(a) The State Insurance and Risk Management Board shall, not later than October 1, 1974, and quadrennially thereafter, set the penalties of the bonds of the following officers, having due regard for the duties and responsibilities of said officers, for four-year terms concurrent with their respective terms of office: The Secretary of the State and those department heads listed in § 4-5. Said officers shall, before entering upon the performance of the duties of their office, give their official bonds in the penalty fixed by the board. The premium for said bonds shall be paid by the state.

(b) All state officers, state employees and other persons, other than those listed in subsection (a) of this section, who in the opinion of the board should be bonded, shall be bonded, the amount, condition and form to be determined by the board. Bonds taken pursuant to this subsection shall be purchased by the board, at the request of the Comptroller at state expense from a company or companies authorized to issue such bonds and having an office and licensed to do business in this state. The Comptroller may, at any time, request that any such bond be cancelled or terminated and any rebate of premium thereon shall be returned to the Comptroller for deposit in the General Fund.

(c) All bonds required by this section shall be approved as to form by the Attorney General and shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of the State, except that bonds of the Secretary of the State and his deputy and subordinates shall be kept by the Treasurer. A record shall be made in the office of the Secretary of the State, giving the name of the officer, employee, agency or person for whom each bond is issued, the name of the company issuing the same and the number, date and time of expiration thereof, and of any certificate renewing such bond.