The bill amends New Jersey's existing legislation on insurance fraud, specifically P.L.1985, c.179 (C.17:23A-1 et seq.), by broadening the scope of information sharing and civil immunity related to insurance fraud. It updates definitions, including expanding the definition of "agent" to encompass insurance producers and specifying the "Commissioner" as the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance. The bill also introduces new terms and clarifies existing definitions, such as "insurance institution," "insurance-support organization," and "personal information," to enhance understanding of the law. Notably, it removes the term "Definitions" from the section heading and replaces it with a more comprehensive introduction to the act.

Additionally, the bill modifies the conditions under which personal or privileged information can be disclosed by insurance institutions, agents, or insurance-support organizations, allowing for disclosures in reasonable anticipation of an insurance transaction and for the purpose of detecting or preventing fraud. It expands civil immunity provisions, protecting individuals and entities from various causes of action when disclosing information related to insurance fraud, and introduces new immunity for those providing information to the Commissioner, law enforcement, and fraud prevention organizations. These changes aim to improve information sharing among the insurance industry and law enforcement, thereby strengthening efforts to combat insurance fraud while ensuring the protection of individuals' rights regarding their personal information.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 17:23A-2, 17:23A-13, 17:23A-20, 17:23A-21, 17:33A-9