If after examination of an insurer, rating organization, advisory organization, or group, association, or other organization of insurers which engages in joint underwriting or joint reinsurance, or upon the basis of other information, or upon sufficient complaint as provided in Section 1858, the commissioner has good cause to believe that the insurer, organization, group, or association, or any rate, rating plan or rating system made or used by any such insurer or rating organization, does not comply with the requirements and standards of this chapter applicable to it, he or she shall give notice in writing to that insurer, organization, group, or association stating therein in what manner and to what extent that noncompliance is alleged to exist and specifying therein a reasonable time, not less than 10 days thereafter, in which that noncompliance may be corrected, and specifying therein the amount of any penalty that may be due under Section 1858.07.
An insurer, organization, group, or association served with that notice of noncompliance may, within the time specified therein, (a) establish to the satisfaction of the commissioner that the noncompliance does not exist, or (b) request a public hearing, notice of which shall be given at least 30 days prior to the date set for hearing, or (c) enter into an informal conciliation with the commissioner and any complainant making a complaint pursuant to Section 1858 to resolve the matter complained of, or (d) enter into a consent order with the commissioner to correct the specified noncompliance within a period of time specified in the consent order, and to pay any penalty due under Section 1858.07. A consent order shall provide that in the event the noncompliance is not corrected within the time specified therein that, in addition to any penalty due under Section 1858.07, a money penalty of not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) shall attach and be collected by the commissioner for each day the violation of the consent order continues. This money penalty shall not exceed in the aggregate the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) plus the penalty due under Section 1858.07. In addition to or in lieu of the procedure provided herein the commissioner may proceed with a public hearing as provided in Section 1858.2.
For the purposes of this section, the failure to pay any penalty imposed pursuant to Section 1858.07 which has become final shall constitute a violation of a notice of noncompliance or of a consent order issued under this section.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 726, Sec. 2. Effective September 25, 1989.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018