N.J.S.A. 34:15-120.15 — Definitions

34:15-120.15. Definitions 1. As used in this act: "Association" means the New Jersey Self-Insurers Guaranty Association created in subsection a. of section 2 of this act. "Board of directors" or "board" means the board of directors of the association established under section 3 of this act. "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Insurance. "Department" means the Department of Insurance. "Fund" means the Insolvency Fund created pursuant to section 5 of this act. "Injured worker" or "employee" means an employee of an employer or a dependent of the employee to whom the employer is obligated to pay compensation pursuant to chapter 15 of Title 34 of the Revised Statutes. "Insolvent member" means a member employer: (1) (a) which files for relief in bankruptcy under Title 11 of the United States Code, 11 U.S.C. s.101 et seq.; (b) against which involuntary bankruptcy proceedings are filed under that title; or (c) for which a receiver has been appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction; and (2) which is determined to be insolvent by the board as provided in its plan of operation, based upon the member employer's ability to pay compensation pursuant to R.S.34:15-77. "Member employer" or "member" means a self-insurer which is a member of the association. "Self-insurer" means an employer, other than a governmental entity, which self-insures for the purposes of workers' compensation as permitted by R.S.34:15-77. L.1993,c.107,s.1. 34:15-120.16. "New Jersey Self-Insurers Guaranty Association" 2. a. There is created a nonprofit entity to be known as the "New Jersey Self-Insurers Guaranty Association." All self-insurers shall be members of the association as a condition of their authority to self-insure in this State. The association shall perform its functions under a plan of operation as established and approved under section 6 of this act and shall exercise its powers and duties through a board of directors as established under section 3 of this act. b. A member may voluntarily withdraw from the association when the member voluntarily terminates the self-insurance privilege and pays all assessments due to the date of that termination. However, the withdrawing member shall continue to be bound by the provisions of this act relating to the period of its membership and any claims charged pursuant thereto. A withdrawing member shall also be required to provide to the department upon withdrawal, and at 12-month intervals thereafter, satisfactory proof that it continues to meet the standards of R.S.34:15-77 in relation to claims incurred while the withdrawing member exercised the privilege of self-insurance. Such reporting shall continue until the withdrawing member satisfies the department that there is no remaining value to claims incurred while the withdrawing member was self-insured. If during this reporting period the withdrawing member fails to meet the standards of R.S.34:15-77, the withdrawing member shall thereupon, and at six-month intervals thereafter, provide to the department and the association the certified opinion of an independent actuary who is a member of the American Society of Actuaries of the actuarial present value of the determined and estimated future compensation payments of the withdrawing member for claims incurred while it was a self-insurer, using a discount rate of four percent. With each such opinion, the withdrawing member shall deposit with the department security in an amount equal to the value certified by the actuary and of a type that is acceptable for the purposes of R.S.34:15-77. The withdrawing member shall continue to provide such opinions and to provide such security until such time as the latest opinion shows no remaining value of claims. The association has a cause of action against a withdrawing member, and against any successor of a withdrawing member, who fails to timely provide the required opinion or who fails to maintain the required deposit with the department. The association shall be entitled to recover a judgment in the amount of the actuarial present value of the determined and estimated future compensation payments of the withdrawing member for claims incurred during the time that the withdrawing member exercised the privilege of self-insurance, together with reasonable attorney's fees. For purposes of this section, the "successor of a withdrawing member" means any person, business entity, or group of persons or business entities, which holds or acquires legal or beneficial title to the majority of the assets or the majority of the shares of the withdrawing member. L.1993,c.107,s.2.

This is the verbatim text of N.J.S.A. 34:15-120.15, retrieved from the New Jersey Legislature's public statute corpus. Statutes are amended periodically — for the most current version, check the external source link above. Kyzer is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice.