigate the violations.  For purposes of carrying
out investigations under this Section, the Department of Insurance is deemed a
criminal justice agency under all federal and State laws
and regulations, and as such shall have access to any information that concerns
or relates to a violation of the Illinois Insurance Code or
related insurance laws and that is available to criminal justice
agencies.
(b) The Director of Insurance may
transmit or receive written or oral information relating to possible violations
of the insurance laws of this State received by or from any other criminal
justice agencies, whether federal, State, or local, if, in the opinion of
the Director, the transmittal is appropriate and may further the
effective prevention of criminal activities.
(c) The Department of Insurance's papers, documents, reports,
or evidence relevant to the subject of an investigation under this Section
is not subject to public inspection for so long as the
Department deems reasonably necessary to complete the investigation, to protect
the person investigated
from unwarranted injury, or to be in the public interest.  Further, the papers,
documents, reports, or evidence relevant to the subject of an
investigation under this Section is not subject to
subpoena until opened for public inspection by the Department, unless the
Department consents, or until, after notice to the Department and a hearing,
the court determines the Department would not be unnecessarily hindered by
the subpoena.  No officer, agent, or employee of the
Department is subject to subpoena in civil actions by a court of this State to
testify concerning a matter of which
they have knowledge under a pending insurance fraud
investigation by the Department.
(d) No insurer, or employees or agents of an
insurer, are subject
to civil liability for libel or otherwise by virtue of furnishing information
required by the insurance laws of this State or required by the Department
of Insurance as a result of its investigation.  No cause of action exists and
no liability may be imposed, either civil or criminal,
against the State, the Director, any officer, agent, or employee of the
Department of Insurance, or individuals employed or retained by the Director,
for an act or omission by them in the performance of a
power or duty authorized by this Section, unless the act or
omission
was performed in bad faith and with intent to injure a particular person.
(e) The powers vested in the Director by this Section are
additional to other powers and remedies vested in the Director
by law, and nothing in this Section shall be construed as
requiring that the Director shall employ the powers conferred in this
Section instead of or as a condition precedent to the exercise of
any other power or remedy vested in the Director.  The Director may establish
systems and procedures for carrying out investigations under this Section as
are necessary to avoid the impairment or compromise of his or her authority
under this Section or any other law relating to the regulation of insurance.
(Source: P.A. 89-234, eff. 1-1-96.)
(215 ILCS 5/402) (from Ch. 73, par. 1014)
Sec. 402. 
		Examinations, investigations and hearings. 
		(1) All examinations, investigations and hearings provided for by this
Code may be conducted either by the Director personally, or by one or more
of the actuaries, technical advisors, deputies, supervisors or examiners
employed or retained by the Department and designated by the Director for
such purpose. When necessary to supplement its examination procedures, the
Department may retain independent actuaries deemed competent by the
Director, independent certified public accountants, or qualified
examiners of insurance companies deemed competent by the Director, or any
combination of the foregoing, the cost of which shall be borne by the
company or person being examined. The Director may compensate independent
actuaries, certified public accountants and qualified examiners retained
for supplementing examination procedures in amounts not to exceed the
reasonable and customary charges for such services. The Director
may also accept as a part of the Department's examination of any company or
person (a) a report by an independent actuary deemed competent by the
Director or (b) a report of an audit made by an independent certified
public accountant. Neither those persons so designated nor any members of
their immediate families shall be officers of, connected with, or
financially interested in any company other than as policyholders, nor
shall they be financially interested in any other corporation or person
affected by the examination, investigation or hearing.
(2) All hearings provided for in this Code shall, unless otherwise
specially provided, be held at such time and place as shall be designated
in a notice which shall be given by the Director in writing to the person
or company whose interests are affected, at least 10 days before the date
designated therein. The notice shall state the subject of inquiry and the
specific charges, if any. The hearings shall be held in the City of
Springfield, the City of Chicago, or in the county where the principal
business address of the person or company affected is located.
(Source: P.A. 87-757.)
(215 ILCS 5/403) (from Ch. 73, par. 1015)
Sec. 403. 
		Power to subpoena and examine witnesses.
(1) In the conduct of any examination, investigation or hearing provided
for by this Code, the Director or other officer designated by him or her to
conduct the same, shall have power to compel the attendance of any person
by subpoena, to administer oaths and to examine any person under oath
concerning the business, conduct or affairs of any company or person
subject to the provisions of this Code, and in connection therewith to
require the production of any books, records or papers relevant to the
inquiry.
