§ 58-87-10. Workers' Compensation Fund for the benefit of volunteer safety workers.
§58‑87‑10. Workers' Compensation Fund for the benefit of volunteersafety workers.
(a) Definition. Asused in this section, the term "eligible unit" means a volunteer firedepartment or volunteer rescue/EMS unit that is not part of a unit of localgovernment and is exempt from State income tax under G.S. 105‑130.11.
(b) Creation. TheWorkers' Compensation Fund is created in the Department of Insurance as anexpendable trust fund. Accordingly, interest and other investment income earnedby the Fund accrues to it, and revenue in the Fund at the end of a fiscal yearremains in the Fund and does not revert.
(c) Use. Revenue inthe Workers' Compensation Fund shall be used to provide workers' compensationbenefits to members of eligible units. Chapter 97 of the General Statutesgoverns the payment of benefits from the Fund. Benefits are payable forcompensable injuries or deaths that occur on or after July 1, 1996.
(d) Administration. The State Fire and Rescue Commission, established under G.S. 58‑78‑1,shall administer the Workers' Compensation Fund and shall perform this duty bycontracting with a third‑party administrator. The contracting procedureis not subject to Article 3C of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. Thereasonable and necessary expenses incurred by the Commission in administeringthe Fund shall be paid out of the Fund by the State Treasurer. The Commissionmay adopt rules to implement this section.
(e) Revenue Source. Revenue is credited to the Workers' Compensation Fund from appropriations madeto the Department of Insurance for this purpose. In addition, every eligibleunit that elects to participate shall pay into the Fund an amount set annuallyby the State Fire and Rescue Commission to ensure that the Fund will be able tomeet its payment obligations under this section. The amount shall be set as aper capita fixed dollar amount for each member of the roster of the eligibleunit.
The payment shall be made tothe State Fire and Rescue Commission on or before July 1 of each year. The Commissionshall remit the payments it receives to the State Treasurer, who shall creditthe payments to the Fund. (1995, c. 507, s. 7.21A(a); 1999‑132, s. 1.2.)