(1) The governing committee shall be responsible for the administration of the assigned risk plan.

(2) The committee shall meet at least once each calendar quarter. Seven members shall constitute a quorum, provided that the department of labor and industries and each of the defined interest groups must be represented.

(3) Members of the governing committee shall serve without compensation. However, each person serving on the governing committee or any subcommittee thereof shall be indemnified by the assigned risk plan for all costs and expenses actually and necessarily incurred in connection with the defense of any action, suit, or proceeding in which such person is a named party by reason of being a member of the governing committee. This indemnification shall not apply in those instances in which the person has been judged in such action, suit, or proceeding to be liable by reason of willful misconduct in performance of his/her duties as a member of the committee.

(4) The committee shall:

(a) Select a presiding officer.

(b) Draft and submit to the commissioner for approval operating procedures for the assigned risk plan. Such procedures shall be drafted to carry out the purposes of chapter 209, Laws of 1992. These procedures shall include, but are not limited to, provisions:

(i) Defining the specific conditions under which employers become eligible for coverage.

(ii) Defining the role and functions of the administrator.

(iii) Defining the role and function of the servicing carrier(s). These roles shall include the requirement that the servicing(s) carrier file the assigned risk plan's policy forms and rates with the commissioner, on its behalf, prior to use.

(iv) Establishing specific procedures for the control of the assigned risk plan's funds. These procedures shall ensure that anyone handling funds do so responsibly.

(v) Defining standard policy forms similar to those used for USL&H and maritime employers' liability coverage in the voluntary market within Washington and requiring the use of such forms by the servicing carrier(s).

(vi) Defining how the rates to be used by the servicing carrier(s) shall be established. The procedures shall require that rates be developed in an actuarially sound manner. They must also require that the servicing carrier(s) use these rates when issuing assigned risk policies.

(vii) Establishing how an applicant's eligibility for maritime employers' liability will be determined. The procedure must provide an eligibility test to be applied at the time of acceptance of the applicant for such coverage and not upon receipt of notice of a claim.

(viii) Defining the limits of maritime employers' liability coverage to be offered by the assigned risk plan. The assigned risk plan must offer such coverage with limits up to one hundred thousand dollars per occurrence. It may provide higher limits if the governing committee deems such limits are necessary to promote its purpose.

(ix) Defining a procedure under which appeals received from applicants, persons insured, or participating insurers aggrieved by any action or decision of the assigned risk plan will be received, investigated, and resolved.

(c) Select an administrator.

(d) Select the servicing carrier(s).

(e) Retain such accounting, actuarial, clerical, professional, or other services as the committee deems necessary to operate the assigned risk plan in a sound and competent manner.

(f) Maintain separate statistics on business written by the assigned risk plan. These statistics shall be in sufficient detail to permit the committee and the commissioner to determine the financial condition of the plan when necessary. In any event, the committee shall make quarterly reports to the commissioner providing the following information:

(i) The number of applications received by the administrator.

(ii) The number of policies issued.

(iii) The amount of premiums written during the previous quarter and year-to-date.

(iv) The amount of losses incurred and paid, and allocated loss adjustment expense incurred and paid during the previous quarter and year-to-date.

(g) Initiate and carry out, with the approval of the commissioner, such interim and regular assessments of those participating in the assigned risk plan as may be necessary and reasonable for its operation in a sound and competent manner.

(h) Take such other actions as the committee considers necessary and appropriate to properly administer the activities of the assigned risk plan.