(2) If a person subpoenaed to attend such inquiry fails to obey the
command of the subpoena without reasonable excuse, or if a person in
attendance upon such inquiry shall, without reasonable cause, refuse to be
sworn or to be examined or to answer a question or to produce a book or
paper when ordered to do so by any officer conducting such inquiry, or if
any person fails to perform any act required hereunder to be performed,
he or she shall be required to pay a penalty of not more than $2,000
to be recovered in the name of the People of the State of Illinois by the
State's Attorney
of the county in which the violation occurs, and the penalty so recovered
shall be paid into the county treasury.
(3) When any person neglects or refuses without reasonable cause to obey
a subpoena issued by the Director, or refuses without reasonable cause to
testify, to be sworn or to produce any book or paper described in the
subpoena, the Director may file a petition against such person in the
circuit court of the county in which the testimony is desired to be or has
been taken or has been attempted to be taken, briefly setting forth the
fact of such refusal or neglect and attaching a copy of the subpoena and
the return of service thereon and applying for an order requiring such
person to attend, testify or produce the books or papers before the
Director or his or her actuary, supervisor, deputy or examiner, at such
time or place as may be specified in such order. Any circuit court of this
State, upon the filing of such petition, either before or after
notice to such person, may, in the judicial discretion of such court, order
the attendance of such person, the production of books
and papers and the giving of testimony before the Director or any of his
or her actuaries, supervisors, deputies or examiners. If such person shall fail or
refuse to obey the order of the court and it shall appear to the court that
the failure or refusal of such person to obey its order is wilful, and
without lawful excuse, the court shall punish such person by fine or
imprisonment in the county jail, or both, as the nature of the case may
require, as is now, or as may hereafter be lawful for the court to do in
cases of contempt of court.
(4) The fees of witnesses for attendance and travel shall be the same as
the fees of witnesses before the circuit courts of this State. When a
witness is subpoenaed by or testifies at the instance of the Director or
other officer designated by him or her, such fees shall be paid in the
same manner as other expenses of the Department. When a witness is subpoenaed
or
testifies at the instance of any other party to any such proceeding, the
cost of the subpoena or subpoenas duces tecum and the fee of the witness
shall be borne by the party at whose instance a witness is summoned. In
such case, the Department in its discretion, may require a deposit to cover
the cost of such service and witness fees.
(Source: P.A. 93-32, eff. 7-1-03.)
(215 ILCS 5/403A) (from Ch. 73, par. 1015A)
Sec. 403A. 
		
		Violations; Notice of Apparent Liability; Limitation
of Forfeiture Liability.
(1) Any company or person, agent or broker,
officer or director and any other person subject to this Code and as may
be defined in Section 2 of this Code, who willfully or repeatedly fails
to observe or who otherwise violates any of the provisions of this Code
or any rule or regulation promulgated by the Director under authority
of this Code or any final order of the Director entered under the authority
of this Code shall by civil penalty forfeit to the State of Illinois a sum
not to exceed $2,000.  Each day during which a violation occurs
constitutes
a separate offense.  The civil penalty provided for in this Section shall
apply only to those Sections of this Code or administrative regulations
thereunder that do not otherwise provide for a monetary civil penalty.
(2) No forfeiture liability under paragraph (1) of this Section
may attach unless a written notice of apparent liability has been issued
by the Director and received by the respondent, or the Director sends written
notice of apparent liability by registered or certified mail, return receipt
requested, to the last known address of the respondent.  Any respondent so
notified must be granted an opportunity to request a
hearing within 10 days from receipt of notice, or to show in writing,
why he should not be held liable.  A notice issued under this Section must
set forth the date, facts and nature of the act or omission with which the
respondent is charged and must specifically identify the particular
provision of the Code, rule, regulation or order of which a violation is
charged.
(3) No forfeiture liability under paragraph (1) of this Section
may attach for any violation occurring more than 2 years prior to the date
of issuance of the notice of apparent liability and in no event may the total
civil penalty forfeiture imposed for the acts or omissions set forth in any
one notice of apparent liability exceed $500,000.
