Sec. 9. 24-A MRSA §6806, as amended by PL 1997, c. 592, §81, is further amended to read:

§6806. Reporting requirements; confidentiality of information

1. Annual report. A settlement provider licensee shall file with the superintendent by March 1st of each year an annual statement containing such information as the superintendent prescribes by rule. The superintendent may not adopt any rule that requires the submission of information that permits the identification of a viator or relates to transactions when the viator is not a resident of this State. The superintendent may not request, collect or compile personal information that identifies any viator or insured except in connection with the investigation of a specific complaint and with the prior written permission of the viator or insured or the viator's or insured's estate or representative to collect that information.

1-A. Fee for filing annual report. The fee for filing the annual report is the same as for an insurer as provided in section 601. On or before July 1st of each year, the superintendent shall forward to each viatical settlement provider an itemized bill for the amount due for the filing of the annual statement and the amount due for the certificate of authority annual fee.

2. Privacy protection. Except as otherwise required or permitted by law, a viatical settlement provider, viatical settlement producer, independent viatical producer, institutional investor, insurance company, insurance producer, independent insurance producer, information bureau, rating company or any other person with actual knowledge of the identity of a viator, or of the insured if other than the viator, may not disclose that identity, or the insured's financial or medical information, to any other person unless the viator, or the insured if other than