(a) For the purpose of payment by each school employer of all or part of the charges for unemployment compensation benefits, fees, assessments, interest, penalties, billings, notices, and other expenses of unemployment insurance for school employees pursuant to this part, moneys budgeted pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) of this section shall be remitted by the school employer or on the school employer’s behalf by the county auditor to the Treasurer pursuant to this article, and shall be deposited in the School Employees Fund.

(b) (1) For each fiscal year, except as provided in subdivision (c), each school employer shall budget and remit on or before the last day of the calendar month following the close of each calendar quarter to the Treasurer for deposit in the School Employees Fund in the State Treasury an amount determined by multiplying the contribution rate for the fiscal year by the total wages, including taxable wages as well as wages which would be taxable except for the limitation on taxable wages provided under Section 930, but excluding, to the extent permitted by federal law, wages paid to any individual to the extent that federal law provides for reimbursement to the State of California for all benefits paid from the Unemployment Fund to the individual based on the wages.

The administrator shall, not later than March 31 each year, notify all school employers participating in the School Employees Fund of the contribution rate for the succeeding fiscal year.

(2) The contribution rate for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1988, and for each subsequent fiscal year shall be two times the amount disbursed for claims management fees, unemployment insurance benefit charges, and School Employees Fund administrative expenditures from the School Employees Fund during the 12-month period ending December 31 and immediately preceding the fiscal year for which the rate is to be effective, less the amount in the School Employees Fund on that December 31, with the resulting figure divided by total wages as described in paragraph (1) for the 12-month period ending June 30 and immediately preceding that December 31, and then rounded to the nearest one-hundredth of 1 percent. In no event shall the contribution rate be less than five one-hundredths of 1 percent.

(c) If the administrator finds that the ability of the School Employees Fund to meet its estimated obligations promptly when due will become endangered, he or she shall increase the contribution rate otherwise provided by this section to a level estimated to be needed to protect the solvency of the fund, except that the rate shall not be increased to more than three-tenths of 1 percent. If the administrator finds that the School Employees Fund balance is in excess of an adequate reserve to meet its estimated obligations promptly when due, he or she shall, after consultation with the fund’s School Advisory Committee, decrease the contribution rate otherwise provided by this section, except that the rate shall not be decreased to less than one-tenth of 1 percent. The administrator shall notify all school employers participating in the fund of any increased or decreased contribution rate under this authority.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 117, Sec. 4. (AB 1695) Effective January 1, 2018.)