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<section article="gin" article_name="Insurance" number="19-603" title_number="19" title_name="Property and Casualty Insurance" subtitle_number="6" subtitle_name="Insurance Pools">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “local government” means a county or municipal corporation in the State.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A local government:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>may enter into an agreement to fund an insurance pool established under this subtitle; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>except as otherwise provided in this section, may determine by resolution the provisions, terms, conditions, and duration of the agreement.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a payment obligation in an agreement authorized by this section:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>shall be a general obligation of the local government to which its full faith and credit and unlimited taxing power is pledged; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>may not be subject to annual appropriation by the local government.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If a provision of the Maryland Constitution limits a local government in undertaking a payment obligation described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, or requires a local government to comply with certain procedures before undertaking a payment obligation described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the local government may provide that the payment obligation is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a limited obligation of the local government repayable from assets and revenues as provided in the agreement; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>subject to annual appropriation by the local government.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Subject to the limitations of this section, a local government may undertake a payment obligation in an agreement authorized by this section:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>without regard to any limitations contained in its charter or other applicable public local or public general law that otherwise would apply; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>without complying with any procedures contained in its charter or other applicable public local or public general law that otherwise would be required.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>On the date a local government executes an agreement authorized by this section, the aggregate outstanding and unpaid principal amount that the local government is obligated to pay under the agreement may not exceed 0.2% of the local government’s assessable base for real property tax purposes for the fiscal year in which the agreement is executed, as determined by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.</text>
  </level>
</section>
