Colorado § 24-30-1510 - Risk management fund - creation - authorized and unauthorized payments.

§ 24-30-1510. Risk management fund - creation - authorized and unauthorized payments.

(1) (a) There is hereby created in the state treasury a fund to be known as the risk management fund, which shall consist of all moneys that may be appropriated thereto by the general assembly or that may be otherwise made available to it by the general assembly. Moneys "otherwise made available" shall be deemed to include transfers of moneys to the fund authorized in the general appropriation act. All interest earned from the investment of moneys in the risk management fund shall be credited to the risk management fund and become a part thereof. The moneys in the fund are hereby continuously appropriated for the purposes of the risk management fund other than the direct and indirect administrative costs of operating the risk management system. The general assembly shall make annual appropriations from the fund for the direct and indirect administrative costs of operating the risk management system that are attributable to the operation of the risk management fund. At the end of any fiscal year, all unexpended and unencumbered moneys in the fund shall remain therein and shall not be credited or transferred to the general fund or any other fund.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, on June 1, 2009, the state treasurer shall deduct ten million ten thousand five hundred ninety-nine dollars from the risk management fund and transfer such sum to the general fund.

(2) The risk management fund shall maintain reserves for incurred but unpaid claims, including general liability and automobile liability claims. The risk management fund shall maintain reserves to provide for the contingency that the reserves set aside in the fund to meet estimated expenses are inadequate to cover the actual expenses realized. The board after consultation with the executive director shall recommend the amount of money that is required to maintain adequate reserves. Adequate reserves shall be maintained in the risk management fund subject to available appropriations made by the general assembly in its discretion.

(3) Expenditures out of the risk management fund must be made in accordance with subsection (1) of this section and only for the following purposes:

(a) To pay liability claims and expenses related thereto, brought against the state, its officials, or its employees pursuant to the "Colorado Governmental Immunity Act", article 10 of this title; claims against the state, its officials, or its employees arising under federal law, which the state is legally obligated to pay and which are compromised or settled pursuant to section 24-30-1515 or in which a final money judgment against the state has been entered; or claims for compensatory damages against the state, its officials, or its employees pursuant to section 24-34-405;

(b) To pay the administrative costs of operating the risk management system and the costs of purchasing services pursuant to sections 24-30-1506, 24-30-1507, and 24-30-1513;

(c) To procure and pay premiums for one or more policies of insurance purchased pursuant to this part 15 to protect against all or any portion of the potential liabilities of the state of Colorado or of any state agency or its officers and employees;

(d) To pay any deductible or self-insured retention contained in any insurance policy purchased by or at the direction of the executive director;

(e) To pay liability claims and expenses related thereto when a state agency has contracted to defend and hold harmless the owner of property leased to the state agency for a state purpose if such contract limits the state's obligation to claims arising from alleged negligent acts or omissions of the state agency and of its public employees which occurred or are alleged to have occurred during the performance of their duties and within the scope of their employment, except where such acts or omissions are willful and wanton. Such claims shall be subject to the limitations of the "Colorado Governmental Immunity Act", article 10 of this title. No such contract shall be valid unless approved in writing by the executive director and meets the requirements of this paragraph (e).

(f) To make payments in accordance with section 24-30-1510.7;

(g) To fund an employee assistance program established and operated by the executive director pursuant to section 24-50-604 (1)(k);

(h) To pay the defense of liability claims and expenses related thereto, brought against an expert witness or consultant who has statutory immunity from civil suit and who has been retained by a board or commission within the department of regulatory agencies, to render expert testimony or expert opinion or provide consultative advice, in connection with a prospective or pending disciplinary action, and who does render expert testimony or expert opinion, or provide consultative advice, to a board or commission within the department of regulatory agencies in good faith and within the scope of his or her expertise;

(i) To pay liability claims and expenses incurred pursuant to section 24-82-1005 (2).

(4) Moneys in the risk management fund shall not be used to pay any of the following:

(a) Claims brought pursuant to the "Colorado Governmental Immunity Act", article 10 of this title, for which governmental immunity has not been waived pursuant to section 24-10-106;

(b) Claims which are actionable in contract except for claims relating to employment contracts and except for claims arising pursuant to paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of this section;

(c) Claims for liabilities or losses which are covered under commercial insurance policies purchased by the state;

(d) Expenses for complying with successful claims for injunctive relief;

(e) Any other claim or expense not set forth in subsection (3) of this section.

(5) As of July 1, 2000, Pinnacol Assurance created pursuant to section 8-45-101, C.R.S., is no longer included within, or part of, the risk management fund created pursuant to this section and the department of personnel assumes no responsibility and bears no financial obligation for the defense of, or liability for, any claims or lawsuits asserted against Pinnacol Assurance.

Source: L. 85, 1st Ex. Sess.: Entire part added, p. 6, § 1, effective September 27. L. 86: (2), (3)(a), and (3)(b) amended and (3)(c) and (3)(d) added, p. 892, § 6, effective April 17. L. 86, 2nd Ex. Sess.: (1) and (3)(c) amended, p. 65, § 6, effective August 25. L. 88: (3)(e) added and (4)(b) amended, p. 914, §§ 1, 2, effective April 20. L. 90: (3)(f) added, p. 1196, § 5, effective May 24. L. 96: (1), (2), (3)(b), (3)(d), and (3)(e) amended, pp. 1504, 1520, §§ 21, 60, effective June 1. L. 2000: (5) added, p. 285, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2002: (3)(g) added, p. 765, § 2, effective May 30; (5) amended, p. 1892, § 54, effective July 1. L. 2004: (3)(i) added, p. 1056, § 2, effective May 21; (3)(h) added, p. 620, § 1, effective July 1. L. 2009: (1) amended, (SB 09-279), ch. 367, p. 1927, § 8, effective June 1. L. 2013: (3)(a) amended, (HB 13-1136), ch. 168, p. 554, § 2, effective August 7. L. 2020: IP(3) and (3)(f) amended, (SB 20-136), ch. 70, p. 293, § 39, effective September 14.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 20-136, see section 1 of chapter 70, Session Laws of Colorado 2020.

ANNOTATION

The Colorado compensation insurance authority is a state agency only for the purposes of the risk management fund and the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act. Simon v. State Compensation Ins. Auth., 903 P.2d 1139 (Colo. App. 1994), rev'd on other grounds, 946 P.2d 1298 (Colo. 1997).