(4) The civil penalty forfeitures provided for in this Section
are payable to the General Revenue Fund of the State of Illinois, and
may be recovered in a civil suit in the name of the State of Illinois brought
in the Circuit Court in Sangamon County, or in the Circuit Court of the
county where the respondent is domiciled or has its principal operating
office.
(5) In any case where the Director issues a notice of apparent
liability looking toward the imposition of a civil penalty forfeiture
under this Section, that fact may not be used in any other proceeding before
the Director to the prejudice of the respondent to whom the notice was issued,
unless (a) the civil penalty forfeiture has been paid, or (b) a court has
ordered payment of the civil penalty
forfeiture and that order has become final.
(Source: P.A. 93-32, eff. 7-1-03.)
(215 ILCS 5/404) (from Ch. 73, par. 1016)
Sec. 404. Office of Director; a public office; destruction or
disposal of records, papers, documents, and memoranda.
(1)(a)  The office of the Director shall be a public office and the
records,
books, and papers thereof on file
therein, except those records
or documents containing or disclosing any analysis, opinion, calculation,
ratio, recommendation, advice, viewpoint, or estimation by any Department staff
regarding the financial or market condition of an insurer not otherwise made
part of the public record by the Director,
shall be accessible to the
inspection of the public, except as the Director, for good reason, may
decide otherwise, or except as may be otherwise provided in this Code or as otherwise provided in Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act.
(b) Except where another provision of this Code expressly prohibits a
disclosure of confidential information to the specific officials or
organizations described in this subsection, the Director may disclose or share
any confidential records or information in his custody and control with any
insurance regulatory officials of any state or country, with the law
enforcement officials of this State, any other state, or the federal
government, or with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, upon
the written agreement of the official or organization receiving the information
to hold the information or records confidential and in a manner consistent with
this Code.
(c) The Director shall maintain as confidential any records or
information received from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
or insurance regulatory officials of other states which is confidential in that
other jurisdiction.
(2) Upon the filing of the examination to which they relate, the Director
is authorized to destroy or otherwise dispose of all working papers relative
to any company which has been examined at any time prior to that last
examination by the Department, so that in such circumstances only current
working papers of that last examination may be retained by the Department.
(3) Five years after the conclusion of the transactions to
which they relate, the Director is authorized to destroy or otherwise
dispose of all books, records, papers, memoranda and correspondence
directly related to consumer complaints or inquiries.
(4) Two years after the conclusion of the transactions to which they
relate, the Director is authorized to destroy or otherwise dispose of all
books, records, papers, memoranda, and correspondence directly related to
all void, obsolete, or superseded rate filings and schedules required to be
filed by statute; and all individual company rating experience data and all
records, papers, documents and memoranda in the possession of the Director
relating thereto.
(5) Five years after the conclusion of the transactions to which
they relate, the Director is authorized to destroy or otherwise dispose
of all examination reports of companies made by the insurance supervisory
officials of states other than Illinois; applications, requisitions, and
requests for licenses; all records of hearings; and all similar records,
papers, documents, and memoranda in the possession of the Director.
(6) Ten years after the conclusion of the transactions to which they
relate, the Director is authorized to destroy or otherwise dispose of all
official correspondence of foreign and alien companies, all foreign
companies' and alien companies' annual statements, valuation reports, tax
reports, and all similar records, papers, documents and memoranda in the
possession of the Director.
(7) Whenever any records, papers, documents or memoranda are
destroyed or otherwise disposed of pursuant to the provisions of this
section, the Director shall execute and file in a separate, permanent
office file a certificate listing and setting forth by summary
description the records, papers, documents or memoranda so destroyed or
otherwise disposed of, and the Director may, in his discretion, preserve
copies of any such records, papers, documents or memoranda by means of
microfilming or photographing the same.
(8) This Section shall apply to records, papers, documents, and
memoranda presently in the possession of the Director as well as to
records, papers, documents, and memoranda hereafter coming into his
possession.
(Source: P.A. 97-1004, eff. 8-17-12.)
(215 ILCS 5/404.1) (from Ch. 73, par. 1016.1)
Sec. 404.1. 
		Safekeeping of deposits. 
		The Director may maintain with
a corporation qualified to administer trusts in this State under the
Corporate Fiduciary Act for the securities deposited with the
Director, a limited agency, custodial, or depository account, or other type
of account for the safekeeping of those securities, and for collecting the
income from those securities and providing supportive accounting services
relating to such safekeeping and collection.  Such a corporation, in
safekeeping
such securities, shall have all the powers, rights, duties and responsibilities
that it has for holding securities in its fiduciary accounts under the
Securities in Fiduciary Accounts Act.
