(

a) This

section applies to policies covered by Sections and 675.5. (

b) No insurer issuing policies subject to this

section shall deny or refuse to accept an application, refuse to insure, refuse to renew, cancel, restrict, or otherwise terminate, or charge a different rate for the same coverage, on the basis that the applicant or insured person is, has been, or may be, a victim of domestic violence. (

c) Nothing in this

section shall prevent an insurer subject to this

section from taking any of the actions set forth in subdivision (

b) on the basis of criteria not otherwise made invalid by this

section or any other act, regulation, or rule of law. If discrimination by an insurer is not in violation of this

section but is based on any other criteria that are allowable by law, the fact that the applicant or insured is, has been, or may be the subject of domestic violence shall be irrelevant. (

d) For purposes of this section, information that indicates that a person is, has been, or may be a victim of domestic violence is personal information within the meaning of

Article 6.6 (commencing with

Section 791) of

Chapter of

Part 2. (

e) No insurer that issues policies subject to this section, and no person employed by or under contract with an insurer that issues policies subject to this section, shall request any information the insurer or person knows or reasonably should know relates to acts of domestic violence or an applicant’s or insured’s status as a victim of domestic violence, or make use of this information however obtained, except for the limited purpose of complying with legal obligations, verifying a person’s claim to be a subject of domestic violence, or cooperating with a victim of domestic violence in seeking protection from domestic violence or facilitating the treatment of a domestic violence-related medical condition.

This subdivision does not prohibit an insurer from asking an applicant or insured about a property and casualty claim, even if the claim is related to domestic violence, or from using information thereby obtained in evaluating and carrying out its rights and duties under the policy, to the extent otherwise permitted by this

section and other applicable law. (

f) As used in this section, “domestic violence” means domestic violence as defined in

Section of the Family Code.