39-51-1212. Experience rating for governmental entities. (1) The rates of governmental entities who have accumulated experience rating credits must be adjusted annually as follows with each governmental entity assigned a rate based upon:

(a) its benefit cost experience, to be arrived at by dividing the total sum of benefits charged to the employer's account for all past periods that are completed transactions by December 31 by total wages from date of subjectivity of the employing unit through December 31; and

(b) the benefit cost for all past years of governmental entities electing to pay contributions compared with total payrolls reported for all past years by these governmental entities used as a median, with the rates fixed using the median so that the rates will, when applied to the total annual payroll for subject governmental entities, yield total paid contributions equaling approximately the total benefit costs.

(2) New governmental entities electing to pay contributions must be assigned the median rate for the year in which they become subject.

(3) The minimum rate may not be less than 0.06% and the maximum rate may not be greater than 1.5%. The rates are to be graduated at one-tenth intervals.

(4) If benefit charges exceed contributions paid in the last completed state fiscal year, governmental entities' rates must be adjusted by increasing all rates to the next higher schedule.

(5) The computed rate is effective July 1 of each year.

(6) Governmental entities must be charged for their share of the total benefits paid to a claimant if the governmental entity contributed wages during the claimant's base period. The benefit charged must be based on the percentage of wages paid by the governmental entity as compared to the total wages paid by all employers in the claimant's base period.

(7) Subject to the provisions of 39-51-605, the department may relieve benefit charges paid by a governmental employer with respect to benefits paid to an individual if the governmental employer continues to provide employment to the individual without a reduction in hours or wages.