As used in this chapter:

(1) “Administrator” means the Insurance Coverage Administrator, hereinafter established by § 6505 of this title.

(2) “The Committee” means the Insurance Coverage Determination Committee, hereinafter established by § 6502 of this title.

(3) “The Fund” means the State Self-Insurance Fund as provided for by subchapter III of this chapter.

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6501;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2;  79 Del. Laws, c. 286, §  1; 

There is hereby established the Insurance Coverage Determination Committee, which shall be composed of the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources, the State Auditor and the Insurance Commissioner or their designees, during their respective terms of office. The Secretary of the Department of Human Resources or his or her designee shall serve as the Chair of the Committee. The Committee shall from time to time determine the method of insuring, the amount of insurance, and the class of coverage covering any type of risk to which the State may be exposed, including, but not limited to: property insurance, as defined in § 904 of this title; surety insurance, as defined in § 905(a)(1) of this title; casualty insurance, as defined in § 906 of this title; marine and transportation and “wet marine” insurance, as defined in § 907 of this title; title insurance, as defined in § 908 of this title; to be effected and carried by the State or any subdivision thereof, including all school districts, but excluding, however, municipal corporations, counties, and the authorities relating to the crossings of the Delaware River and the Delaware Bay.

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6502;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1;  79 Del. Laws, c. 286, §  2;  81 Del. Laws, c. 66, § 14; 

The Committee shall:

(1) Protect this State from loss to state-owned property;

(2) Protect the public from wrongful actions of state officials and employees and failure or malfunction of state-owned property;

(3) Secure for this State the maximum economic advantage feasible in the operation of its insurance coverage program, including, when deemed appropriate to such end, the utilization of blanket policies, deductible or excess loss insurance, and self-insurance;

(4) Determine such insurance protection as shall be required by the needs of the State and as shall be most economically advantageous to the State by providing for, as they shall deem appropriate, no insurance on small losses, coverage by commercial insurance, coverage by self-insurance or a combination of such methods.

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6502A;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2; 

The Insurance Coverage Administrator, with the approval of the Committee, shall promulgate such rules and regulations as shall be necessary to carry out the policy determinations of the Committee in administering the state insurance coverage program, so as to effectively provide coverage for the State whether same be procured from commercial insurance or by self-insurance or a combination of both.

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6502B;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2;  79 Del. Laws, c. 286, §  3; 

There is hereby established under the direction and supervision of the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources the Insurance Coverage Office, the executive head of which shall be the Insurance Coverage Administrator, who shall serve in the state classified service.

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6503;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2;  79 Del. Laws, c. 286, §  4;  81 Del. Laws, c. 66, § 15; 

The Administrator shall be qualified for the office by virtue of the Administrator’s education and experience. The Administrator shall not be associated directly or indirectly with any insurance agency, firm or corporation. The Administrator shall be charged with and responsible for the administration of the Insurance Coverage Office as herein provided.

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6504;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1;  79 Del. Laws, c. 286, §  5; 

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6505;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2;  repealed by 79 Del. Laws, c. 286, § 6, eff. July 1, 2014.; 

The Insurance Coverage Office shall provide:

(1) The placement of all insurance with commercial insurers as directed by the Committee;

(2) The operation of the Self-Insurance Fund, as established in subchapter III of this chapter;

(3) Centralized responsibility for the operation of the state insurance coverage program vested in a single agency with an adequate staff of legal, actuarial and administrative resources;

(4) The establishment and operation of an open bid procedure to be maintained for purchasing new insurance coverage from commercial insurers and renewing existing contracts with such commercial insurers which will permit the free forces of market competition to operate to the benefit of the state insurance coverage program;

(5) The keeping of all policies with commercial insurers and all records necessary and pertinent thereto in some safe and secure place;

(6) The keeping in some safe and secure place of all records, accounts, claims files, statistical studies and other such records and documents necessary and proper in the administration of the self-insurance program, when and if the Committee deems it proper to utilize same;

(7) The periodic preparation of reports as to the commercially procured insurance coverage part of the program which shall present the basic statistical-actuarial data pertaining to the experience of that part of the program and its component parts, which reports shall be public documents;

(8) Provide to the commercial insurance industry such information about bidding procedures as is required by the statutes of this State, so that any qualified commercial insurer may have an opportunity to offer its service to this State in the areas where the Committee has deemed it desirable to procure commercial coverage;

(9) Periodic comprehensive insurance surveys of program needs, and a continuing review of existing commercially procured insurance contracts, as well as analysis of commercial rates in terms of changing economic conditions, and periodic studies of commercial market conditions and developments;

(10) Such special investigations and reports as may be requested by the Committee Chair;

(11) Technical assistance to the volunteer fire departments in the State concerning insurance matters relating to their operations. Such assistance shall be given only at the request of the president of a company; and

(12) The implementation and monitoring of loss prevention activities.

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6506;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2;  60 Del. Laws, c. 130, §  1;  79 Del. Laws, c. 286, §  7; 

No other agency of this State, for which coverage is herein provided, shall be authorized to place any insurance, any law to the contrary notwithstanding, and all insurance for such agencies shall be placed by and through the Insurance Coverage Office.

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6507;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2;  79 Del. Laws, c. 286, §  8; 

Existing insurance contracts and any renewals thereof may continue in full force and effect unless and until otherwise provided by the Administrator.

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6508;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2;  79 Del. Laws, c. 286, §  9; 

The defense of sovereignty is waived and cannot and will not be asserted as to any risk or loss covered by the state insurance coverage program, whether same be covered by commercially procured insurance or by self-insurance, and every commercially procured insurance contract shall contain a provision to this effect, where appropriate.

18 Del. C. 1953, §  6509;  57 Del. Laws, c. 187, §  2;