(a)        A special fund is created in the Office of the State Treasurer, to be known as the Department of Insurance Consumer Protection Fund. The Fund shall be placed in an interest bearing account and any interest or other income derived from the Fund shall be credited to the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall only be spent pursuant to warrants drawn by the Commissioner on the Fund through the State Treasurer. The Fund shall be subject to the provisions of the Executive Budget Act; except that the provisions of Article 3C of Chapter 143 of the N.C. Gen. Stat. do not apply to subdivision (b)(1) of this section.

(b)        All moneys credited to the Fund shall be used only to pay the following expenses incurred by the Department:

(1)        For the purpose of retaining outside actuarial and economic consultants, legal counsel, and court reporting services in the review and analysis of rate filings and any other insurance regulatory matters, in conducting all hearings, and through any final adjudication.

(2)        In connection with any delinquency proceeding under Article 30 of this Chapter, for the purpose of locating and recovering the assets of or any other obligations or liabilities owed to or due an insurer that has been placed under such proceeding.

(3)        In connection with any civil litigation, other than under Chapter 150B of the N.C. Gen. Stat. or any appeal from an order of the Commissioner or his deputies, that is commenced against the Commissioner or his deputies and that arises out of the performance of their official duties, for the purpose of retaining outside consultants, legal counsel, and court reporting services to defend such litigation.

(c)        Moneys appropriated by the General Assembly shall be deposited in the Fund and shall become a part of the base budget of the Department of Insurance. Such base budget amount shall equal the actual expenditures drawn from the Fund during the prior fiscal year plus the official inflation rate designated by the Director of the Budget in the preparation of the State Budget for each ensuing fiscal year; provided that if interest income on the Fund exceeds the amount yielded by the application of the official inflation rate, such base budget amount shall be the actual expenditures drawn from the Fund. In the event the amount in the Fund exceeds two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) at the end of any fiscal year, such excess shall revert to the General Fund.

(d)       Repealed by Session Laws 1996, c. 507, s. 11A(a), (b). ?(1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 1069, s. 22; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 769, s. 14.1; 1995, c. 507, s. 11A(a), (b), (c); 2005-215, s. 21; 2012-142, s. 20.2; 2013-360, s. 20.1; 2014-100, s. 6.4(d).)

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 58-2-215

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3