(a)  “Adjuster” means an individual licensed as either a public company or independent adjuster.

(b)  “Catastrophic disaster” according to the Federal Response Plan, means an event that results in large numbers of deaths and injuries; causes extensive damage or destruction of facilities that provide and sustain human needs; produces an overwhelming demand on state and local response resources and mechanisms; causes a severe long-term effect on general economic activity; and severely affects state, local, and private sector capabilities to begin and sustain response activities. A catastrophic disaster shall be declared by the President of the United States, the governor of the state, or the insurance commissioner.

(c)  “Company adjuster” means a person who:

(1)  Is an individual who contracts for compensation with insurers or self-insurers as an employee; and

(2)  Investigates, negotiates, or settles property, casualty, or workers’ compensation claims for insurers or for self-insurers as an employee.

(d)  “Department” means the insurance division of the department of business regulation.

(e)  “Home state” means the District of Columbia and any state or territory of the United States in which the adjuster’s principal place of residence or principal place of business is located. If neither the state in which the public adjuster maintains the principal place of residence, nor the state in which the adjuster maintains the principal place of business, has a substantially similar law governing adjusters, the adjuster may declare another state in which it becomes licensed and acts as a public adjuster to be the “home state.”

(f)  “Independent adjuster” means a person who:

(1)  Is an individual who contracts for compensation with insurers or self-insurers as an independent contractor; or

(2)  Investigates, negotiates, or settles property, casualty, or workers’ compensation claims for insurers or for self-insurers as an independent contractor.

(g)  “Insurance commissioner” means the director of the department of business regulation or his or her designee.

(h)  “NAIC” means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

(i)  “Public adjuster” means any person who, for compensation or any other thing of value on behalf of the insured:

(1)  Acts or aids, solely in relation to first-party claims arising under insurance contracts that insure the real or personal property of the insured, other than automobile, on behalf of an insured in negotiating for, or effecting the settlement of, a claim for loss or damage covered by an insurance contract;

(2)  Advertises for employment as a public adjuster of insurance claims or solicits business or represents himself or herself to the public as a public adjuster of first-party insurance claims for losses or damages arising out of policies of insurance that insure real or personal property; or

(3)  Directly or indirectly solicits business, investigates or adjusts losses, or advises an insured about first-party claims for losses or damages arising out of policies of insurance that insure real or personal property for another person engaged in the business of adjusting losses or damages covered by an insurance policy, for the insured.

(j)  “Uniform individual application” means the current version of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Uniform Individual Application for resident and nonresident individuals.