Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 19 - Department of Insurance › Part 1 - General › Chapter 15 - Rules of Practice and Procedure before the Mississippi Insurance Department and State Fire Marshal's Office › Rule 19-1-15.05 - General Matters

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Description
				of Department - The Insurance Department generally regulates all insurance
				companies and their agents doing business in the State of Mississippi. The
				Department's responsibilities include, but are not limited, to the following:
				granting or withholding of charters, issuing certificates of authority; issuing
				licenses; approving policies, proxies, and advertising material; conducting
				hearings on rates; and any other matters affecting the regulation of the
				insurance industry in this state; administering and collecting surplus lines
				premium taxes; receiving and examining reports and financial statements from
				all insurance companies authorized to do business in this state; and preparing
				annual reports of the Insurance Commissioner.
The Commissioner has the further responsibility for the
				  promulgation of rules and regulations concerning the activities of insurance
				  companies and insurance producers engaged in the business of insurance in this
				  State. The Department is composed of several divisions that deal directly with
				  the public including, but not limited to:
* Producer Licensing;
* Financial and Market Regulation;
* Life and Health Actuarial;
* Consumer Services;
* Investigations and Consumer Protection; Property and
				  Casualty Rating;
* Legal.
The Insurance Department of the State of Mississippi also
				  houses the State Fire Marshal's Office. The Commissioner of Insurance is by
				  virtue of his office the State Fire Marshal and conducts investigations into
				  all fires of a suspicious nature; ensures compliance with the Mississippi Fire
				  Prevention Code, provides fire safety education, and regulates manufactured
				  housing, liquefied compressed gas, electronic alarms, pyrotechnics and
				  elevators/escalators.
B.
				Office and Hours - The Office of the Department is located at Suite 1001, 501
				N. West Street, Woolfolk State Office Building, in Jackson, Mississippi. The
				office shall be open during business hours each day, Saturday, Sunday, and
				holidays excepted. The mailing address of the Department is P. O. Box 79,
				Jackson, Mississippi 39205, and its telephone number is (601)
				359-3569.
C. Custody Of Records -
				The Commissioner shall have custody of the Seal and records of the Department
				including the transcripts of testimony and exhibits with all papers and
				requests filed in proceedings, the minutes of all actions taken by the
				Department and all of its findings, determinations, reports, opinions, orders,
				rules, regulations, and approved forms.
D. Public Records - Except as limited by
Miss. Code Ann. §§
25-61-9 and 25-61-11, and any
				other applicable statutory restriction, all public records of the Department
				are available to the public and may be inspected or copied at the office of the
				Department.
a. Records Request - A public
				records request may be made by using the Department's online public records
				request system, which can be found at the Department's website:
www.mid.ms.gov
, or it may be made by
				written request or by telephone. If a request is made verbally, the requestor
				may be asked to also submit a written request.
b. Copies of Records - Copies may be
				requested and shall be made under the supervision of Department personnel.
				Records may also be provided by e-mail or by providing scanned copies on a
				compact disc. The Department may not be able to produce the records in any
				other type of requested format, such as an electronic format. The Department
				shall prepare an invoice pursuant to the Public Access Information Fee Schedule
				located on the Department's website. The fees shall be collected by the
				Department in advance of complying with the request pursuant to
Miss.
				Code Ann
. §
										25-61-7.
c. Production Schedule - Pursuant to
Miss. Code Ann
. §
										25-61-5, the Public Records Request will
				be fulfilled within seven (7) working days of the submission of the request.
				After seven (7) working days, MID will either produce the requested documents,
				will request an additional seven (7) working days, or another date that is
				mutually agreed upon by the parties. Denials by the Department for a request
				for access to or copies of public records shall be in writing and shall contain
				a statement of the specific reasons for the denial. Some information produced
				may contain publicly identifiable information or exempted information that is
				not subject to disclosure. MID will redact that information before producing
				the public documents as provided in
Miss. Code Ann
.
				§§
										25-61-9 and  25-61-11.