44-2407 Association; duties; powers; enumerated.
44-2407. Association; duties; powers; enumerated.(1) The association shall:(a) Allocate claims paid and expenses incurred among the three accounts separately and assess member insurers separately for each account in the amounts necessary to pay the obligations of the association under section 44-2406, the expenses of handling covered claims, the cost of examinations under sections 44-2412 and 44-2413, and other expenses authorized by the Nebraska Property and Liability Insurance Guaranty Association Act. The assessments of each member insurer shall be in the proportion that the net direct written premiums of such member insurer, on the basis of the insurance in the account involved, bears to the net direct written premiums of all member insurers for the same period and in the same account for the calendar year preceding the date the member insurer becomes an insolvent insurer. After an initial assessment has been made for an insolvency, any subsequent assessments for that insolvency may be calculated in the same manner as the initial assessment and may use the same calendar year's net direct written premiums as were used in determining the original assessment. The association may make an assessment for the purpose of meeting administrative costs and other general expenses not related to a particular impaired insurer, not to exceed fifty dollars per member company in any one year. Each member insurer shall be notified of the assessment not later than thirty days before it is due. Except for such administrative assessment, no member insurer may be assessed in any year on any account an amount greater than one percent of that member insurer's net direct written premiums for the preceding calendar year on the kinds of insurance in the account. The association may defer, in whole or in part, the assessment of any member insurer if the assessment would cause the member insurer's financial statement to reflect amounts of capital or surplus less than the minimum required for a certificate of authority by any jurisdiction in which the member insurer is authorized to transact business as an insurer. Deferred assessments shall be paid when such payment will not reduce capital or surplus below such required minimum amounts. Such deferred assessments when paid shall be refunded to those member companies that received larger assessments by virtue of such deferment or, in the discretion of any such company, credited against future assessments. No member insurer may pay a dividend to shareholders or policyholders while such insurer has an unpaid deferred assessment;(b) Handle claims through its employees or through one or more insurers or other persons designated by the association as a servicing facility, except that the designation of a servicing facility shall be subject to the approval of the director and such designation may be declined by a member insurer;(c) Reimburse any servicing facility for obligations of the association paid by the facility and for expenses incurred by the facility while handling claims on behalf of the association and such other expenses of the association as are authorized by the Nebraska Property and Liability Insurance Guaranty Association Act; and(d) Issue to each insurer paying an assessment under this section a certificate of contribution in appropriate form and terms as prescribed by the director for the amount so paid. All outstanding certificates shall be of equal dignity and priority without reference to amounts or dates of issue. The insurer may offset against its premium and related retaliatory tax liability to this state pursuant to sections 44-150 and 77-908 accrued with respect to business transacted in such year an amount equal to twenty percent of the original face amount of the certificate of contribution, beginning with the first calendar year after the year of issuance through the fifth calendar year after the year of issuance. Should the association recover any sum representing amounts previously written off by member insurers and offset against premium and related retaliatory taxes imposed by sections 44-150 and 77-908, such recovered sum shall be paid by the association to the Director of Insurance who shall handle such funds in the same manner as provided in Chapter 77, article 9.(2) The association may:(a) Appear in, defend, and appeal any action;(b) Employ or retain such persons as are necessary to handle claims and perform other duties of the association;(c) Borrow funds necessary to effect the purposes of the Nebraska Property and Liability Insurance Guaranty Association Act in accord with the plan of operation;(d) Sue or be sued;(e) Negotiate and become a party to such contracts as are necessary to carry out the purpose of such act;(f) Perform such other acts as are necessary or proper to effectuate the purpose of such act; and(g) Refund to the member insurers in proportion to the contribution of each member insurer to any account that amount by which the assets of the account exceed the liabilities if, at the end of any calendar year, the board of directors finds that the assets of the association in the account exceed the liabilities of that account as estimated by the board of directors for the coming year. SourceLaws 1971, LB 722, § 7; Laws 1977, LB 366, § 7; Laws 1986, LB 1114, § 5; Laws 1987, LB 302, § 5; Laws 1989, LB 92, § 199; Laws 2000, LB 930, § 6.