Kansas Statutes § 44-710 Employer contributions, payment; rates; charging of benefit payments; employers held harmless for fraud; time computation; pooled fund; reimbursing employers, reports and payments, benefit costs, allocation, group accounts.

44-710. Employer contributions, payment; rates; charging of benefit payments; employers held harmless for fraud; time computation; pooled fund; reimbursing employers, reports and payments, benefit costs, allocation, group accounts. (a) Payment. Contributions shall accrue and become payable by each contributing employer for each calendar year that the contributing employer is subject to the employment security law with respect to wages paid for employment. Such contributions shall become due and be paid by each contributing employer to the secretary for the employment security fund in accordance with such rules and regulations as the secretary may adopt and shall not be deducted, in whole or in part, from the wages of individuals in such employer's employ. In the payment of any contributions, a fractional part of $.01 shall be disregarded unless it amounts to $.005 or more, in which case it shall be increased to $.01. Should contributions for any calendar quarter be less than $5, no payment shall be required. (b) Rates and base of contributions. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), each contributing employer shall pay contributions on wages paid by the contributing employer during each calendar year with respect to employment as provided in K.S.A. 44-710a, and amendments thereto. (2) (A) If the congress of the United States either amends or repeals the Wagner-Peyser act, the federal unemployment tax act, the federal social security act, or subtitle C of chapter 23 of the federal internal revenue code of 1986, or any act or acts supplemental to or in lieu thereof, or any part or parts of any such law, or if any such law, or any part or parts thereof, are held invalid with the effect that appropriations of funds by congress and grants thereof to the state of Kansas for the payment of costs of administration of the employment security law are no longer available for such purposes; or (B) if employers in Kansas subject to the payment of tax under the federal unemployment tax act are granted full credit against such tax for contributions or taxes paid to the secretary of labor, then, and in either such case, beginning with the year that the unavailability of federal appropriations and grants for such purpose occurs or that such change in liability for payment of such federal tax occurs and for each year thereafter, the rate of contributions of each contributing employer shall be equal to the total of 0.5% and the rate of contributions as determined for such contributing employer under K.S.A. 44-710a, and amendments thereto. The amount of contributions that each contributing employer becomes liable to pay under this paragraph over the amount of contributions that such contributing employer would be otherwise liable to pay shall be credited to the employment security administration fund to be disbursed and paid out under the same conditions and for the same purposes as other moneys are authorized to be paid from the employment security administration fund, except that, if the secretary determines that as of the first day of January of any year there is an excess in the employment security administration fund over the amount required to be disbursed during such year, an amount equal to such excess as determined by the secretary shall be transferred to the employment security fund. (c) Charging of benefit payments. (1) The secretary shall maintain a separate account for each contributing employer, and shall credit the contributing employer's account with all the contributions paid on the contributing employer's own behalf. Nothing in the employment security law shall be construed to grant any employer or individuals in such employer's service prior claims or rights to the amounts paid by such employer into the employment security fund either on such employer's own behalf or on behalf of such individuals. Benefits paid shall be charged against the accounts of each base period employer in the proportion that the base period wages paid to an eligible individual by each such employer bears to the total wages in the base period. Benefits shall be charged to contributing employers' accounts and rated governmental employers' accounts upon the basis of benefits paid during each calendar quarter. (2) (A) Benefits paid in benefit years established by valid new claims shall not be charged to the account of a contributing employer or rated governmental employer who is a base period employer if the examiner finds that claimant was separated from the claimant's most recent employment with such employer under any of the following conditions: (i) Discharged for misconduct or gross misconduct connected with the individual's work; (ii) leaving work voluntarily without good cause attributable to the claimant's work or the employer; or (iii) discharged from an employer directly impacted by COVID-19 in accordance with the families first coronavirus response act, public law 116-127. (B) Where base period wage credits of a contributing employer or rated governmental employer represent part-time employment and the claimant continues in that part-time employment with that employer during the period for which benefits are paid, then that employer's account shall not be charged with any part of the benefits paid if the employer provides the secretary with information as required by rules and regulations. For the purposes of this subparagraph, "part-time employment" means any employment when an individual works less than full-time because the individual's services are not required for the customary, scheduled full-time hours prevailing at the work place or the individual does not customarily work the regularly scheduled full-time hours due to personal choice or circumstances. (C) No contributing employer or rated governmental employer's account shall be charged with any extended benefits paid in accordance with the employment security law, except for weeks of unemployment beginning after December 31, 1978, all contributing governmental employers and governmental rated employers shall be charged an amount equal to all extended benefits paid. (D) No contributing employer or rated governmental employer's account will be charged for benefits paid a claimant while pursuing an approved training course as defined in K.S.A. 44-703(s), and amendments thereto. (E) No contributing employer or rated governmental employer's account shall be charged with respect to the benefits paid to any individual whose base period wages include wages for services not covered by the employment security law prior to January 1, 1978, to the extent that the employment security fund is reimbursed for such benefits pursuant to section 121 of public law 94-566, 90 Stat. 2673. (F) With respect to weeks of unemployment beginning after December 