(a) The Branch will issue a decision on the application determining the extent of an insurance carrier's unsecured LHWCA obligations and fixing the amount of security the carrier must deposit to fully secure payment of its unsecured obligations. The Branch will transmit its decision to the applicant in a way it considers appropriate.

(b) The Branch may consider a number of factors in setting the security deposit amount including, but not limited to, the—

(1) Financial strength of the carrier as determined by private insurance rating organizations;

(2) Financial strength of the carrier's insureds in the Longshore industry;

(3) Extent to which State guaranty funds secure the carrier's LHWCA obligations in the event the carrier defaults on its obligations or becomes insolvent;

(4) Carrier's longevity in writing LHWCA or other workers' compensation coverage;

(5) Extent of carrier's exposure for LHWCA coverage; and

(6) Carrier's payment history in satisfying its LHWCA obligations.

(c) In setting the security deposit amount, the Branch will follow these criteria:

(1) Carriers who hold the highest rating awarded by each of the three insurance rating services designated by the Branch and posted on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc for both the current rating year and the immediately preceding year will not be required to deposit security.

(2) Carriers whose LHWCA obligations are fully secured by one or more State guaranty funds, as evaluated by OWCP under § 703.202 of this subpart, will not be required to deposit security.

(3) The Branch will require all carriers not meeting the requirements of paragraphs (c)(1) or (2) of this section to deposit security for their LHWCA obligations not secured by a State guaranty fund, as evaluated by OWCP under § 703.202 of this subpart. For carriers that write only an insignificant or incidental amount of LHWCA insurance, the Branch will require a deposit in an amount determined by the Branch from time to time. For all other carriers, the Branch will require a minimum deposit of one third (33 1/3 percent) of a carrier s outstanding LHWCA obligations not secured by a State guaranty fund, but may require a deposit up to an amount equal to the carrier's total outstanding LHWCA obligations (100 percent) not secured by a State guaranty fund.

(d) If a carrier believes that a lesser deposit would fully secure its LHWCA obligations, the carrier may request a hearing before the Director of the Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation (Longshore Director) or the Longshore Director's representative. Requests for hearing must be in writing and sent to the Branch within 10 days of the date of the Branch's decision. The carrier may submit new evidence and/or argument in support of its challenge to the Branch's decision and must provide any additional documentation OWCP requests. The Longshore Director or his representative will notify the carrier of the hearing date within 10 days of receiving the request. The Longshore Director or his representative will issue the final agency decision on the application within 60 days of the hearing date, or, where evidence is submitted after the hearing, within 60 days of the receipt of such evidence, but no later than 180 days after receiving the carrier's request for a hearing.