2005 Washington Revised Code RCW 48.104.050: Holocaust insurance company registry — Authority — Availability of information. (Expires December 31, 2010.)

(1) To facilitate the work of the Holocaust survivor assistance office, the insurance commissioner may establish and maintain a central registry containing records and information relating to insurance policies, as described in RCW 48.104.060, of victims, living and deceased, of the Holocaust. The registry shall be known as the Holocaust insurance company registry. The insurance commissioner shall establish standards and procedures to make the information in the registry available to the public to the extent necessary and appropriate to determine the existence of insurance policies and to identify beneficiaries, successors in interest, or other persons entitled to the proceeds of such policies, and to enable such persons to claim proceeds to which they may be entitled, while protecting the privacy of policyholders, their survivors, and their family members. All information received by the Holocaust insurance company registry or Holocaust survivor assistance office from any insurer, related company, or foreign government or regulator shall be considered and deemed to be matters and information relating to an examination and part of an examination report that the insurance commissioner may treat as confidential and withhold from public inspection under RCW 48.03.040(6)(c) and 48.03.050. To the extent necessary and appropriate to secure access to documents and information located in or subject to the jurisdiction of other states and countries, the insurance commissioner is authorized to enter into agreements or to provide assurances that any or all documents and information received from an entity regulated by or subject to the laws of such other state or country, or received from any agency of the government of any such state or country, will be treated as confidential by the insurance commissioner and will not be disclosed to any person except with the approval of the appropriate authority of such state or country or except as permitted or authorized by the laws of such state or country, and any such agreement shall be binding and enforceable notwithstanding chapter 42.56 RCW. To the extent necessary and appropriate to secure access to documents and information from or in the possession of the international commission as to which the international commission has given assurances of confidentiality or privacy, the insurance commissioner is authorized to enter into agreements or to provide assurances that any or all such documents and information will be treated as confidential by the insurance commissioner and will not be disclosed to any person except with the approval of the international commission or as permitted by any agreement or assurances given by the international commission, and any such agreement shall be binding and enforceable notwithstanding chapter 42.56 RCW.

     (2) The insurance commissioner may cooperate and exchange information with other states establishing similar registries and with the international commission, and may enter into agreements whereby a single registry may be established on behalf of, and to provide services to the citizens and residents of, several states.

[2005 c 274 § 318; 1999 c 8 § 5.]

Part headings not law -- Effective date -- 2005 c 274: See RCW 42.56.901 and 42.56.902.