SECTION 5. Certificate of approval; duration; termination; merger of groups

(A) The certificate of approval issued by the commissioner to a public employer self-insurance group authorizes the group to provide insurance coverage. The certificate of approval remains in effect until terminated at the request of the group or revoked by the commissioner pursuant to provisions of section sixteen.

(B) The commissioner shall not grant the request of any group to terminate its certificate of approval unless the group has insured or reinsured all incurred obligations with an authorized insurer under an agreement filed with and approved in writing by the commissioner. Such obligation shall include both known claims and expenses associated therewith and claims incurred but not reported and expenses associated therewith.

Subject to the approval of the commissioner, a group may merge with another public employer self-insurance group only if the resulting group assumes in full all obligations of the merging groups. The commissioner may hold a hearing on the merger and shall do so if any party, including a member of either group, so requests.