(1) All information except for proprietary reports or information obtained by the director and the director's staff in soliciting bids from insurers and in monitoring the insurer selected by the director shall be made public or otherwise disclosed to any person, firm, corporation, agency, association, governmental body, or other entity.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section notwithstanding, the director may furnish all or part of examination reports prepared by the director or by any person, firm, corporation, association, or other entity preparing the reports on behalf of the director to:

(a) The Washington state insurance commissioner;

(b) A person or organization officially connected with the insurer as officer, director, attorney, auditor, or independent attorney or independent auditor; and

(c) The attorney general in his or her role as legal advisor to the director.

(3) Subsection (1) of this section notwithstanding, the director may furnish all or part of the examination or proprietary reports or information obtained by the director to:

(a) The Washington state insurance commissioner; and

(b) A person, firm, corporation, association, governmental body, or other entity with whom the director has contracted for services necessary to perform his or her official duties.

(4) Proprietary information obtained by the director and the director's staff is not subject to public disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW.

(5) A person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.