(a) Any public entity or corporation may insure against the liability imposed by law and may insure persons who are legally entitled to recover damages from owners and operators of uninsured motor vehicles and hit-and-run motor vehicles because of bodily injury, sickness or disease including death incurred while using a motor vehicle of such public entity or corporation with any insurance carrier duly authorized to transact business in this State and the premium for such insurance shall be a proper charge against the general fund or any applicable special fund of such entity or corporation.
     (b) Every employee of the State, who operates for purposes of State business a vehicle not owned, leased or controlled by the State shall procure insurance in the limit of the amounts of liability not less than the amounts required in Section 7-203 of this Act. The State may provide such insurance for the benefit of, and without cost to, such employees and may include such coverage in a plan of self-insurance under Section 405-105 of the Department of Central Management Services Law (20 ILCS 405/405-105). The State may also obtain uninsured or hit-and-run vehicle coverage, as defined in Section 143a of the “Illinois Insurance Code”. Any public liability insurance furnished by the State under this Section shall be under the policy or policies contracted for or under a self-insurance plan implemented by the Department of Central Management Services pursuant to Section 405-105 of the Department of Central Management Services Law (20 ILCS 405/405-105), the costs for procuring such insurance to be charged, collected and received as provided in that Section 25-105.