49 U.S.C. § 44308 — Administrative

(a) Commercial Practices. The Secretary of Transportation may run this chapter consistent with commercial aviation-insurance business practices. (b) Issuance of Policies and Disposition of Claims. (1) The Secretary may issue insurance policies to carry out this chapter, and set their forms, insured amounts, and premiums. A policy may allow binding arbitration of claims, in whatever way the Secretary and any responsible commercial insurer agree. The Secretary may change an existing policy's insured amount or premium only with the insured party's consent. (2) For a claim under insurance this chapter authorizes, the Secretary may: (A) settle and pay a claim made for or against the U.S. Government; (B) pay a binding arbitration award made under paragraph (1); and (C) pay a court judgment against the Government. (c) Underwriting Agent. (1) The Secretary may — and when practical, must — hire an insurance carrier or group of carriers as an underwriting agent. The Secretary may use that agent, or an independent claims adjuster, to adjust claims under this chapter, but only the Secretary may approve paying a claim. (2) The Secretary may pay the underwriting agent reasonable compensation, including reasonable expenses, for servicing the Secretary's insurance. But this may not include paying the agent to stimulate or solicit insurance business. (3) Except as this subsection allows, the Secretary may not pay an insurance broker or similar person to arrange insurance when the Secretary directly insures part of the risk. (d) Budget. The Secretary must submit an annual budget program for this chapter, the same way wholly-owned government corporations do under chapter 91 of title 31. (e) Accounts. The Secretary must keep accounts for audit under chapter 35 of title 31. Despite chapter 35, the Comptroller General must allow credit for expenditures under this chapter that follow commercial aviation-insurance practices, when shown to be necessary for this chapter's authorized business.