For purposes of this article:

approved stocks readily convertible into cash, investment certificates, or share accounts issued by a savings and loan association doing business in this state and insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, certificates of deposit, or savings deposits in a bank licensed to do business in this state, or approved letters of credit that perform in material respects as any other security allowable as a form of deposit for purposes of a workers’ compensation deposit and that meet the standard set forth in Section 922.5, or approved securities registered with a qualified depository located in a reciprocal state as defined in Section 1104.9, with that deposit to be in an amount and subject to any exceptions as set forth in this article. The deposit shall be made from time to time as demanded by the commissioner and may be made with the Treasurer, or a bank or savings and loan association authorized to engage in the trust business pursuant to Division 1 (commencing with Section 99) or Division 2

(commencing with Section 5000) of the Financial Code, or a trust company. A deposit of securities registered with a qualified depository located in a reciprocal state as defined in Section 1104.9 may only be made in a bank or savings and loan association authorized to engage in the trust business pursuant to Division 1 (commencing with Section 99) or Division 2 (commencing with Section 5000) of the Financial Code, or a trust company, licensed to do business and located in this state that is either domiciled in and has a principal place of business in this state, or is a national bank association with a trust office located in this state, that is a qualified custodian as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1104.9, and that maintains deposits of at least seven hundred fifty million dollars ($750,000,000). The deposit shall be made subject to the approval of the commissioner under those rules and regulations that he or she shall promulgate. The deposit shall be maintained at a deposit value

specified by the commissioner, but in any event no less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), nor less than the reserves required of the insurer to be maintained under any of the provisions of Article 1 (commencing with Section 11550) of Chapter 1, relating to loss reserves on workers’ compensation business of the insurer in this state, nor less than the sum of the amounts specified in subdivision (a) of Section 11693, whichever is greater. The deposit shall be for the purpose of paying compensable workers’ compensation claims under policies issued by the insurer or reinsured by the admitted reinsurer and expenses as provided in Section 11698.02, in the event the insurer or reinsurer fails to pay those claims when they come due. If the insurer providing the deposit is domiciled in a state where a state statute, regulation, or court decision provides that, with respect to covered claims within the deductible amount that are paid by a guarantee association after the entry of an order of liquidation

under large deductible workers’ compensation policies, any part of the reimbursement proceeds, other than the reasonable expenses of the receiver related to treatment of deductible policy arrangements of insurance companies in liquidation, owed by insureds on those deductible amounts, whether paid directly or through a draw of collateral, are general assets of the estate, then the amount of the insurer’s deposit pursuant to this article shall be calculated based on the gross amount of that insurer’s liabilities for loss and loss adjustment expenses under those policies without regard to the deductible, and those reserves shall not be reduced by any collateral or reimbursement obligations insureds were required to provide under those policies.

decision providing that the reimbursement proceeds described above are general assets of the estate.

the qualified custodian of the deposit, and the commissioner, that grants to the commissioner the authority to withdraw the deposit as set forth in Sections 11691.2, 11696, 11698, and 11698.3. The insurer shall also execute and deliver in duplicate to the commissioner a power of attorney in favor of the commissioner for the purposes specified herein, supported by a resolution of the depositor’s board of directors. The power of attorney and director’s resolution shall be on forms approved by the commissioner, shall provide that the power of attorney cannot be revoked or withdrawn without the consent of the commissioner, and shall be acknowledged as required by law.

for each amendment, supplement, or other change to the deposit agreement; for receiving and processing deposit schedules pursuant to this section; and for each withdrawal, substitution, or any other change in the deposit.

by the commissioner to be in excess of the amount required by subdivision (a) within 30 days of that determination. In the alternative, an insurer may use any excess deposit funds to offset a demand by the commissioner to increase its deposit due to the failure of a reinsurer to make a deposit pursuant to this section.

