(a) The Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as appropriate, shall represent, and exercise rights of appeal to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board under this part on behalf of school employers held under Section 1336 of the Unemployment Insurance Code.

(b) The Superintendent of Public Instruction or Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges is hereby authorized to obtain pertinent personnel records and data from any school employer and to act as an agent individually or collectively for school employers in matters pertaining to unemployment insurance.

(c) Each county superintendent of schools shall have the responsibility of establishing, coordinating, and maintaining, either directly or by contract, an unemployment insurance management system for each school employer participating in the School Employees Fund under Article 6 (commencing with Section 821) of Chapter 3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Unemployment Insurance Code. A management system shall include general administration, claims management, appointment of hearing representatives, representation of school employers at hearings, and other duties related to the unemployment insurance program in their jurisdiction. These duties and responsibilities may be delegated to any school district, community college district, another county superintendent of schools, or any combination of these entities, including programs under joint powers agreements for the purpose of consolidation for economy and employment of specialists, including the services of a regional data center operated by a county superintendent of schools or the data-processing services of a school district or a community college district. School employers not participating in the School Employees Fund shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of their own unemployment insurance management system required by this subdivision.

(d) Each school employer shall perform pursuant to the type of financing elected, and shall, as required, respond to the Superintendent of Public Instruction or Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and the county superintendent of schools or designated agency as soon as possible, in no case later than 48 hours, to inquiries made on behalf of the county superintendent or the Superintendent of Public Instruction or Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges in reference to any aspect of eligibility, notice of claim or appeal under the unemployment insurance program. Each county superintendent or agent thereof who is responsible for administering the unemployment insurance program shall be responsible for timely responses to any inquiry by the administrator, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Treasurer, Controller, or other officer or person responsible for disbursements from the School Employees Fund in the State Treasury as established by Section 822 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, or the Unemployment Fund in the State Treasury. Any school employer which fails to pay the contributions, interest, charges or levies within the time required shall be liable for interest on moneys due at the rate of 1 percent per month or fraction thereof from and after the date of delinquency until paid. If the school employer fails, without good cause, to pay any sums required within the time required, a penalty of 10 percent of the amount noticed, billed or required shall be made by the administrator. The administrator may for good cause waive all or a portion of interest and penalty.

(e) The administrator of the School Employees Fund shall, from available interest earnings, pursuant to investments authorized by Section 822 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, transfer each year an amount equal to two dollars ($2) per covered employee for all districts participating in the School Employees Fund under Article 6 (commencing with Section 821) of Chapter 3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, to the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as appropriate. The Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as appropriate, shall apportion the two dollars ($2) per covered employee amount, less actual state administrative costs not to exceed five cents ($0.05) per covered employee, to the county superintendent of schools to cover costs of administering the unemployment insurance management system specified in subdivision (c).

(f) For the fiscal year 1978–79, and each fiscal year thereafter, the administrator of the School Employees Fund shall transfer the funds by December 31 of each year based on the reports received from the Superintendent of Public Instruction or Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges by November 30 of each year. The reports shall be compiled from the number of covered employees as reported by the county superintendent of schools or community colleges, as appropriate, to the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges by November 1 of each year, based on the covered employees employed in the preceding calendar month. The funds shall be apportioned by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges prior to January 31 of each year to the county superintendent of schools, less the actual administrative costs of the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, which shall not exceed an aggregate amount of five cents ($0.05) per covered employee. Funds for the cost of administering the unemployment insurance management system shall be apportioned to each county superintendent of schools according to the number of covered employees in each district reported by him or her, and shall be used only for the purpose of covering actual administrative costs incurred pursuant to Section 1330.

(Amended by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1372, Sec. 25.)