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41-622. Risk management revolving fund; construction insurance fund; self-insured losses and administrative costs; budget requests

A. A risk management revolving fund and a construction insurance fund are established in the department of administration for the purchase of insurance, risk management services including loss prevention services, payment of self-insured losses pursuant to section 41-621, subsections A, B, C, D and E and administrative costs necessary to carry out risk management services prescribed by section 41-621. The department of administration shall pay for claims processing costs, including adjusting costs, legal defense costs and attorney fees, for any portion of claims falling within state self-insurance coverage pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

B. The risk management revolving fund in the department of administration shall exclude any property loss arising from damage due to mechanical or electrical breakdown, ordinary wear and tear or obsolescence, nonserviceability, mysterious disappearance or inventory shortage. Mysterious disappearance shall not be construed to include a loss if there is a reasonable presumption of theft. The department of administration, subject to chapter 23 of this title, may advance or disburse monies to contractors who rebuild state property as a result of self-insured losses or to persons who supply goods or services in replacing self-insured losses. The department of administration shall pay for claims processing costs, including adjusting costs, legal defense costs and attorney fees, for any portion of claims falling within state self-insurance coverage pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

C. To qualify for payment for loss by theft or burglary of state-owned personal property, an agency, department, board or commission must show evidence of forcible entry or that threat of violence was used in the taking of the property or there must be a reasonable presumption of theft.

D. The department of administration shall present to the legislature not later than September 1 of each year, in accordance with the provisions of section 35-113, a budget request based on the actuarial needs for liability losses, workers' compensation liability losses, property losses and risk management administrative costs. The budget request shall be broken down to reflect the amount of monies to be charged to each of the state departments, agencies, boards and commissions and any others insured under this chapter. Any state department, agency, board or commission that has an amount for insurance included in its appropriation, whether specifically stated or not, and any state department, agency, board or commission or others insured under this chapter that receive funds other than those appropriated shall be billed for the proportionate share of the charges for insurance or self-insurance by the department of administration. In collecting the agency billings for risk management charges, the director of the department of administration may transfer the entire amount of the billing for appropriated insurance from the agency account into the fund designated in subsection A of this section at the start of the fiscal year or in periodic payments during the fiscal year if necessitated by cash flow restrictions. Those entities or persons insured under the provisions of this chapter that are not state agencies, departments, boards, commissions or employees or that do not receive funding from state sources shall pay annually the amount required by risk management to the risk management revolving fund or construction insurance fund before the coverage continues for existing claims or begins for new claims made. The construction insurance fund shall receive monies necessary to pay the cost of purchasing insurance, providing self-insurance or administering the fund as authorized by section 41-621, subsection S from each capital construction project budget at rates established by the department of administration and reviewed by the joint committee on capital review. These amounts shall be included in the budget request. All monies received from all billings shall be deposited in the funds as identified in subsection A of this section.

E. All monies recovered by the state pursuant to litigation, recovery, salvage value of damaged property, proportionate share monies from any other existing state funds, or otherwise, for damages relating to either a liability, property or workers' compensation loss for which monies from the risk management revolving fund or construction insurance fund have been or will be paid shall be deposited in the respective fund.

F. If a revolving fund is projected to be exhausted while the legislature is in session, a special appropriation may be requested by the department of administration for monies to meet the needs of the funds. If the funds are exhausted at a time when the legislature is not in session, any final judgment shall accrue interest and shall be payable upon appropriation in the next succeeding regular session of the legislature. Interest on any judgment against this state paid for out of the risk management revolving fund shall accrue at the average yield offered by United States treasury bills during the course of the appeal and shall be paid in accordance with this section. If the appeal is lost by this state, the judgment amount plus interest at the rate prescribed in this subsection shall be paid.

G. All monies deposited in the risk management revolving fund are subject to annual legislative appropriation to the department of administration for use pursuant to this section. Monies in the construction insurance fund are continuously appropriated for the fund purposes. The funds established by subsection A of this section are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations.

H. A ten thousand dollar death benefit shall be paid from the risk management revolving fund to the estate of a deceased volunteer, who is registered as a volunteer by the agency, board or commission, or to an employee who is not subject to the provisions of section 38-651.02, upon proof of death while in the course and scope of duties as prescribed in section 41-621, subsection P for any state agency, board or commission.