insolvency of a ceding insurer, any sums from a reinsurer’s deposit that are necessary for the commissioner to pay those reinsured claims and obligations, or to ensure their payment by the California Insurance Guarantee Association, deemed by the commissioner due under the reinsurance agreement, upon failure of the reinsurer for any reason to make payments under the policy of reinsurance. The commissioner shall give 30 days’ notice prior to drawing upon these funds of an intent to do so. Notwithstanding the commissioner’s right to draw on these funds, the reinsurer shall otherwise retain its right to determine the validity of those claims and obligations and to contest their payment under the reinsurance agreement. Prior to a reinsurer’s deposit being drawn upon, in whole or in part, by the department, the department shall provide a reinsurer with an explanation of procedures that a reinsurer may use to explain to the department why the use of the reinsurer’s deposit may not be appropriate under the

reinsurance agreement.

the commissioner pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3), the California Insurance Guarantee Association shall repay funds it obtained to pay covered claims and shall, if necessary, either levy a surcharge as needed or seek legislative approval to levy the surcharge if the California Insurance Guarantee Association is already levying the maximum surcharge permissible under law.

The fees for filing a schedule of securities with the Treasurer, and making a deposit of the same, and for each withdrawal, substitution, or any other change in the securities comprising this deposit with the Treasurer, shall be paid to the commissioner for the costs of review and approval of deposits, and shall be the same as are prescribed by Article 11 (commencing with Section 939) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 1.

All other reasonable charges made by the Treasurer for servicing securities deposited with him or her shall be paid to the Treasurer by the insurer that has deposited the security, and shall not be charged to the commissioner.

The deposit required pursuant to Section 11691 shall be security for the payment of the insurer’s obligations on worker’s compensation insurance transacted in this state. The deposit shall not be withdrawn except upon the written order of the commissioner to use the proceeds thereof in payment of compensable worker’s compensation claims and expenses as provided in Section 11698.02, or as otherwise provided in this article, but shall be forthwith payable to the commissioner or at the direction of the commissioner by the Treasurer or the bank, savings and loan association, or trust company approved by the commissioner upon that order. No deposit so placed with a bank, savings and loan association, or trust company shall be subject to any lien or claim asserted by it or be subject to any disposition obligation, demand, liability, cause of action, judgment, or other claim, or cost or expense attendant thereon, other than as is permitted by the commissioner. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code, the deposit shall be retained by the Treasurer or the bank, savings and loan association, or trust company approved by the commissioner and only released in accordance with the provisions of this article or pursuant to regulations or a written order of the commissioner.

The commissioner shall establish a list of all insurers or reinsurers authorized to reinsure the injury, disablement, or death portions of policies of workers’ compensation insurance under the class of disability insurance. An insurer or reinsurer shall be authorized to reinsure the injury, disablement, or death portions of policies of workers’ compensation insurance under the class of disability insurance if it has complied with Section 11691. The commissioner shall publish a master list of those insurers or reinsurers at least semiannually. Any insurer or reinsurer providing the notification and deposit required by Section 11691, shall be added by addendum to the list at the time of approval, and shall be incorporated into the master list at the next date of publication. The list and addenda required by this section shall be published so that they are readily accessible to insurers and producers. The list and addenda required by this section shall also contain a notice that if an insurer enters into a contract of reinsurance with an insurer or reinsurer reinsuring the injury, disablement, or death portions of policies of workers’ compensation insurance under the class of disability insurance that is not authorized pursuant to this section, the ceding insurer may not be able to claim that reinsurance for reserve credit.

A certificate of authority to transact workers’ compensation insurance in this state shall not be issued nor renewed to any insurer until the deposit required pursuant to Section 11691 is approved by the commissioner.

On and after the effective date of this article, the commissioner shall collect a late filing fee from any admitted insurer or reinsurer that fails to deposit the securities when required by this code in the following amount:

The deposit required pursuant to Section 11691 shall be adjusted on or prior to March 31 of each year in an amount as follows:

For each of the preceding three years, 65 percent of the earned compensation premiums for that year less all loss and loss expense payments made upon claims incurred in the corresponding year from that 65 percent; except that the amount for each year shall not be less than the present value at 6 percent interest of the determined and the estimated unpaid claims incurred in that year, including both benefits and loss expenses.