The Director shall arrange with any depository institution that has been
authorized to accept and execute trusts to provide for
collateralization of any cash accounts resulting from the failure of any
depositing company to give instruction regarding the investment of any such
cash amounts as provided for by Section 6 of the Public Funds Investment Act.
(Source: P.A. 93-477, eff. 1-1-04.)
(215 ILCS 5/405) (from Ch. 73, par. 1017)
Sec. 405. 
		Certificates and certified copies as evidence.
All certificates issued by the Director in accordance with the
provisions of the insurance laws and all copies of documents filed in his
office in accordance with the provisions of this Code when certified by
him, shall be taken and received in all courts, public offices, and
official bodies as prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated. A
certificate by the Director under the seal of the Department, as to the
existence or non-existence of the facts relating to companies which would
not appear from a certified copy of any of the foregoing documents or
certificates shall be taken and received in all courts, public offices, and
official bodies as prima facie evidence of the existence or non-existence
of the facts therein stated.
(Source: Laws 1937, p. 696.)
(215 ILCS 5/406) (from Ch. 73, par. 1018)
Sec. 406. 
		
		Annual
report.
The Director shall report annually, or oftener at the request of the
Governor, to the Governor his official transactions, and shall include in
such report abstracts of the annual statements of the several companies and
an exhibit of the financial condition and business transactions of the said
companies as disclosed by official examinations of the same or by their
annual statements. He shall also include therein a statement of the
receipts and expenditures of the Department for the preceding year and such
other information and recommendations relative to insurance and the
insurance laws of the State as he shall deem proper.
(Source: Laws 1937, p. 696.)
(215 ILCS 5/407) (from Ch. 73, par. 1019)
Sec. 407. 
		Court review of orders and decisions. 
		Except as to those
orders or decisions of the Director to make good an impairment of capital
or surplus or a deficiency in the amount of admitted assets, the provisions
of the Administrative Review Law, and all amendments and modifications
thereof, and the rules adopted pursuant thereto, shall apply to and govern
all proceedings for the judicial review of final administrative decisions
of the Department.  The term "administrative decision" is defined as in
Section 3-101 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
The Department shall not be required to certify any record to the court
or file any answer in court or otherwise appear in any court in a judicial
review proceeding, unless there is filed in the court with the complaint
a receipt from the Department acknowledging payment of the costs of furnishing
and certifying the record, which costs shall be computed at the rate of $1
per page of such record.  Failure on the part of the plaintiff to file such
receipt in Court shall be grounds for dismissal of the action.
(Source: P.A. 84-989.)
(215 ILCS 5/407.1) (from Ch. 73, par. 1019.1)
Sec. 407.1. 
		
		The provisions of "The Illinois Administrative
Procedure Act", as now or hereafter amended, are hereby
expressly adopted and incorporated herein as though a part
of this Act, and shall apply to all administrative rules
and procedures of the Department of Insurance under this Act.
(Source: P.A. 80-960.)
(215 ILCS 5/407.2) (from Ch. 73, par. 1019.2)
Sec. 407.2. 
		
		(1) When any person or company has a license or certificate of authority
under this Code and knowingly fails or refuses to comply with a lawful
Order of the Director, entered after notice and hearing, within the period
of time specified in the Order, the Director may, in addition to any other
penalty or authority provided, refuse to renew or revoke the license or
certificate of authority of such person or company, or may suspend the
license or certificate of authority of such person or company until
compliance with such order has been obtained.
(2) When any person or company has a license or certificate of authority
under this Code and knowingly fails or refuses to comply with any provision
of this Code, the Director may, after notice and hearing, in addition to
any other penalty provided, refuse to renew or revoke the license or
certificate of authority of such person or company, or may suspend the
license or certificate of authority of such person or company, until
compliance with such provision of the Code has been obtained.
(3) No suspension or revocation under this Section may become effective
until 5 days from the date that the Notice of suspension or revocation has
been personally delivered or delivered by registered or certified mail to
the company or person. A suspension or revocation under this Section is
stayed upon the filing, by the company or person, of a petition for
judicial review under the Administrative Review Law.
(Source: P.A. 82-783.)