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2011 Maryland Attorney General Reports and Opinions 3 (2011)

handle is hein.sag/sagmd0034 and id is 1 raw text is: WORKERS' COMPENSATION

INJURED WORKERS' INSURANCE FUND - WHETHER THE STATE
HAS AN INTEREST IN THE RESERVES, SURPLUS, AND OTHER
ASSETS OF THE INJURED WORKERS' INSURANCE FUND
March 14, 2011
Thomas Phelan
CEO/President
Injured Workers Insurance Fund
You have asked for our opinion on two questions concerning
the Injured Workers' Insurance Fund (IWIF). Specifically, you
ask:
1. Who owns IWIF's reserves and surplus?
2.   Does the State have any claim to IWIF's reserves,
surplus, or other assets?
For the reasons set forth below, it is our opinion that:
1. The reserves and surplus that the Insurance Article
requires IWIF to maintain with respect to its policies are held in trust
for the employers who are IWIF's policyholders and the employees
who are entitled to benefits under IWIF's policies. If the General
Assembly chose to terminate IWIF's existence, it would need to
make arrangements to preserve such funds for those purposes.
2.   To the extent that IWIF has assets in excess of the
reserves and surplus required by the Insurance Article, upon IWIF's
termination, those assets would belong to the State, which created
IWIF. The statute governing IWIF provides for the General
Assembly to direct the disposition of those assets or for the assets to
be distributed as justice requires.
I
Background
A.   State Workers' Compensation System
Like the laws of other states, Maryland law requires employers
to have workers' compensation insurance to compensate employees

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