Insurance Commissioner: administrative hearings.

Existing law grants the Insurance Commissioner certain powers and duties. Existing law prohibits the commissioner from denying an insurance agent or broker license to an applicant without an opportunity to be heard. The hearing is required to be conducted in accordance with specified provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act. This bill would, if the applicant or permanent licensee is a natural person and requests a hearing, authorize the person, at his or her option, to have the hearing held by either the Office of Administrative Hearings, or an administrative law judge appointed by the commissioner to conduct the hearing. If the natural person does not indicate a preference of forum when requesting that hearing, the bill would authorize the commissioner to refer the matter for hearing to either the Office of Administrative Hearings, or to an administrative law judge appointed by the commissioner to conduct the hearing. Existing law also requires the commissioner to make an annual report to the Governor, the Legislature, and the committees of the Senate and Assembly having jurisdiction over insurance showing, generally, the condition of the insurance business and interests in this state, and other matters concerning insurance, as specified. This bill would require the commissioner, for 3 calendar years, to include in the report described above specified information regarding those cases in which a hearing was held, including the total number of cases in which a hearing was held and the average number of days that elapsed between the referral of a case to an administrative law judge and a proposed decision by that administrative law judge.