31, 1977, wages for insured work shall include wages paid for previously uncovered services. For the purposes of this subparagraph, the term "previously uncovered services" means services that were not covered employment, at any time during the one-year period ending December 31, 1975, except to the extent that assistance under title II of the federal emergency jobs and unemployment assistance act of 1974 was paid on the basis of such services, and that: (i) Are agricultural labor as defined in K.S.A. 44-703(w), and amendments thereto, or domestic service as defined in K.S.A. 44-703(aa), and amendments thereto; (ii) are services performed by an employee of this state or a political subdivision thereof, as provided in K.S.A. 44-703(i)(3)(E), and amendments thereto; or (iii) are services performed by an employee of a nonprofit educational institution that is not an institution of higher education. (G) Contributing employers, rated governmental employers and reimbursing employers shall be held harmless for and shall not be required to reimburse the state for claims or benefits paid that have been reported by the employer to the secretary and determined by the secretary as fraudulent or as an improper payment, unless the secretary determines the claims are not fraudulent or improper as provided by K.S.A. 44-710b(b)(2)(A), and amendments thereto. The time limitation for disputing a claim or an appeal of a claim as provided by this section, or by any other provision of the employment security law, shall not apply to identifications of fraud reported to the secretary for claims or benefits paid during the period beginning on March 15, 2020, through December 31, 2022. Contributing employers, rated governmental employers and reimbursing employers shall be refunded or credited, in the discretion of the employer, as provided by K.S.A. 44-710b, and amendments thereto, for any claims or benefits paid that have been reported as fraudulent. (3) An employer's account shall not be relieved of charges relating to a payment that was made erroneously if the secretary determines that: (A) The erroneous payment was made because the employer, or the agent of the employer, was at fault for failing to respond timely or adequately to a written request from the secretary for information relating to the claim for unemployment compensation; and (B) the employer or agent has established a pattern of failing to respond timely or adequately to requests for information. (C) For purposes of this paragraph: (i) "Erroneous payment" means a payment that but for the failure by the employer or the employer's agent with respect to the claim for unemployment compensation, would not have been made; and (ii) "pattern of failure" means repeated documented failure on the part of the employer or the agent of the employer to respond, taking into consideration the number of instances of failure in relation to the total volume of requests. An employer or employer's agent failing to respond as described in subparagraph (A) shall not be determined to have engaged in a "pattern of failure" if the number of such failures during the year prior to such request is fewer than two, or less than 2%, of such requests, whichever is greater. (D) Determinations of the secretary prohibiting the relief of charges pursuant to this section shall be subject to appeal or protest as other determinations of the agency with respect to the charging of employer accounts. (4) The examiner shall notify any base period employer whose account will be charged with benefits paid following the filing of a valid new claim and a determination by the examiner based on all information relating to the claim contained in the records of the division of employment security. Such notice shall become final and benefits charged to the base period employer's account in accordance with the claim unless within 10 calendar days from the date the notice was sent, the base period employer requests in writing that the examiner reconsider the determination and furnishes any required information in accordance with the secretary's rules and regulations. In a similar manner, a notice of an additional claim followed by the first payment of benefits with respect to the benefit year, filed by an individual during a benefit year after a period in such year during which such individual was employed, shall be given to any base period employer of the individual who has requested such a notice within 10 calendar days from the date the notice of the valid new claim was sent to such base period employer. For purposes of this paragraph, if the required information is not submitted or postmarked within a response time limit of 10 days after the base period employer notice was sent, the base period employer shall be deemed to have waived its standing as a party to the proceedings arising from the claim and shall be barred from protesting any subsequent decisions about the claim by the secretary, a referee, the board of review or any court, except that the base period employer's response time limit may be waived or extended by the examiner or upon appeal, if timely response was impossible due to excusable neglect. The examiner shall notify the employer of the reconsidered determination, which shall be subject to appeal or further reconsideration, in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 44-709, and amendments thereto. (5) Time, computation and extension. In computing the period of time for a base period employer response or appeals under this section from the examiner's or the special examiner's determination or from the referee's decision, the day of the act, event or default from which the designated period of time begins to run shall not be included. The last day of the period shall be included unless it is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, in which event the period runs until the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. (d) Pooled fund. All contributions and payments in lieu of contributions and benefit cost payments to the employment security fund shall be pooled and available to pay benefits to any individual entitled thereto under the employment security law, regardless of the source of such contributions or payments in lieu of contributions or benefit cost payments. (e) Election to become reimbursing employer; payment in lieu of contributions. (1) Any governmental entity, Indian tribes or tribal units, (subdivisions, subsidiaries or business enterprises wholly owned by such Indian tribes), for which services are performed as described in K.S.A. 44-703(i)(3)(E), and amendments thereto, or any nonprofit organization or group of nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code of 1986 that is exempt from income tax under section 501(a) of such code, that becomes subject to the employment security law may elect to become a reimbursing employer under this paragraph and agree to pay the secretary for the employment security fund an amount equal to the amount of regular benefits and ½ of the