(a) Whenever a commissioned member of the department of safety is injured in the line of duty and such injury disables the member from performing the member's regular duties, whether such disability is temporary or permanent, it is lawful for the commissioner of safety, in the commissioner's sound discretion and with the approval of the governor and the attorney general and reporter, to retain such injured disabled member of the department upon the regular payroll of the department until such member's claim for compensation for such disability is determined by the division of claims and risk management.
(b)
(1) The discretionary authority granted to the commissioner in subsection (a) with respect to commissioned members of the department shall also extend in like manner to the department's driver license examiners who are injured and disabled in the line of duty.
(2) In any recovery from, or settlement with, a third party made by such driver license examiners where the state receives any part of such recovery in compensation for payments made under this subsection (b), the state shall pay a pro rata share, based on the percentage of the recovery it receives, of any attorney fees paid or agreed to by the driver license examiner to secure such settlement or recovery.