AN ACT to permit disclosure of certain information pertaining to workers' compensation coverage by the north carolina industrial commission, as recommended by the joint legislative committee on workers' compensation insurance coverage compliance and fraud prevention and detection.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 58‑36‑17 reads as rewritten:
"§ 58‑36‑17.  Bureau to share information with the North Carolina Industrial Commission.
The Bureau shall provide to the North Carolina Industrial Commission information contained in the Bureau's records indicating the status of workers' compensation insurance coverage on North Carolina employers as reported to the Bureau by the Bureau's member companies. The North Carolina Industrial Commission shall take such steps, including obtaining software or software licenses, as are necessary to be able to receive and process such information from the Bureau. The records provided to the North Carolina Industrial Commission under this section shall be confidential and shall not be public records as that term is defined in G.S. 132‑1. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, the North Carolina Industrial Commission may release data showing workers' compensation insurance policy information that includes only employer name and address, carrier name, address, and telephone number; policy number; policy effective dates; policy cancellation dates; and policy reinstatement dates. This data shall not be confidential data and shall be a public record as that term is defined in G.S. 132‑1. The North Carolina Industrial Commission shall use the information provided pursuant to this section only to carry out its statutory duties and obligations under The North Carolina Workers' Compensation Act. The Bureau shall be immune from civil liability for releasing information pursuant to this section, even if the information is erroneous, provided the Bureau acted in good faith and without malicious or willful intent to harm in releasing the information."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 28th day of March, 2013.

	s/	 Daniel J. Forest
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 Thom Tillis
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Pat McCrory
	 Governor

Approved 4:49 p.m. this 3rd day of April, 2013