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<section article="gcj" article_name="Courts and Judicial Proceedings" number="3-2A-03A" title_number="3" title_name="Courts of General Jurisdiction -- Jurisdiction/special Causes of Action" subtitle_number="2A" subtitle_name="Health Care Malpractice Claims">
  <level label="a">
    <text>There is a Health Claims Arbitration Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>At the time of the filing of any claim or a response to a claim, the Director shall collect a fee of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>$40 for the filing of the claim, including any third–party claim; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>$25 for the filing of the response to the claim.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Director shall pay all filing fees collected under this subtitle to the Comptroller of the State.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Comptroller shall distribute:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>20% of the filing fees received from the Director to the General Fund of the State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The balance of the filing fees to the Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Fund shall be used exclusively to pay the fees of arbitrators and other operating expenses of the Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>In accordance with the assessment of costs under § 3–2A–05(f) of this subtitle, the parties to an arbitration shall reimburse the Fund for all fees paid to the arbitrators from the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Fund is a continuing, nonlapsing fund and is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, any unspent portions of the Fund may not be transferred or revert to the General Fund of the State, but shall remain in the Fund to be used for the purposes specified under this subtitle.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Unspent portions of the Fund that exceed $100,000 at the end of any fiscal year shall revert to the General Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Director shall administer the Fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Money in the Fund may be expended only for any lawful purpose authorized by this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Legislative Auditor shall audit the accounts and transactions of the Fund as provided in § 2–1220 of the State Government Article.</text>
  </level>
</section>
