The administrator of workers' compensation shall determine the amount of money to be contributed under section 4123.38 of the Revised Code by the state itself and each county and each taxing district within each county. In fixing the amount of contribution to be made by the county, for such county and for the taxing districts therein, the administrator shall classify counties and other taxing districts into such groups as will equitably determine the contributions in accordance with the relative degree of hazard, and also merit rate such individual counties, taxing districts, or groups of taxing districts in accordance with their individual accident experience so as ultimately to provide for each taxing subdivision contributing an amount sufficient to meet its individual obligations and to maintain a solvent public insurance fund.

The administrator shall classify hospitals owned by a political subdivision or subdivisions as a group and merit rate each individual hospital according to its individual accident experience as provided in the rules of the administrator.

A children's home or other such public institution, or any other public activity maintained and operated by two or more counties or parts of counties, shall be considered as a county for the purpose of this chapter.

The contribution to the state insurance fund of the state and its departments, agencies, and instrumentalities shall be paid from appropriations made by the general assembly for that purpose.

The administrator shall develop and make available to counties and taxing districts and the district activities and institutions mentioned in this section a plan that groups, for rating purposes, counties, districts, and such activities and institutions of similar size and risk, and pools the risks of those counties, districts, activities, and institutions within the group. In no event shall this be construed as granting to such counties, districts, activities, or institutions status as self-insuring employers.

Effective Date: 10-20-1993 .