After the first annual statement to the commissioner covering business of the insurer for a full year in this state, the deposit required pursuant to Section 11691 shall be computed from the figures shown in the last preceding report of business as of December 31, filed with the commissioner, and shall be reported to the commissioner on or before March 1 of each year in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this article, should the commissioner determine that there has been a material change in the insurer’s ultimate liability for future payments upon compensable workers’ compensation claims in this state, at the commissioner’s discretion, the amount of the deposit shall then be fixed by the commissioner at the amount that he or she deems sufficient to secure the payment of the insurer’s ultimate obligations on its workers’ compensation insurance transacted in this state, and upon notification from the commissioner the insurer shall immediately, but in no event less than 30 days after notification, increase the deposit as directed.

On or before March 1 and May 15 of each year, the insurers or reinsurers subject to Section 11694 shall file a report in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner that valuates and details the deposit as of December 31 of the preceding year and March 31 of the current year. The commissioner may require additional reporting by any insurer or reinsurer when it is deemed necessary.

Where an admitted insurer has voluntarily ceased to do in this state the business for which a deposit is required pursuant to Section 11691, the deposit shall be fixed by the commissioner at the amount that he or she deems sufficient for the protection of the beneficiaries of the policies of that insurer.

In the event an insurer not in a delinquency proceeding fails to pay any compensable workers’ compensation claim against it, or fails to pay, to the extent of its liability as a reinsurer, any compensable workers’ compensation claim covered by a policy wholly or partly reinsured by it, the commissioner shall use the proceeds of the deposit required pursuant to Section 11691 to pay all those compensable workers’ compensation claims and related expenses as described in Section 11698.02.

The payment of a workers’ compensation claim by the commissioner shall constitute a satisfaction of the claim to the extent of the payment made. In the event any judgment is entered on the claim, the commissioner shall file a proportionate satisfaction thereof in the office of the clerk of the court wherein the judgment is entered.

When the commissioner is authorized to proceed under Section 11698 he or she may do either of the following:

The proceeds of the deposit required pursuant to Section 11691 shall be used solely to pay compensable workers’ compensation claims under the insured or reinsured policies, allocated claims expense necessary to pay those claims, and the expenses connected with all proceedings or actions permitted or required by this article in furtherance of the payment of those claims, or should the commissioner pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 11698.01 enter into reinsurance and assumption agreements with one or more reinsurers, the proceeds of the deposit shall be used to reimburse those reinsurers.

From time to time and in any event at or prior to the time of the filing of his or her petition for discharge as receiver, the commissioner shall do the following:

If the commissioner enters into a reinsurance and assumption agreement as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 11698.01, that agreement shall provide for all of the following:

The commissioner shall not enter into an agreement with an insurer if its reinsurance and assumption of liability will impair its solvency or render its further transaction of business hazardous under subdivision (d) of Section 1011.

Unless the deposit required pursuant to Section 11691 is withdrawn by the commissioner pursuant to the authority granted him or her by this article, it, or any remainder thereof, may be repaid to the insurer either upon satisfactory showing to the commissioner that every liability to pay compensable workers’ compensation claims has been assumed and reinsured with a solvent admitted insurer or fully paid and discharged. In the event the insurer remains admitted for workers’ compensation insurance, or desires to reinsure the injury, disablement, or death portions of policies of workers’ compensation under the class of disability insurance, then it must maintain at least the minimum deposit required by Section 11691.

The deposit required pursuant to Section 11691, unless withdrawn by the commissioner, shall be used only for the payment of compensable workers’ compensation claims and expenses as provided in Section 11698.02 as long as there remains unpaid any claim or any part thereof.

The commissioner may revoke the certificate of authority to transact workers’ compensation insurance or to reinsure the injury, disablement, or death portions of policies of workers’ compensation under the class of disability insurance in this state of any insurer failing to comply with the requirements of this article. The power vested in the commissioner by this section is additional to any and all other powers and remedies vested in the commissioner by law. Failure to make the deposit required by this article within the required time shall be deemed to constitute a condition of hazard as set forth in Section 1011.

The provisions of this article shall not apply to workers’ compensation insurance covering those persons defined as employees by subdivision (d) of Section 3351 of the Labor Code.

An insurer desiring to write workers’ compensation insurance shall maintain or provide occupational safety and health loss control consultation services pursuant to Section 6354.5 of the Labor Code.