extended benefits paid that are attributable to service in the employ of such reimbursing employer, except that each reimbursing governmental employer, Indian tribes or tribal units shall pay an amount equal to the amount of regular benefits and extended benefits paid for weeks of unemployment beginning after December 31, 1978, for governmental employers and December 21, 2000, for Indian tribes or tribal units to individuals for weeks of unemployment that begin during the effective period of such election. (A) Any employer identified in this paragraph may elect to become a reimbursing employer for a period encompassing not less than four complete calendar years if such employer files with the secretary a written notice of such election within the 30-day period immediately following January 1 of any calendar year or within the 30-day period immediately following the date when a determination of subjectivity to the employment security law is issued, whichever occurs later. (B) Any employer that makes an election to become a reimbursing employer in accordance with subparagraph (A) will continue to be liable for payments in lieu of contributions until such employer files with the secretary a written notice terminating its election not later than 30 days prior to the beginning of the calendar year for which such termination shall first be effective. (C) Any employer identified in this paragraph that has remained a contributing employer and has been paying contributions under the employment security law for a period subsequent to January 1, 1972, may change to a reimbursing employer by filing with the secretary not later than 30 days prior to the beginning of any calendar year a written notice of election to become a reimbursing employer. Such election shall not be terminable by the employer for four complete calendar years. (D) The secretary may for good cause extend the period within which a notice of election, or a notice of termination, must be filed and may permit an election to be retroactive but not any earlier than with respect to benefits paid after January 1 of the year such election is received. (E) The secretary, in accordance with such rules and regulations as the secretary may adopt, shall notify each employer identified in this paragraph of any determination that the secretary may make of its status as an employer and of the effective date of any election that it makes to become a reimbursing employer and of any termination of such election. Such determinations shall be subject to reconsideration, appeal and review in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 44-710b, and amendments thereto. (2) Reimbursement reports and payments. Payments in lieu of contributions shall be made in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (A) by all reimbursing employers except the state of Kansas. Each reimbursing employer shall report total wages paid during each calendar quarter by filing quarterly wage reports with the secretary that shall be filed by the last day of the month following the close of each calendar quarter. Wage reports are deemed filed as of the date they are placed in the United States mail. (A) At the end of each calendar quarter, or at the end of any other period as determined by the secretary, the secretary shall bill each reimbursing employer, except the state of Kansas: (i) An amount to be paid that is equal to the full amount of regular benefits plus ½ of the amount of extended benefits paid during such quarter or other prescribed period that is attributable to service in the employ of such reimbursing employer; and (ii) for weeks of unemployment beginning after December 31, 1978, each reimbursing governmental employer and December 21, 2000, for Indian tribes or tribal units shall be certified an amount to be paid that is equal to the full amount of regular benefits and extended benefits paid during such quarter or other prescribed period that is attributable to service in the employ of such reimbursing governmental employer. (B) Payment of any bill rendered under subparagraph (A) shall be made not later than 30 days after such bill was mailed to the last known address of the reimbursing employer, or otherwise was delivered to such reimbursing employer, unless there has been an application for review and redetermination in accordance with subparagraph (D). (C) Payments made by any reimbursing employer under the provisions of this paragraph shall not be deducted or deductible, in whole or in part, from the remuneration of individuals in the employ of such employer. (D) The amount due specified in any bill from the secretary shall be conclusive on the reimbursing employer, unless, not later than 15 days after the bill was mailed to the last known address of such employer, or was otherwise delivered to such employer, the reimbursing employer files an application for redetermination in accordance with K.S.A. 44-710b, and amendments thereto. (E) (i) Past due payments of amounts certified by the secretary under this section shall be subject to the same interest, penalties and actions required by K.S.A. 44-717, and amendments thereto. (ii) If any nonprofit organization or group of nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code of 1986 or governmental reimbursing employer is delinquent in making payments of amounts certified by the secretary under this section, the secretary may terminate such employer's election to make payments in lieu of contributions as of the beginning of the next calendar year and such termination shall be effective for such next calendar year and the calendar year thereafter so that the termination is effective for two complete calendar years. (iii) Failure of an Indian tribe or tribal unit to make required payments, including assessment of interest and penalty within 90 days of receipt of a bill shall cause the Indian tribe to lose the option to make payments in lieu of contributions as described pursuant to paragraph (e)(1) for the following tax year unless payment in full is received before contribution rates for the next tax year are calculated. Any Indian tribe that loses the option to make payments in lieu of contributions due to late payment or nonpayment, as described in this paragraph, shall have such option reinstated, if after a period of one year, all contributions have been made on time and no contributions, payments in lieu of contributions for benefits paid, penalties or interest remain outstanding. (F) Failure of the Indian tribe or any tribal unit thereof to make required payments, including assessments of interest and penalties, after all collection activities deemed necessary by the secretary have been exhausted, will cause services performed by such tribe to not be treated as employment for purposes of K.S.A. 44-703(i)(3)(E), and amendments thereto. If an Indian tribe fails to make payments required under this section, including assessments of interest and penalties, within 90 days of a final notice of delinquency, the secretary shall immediately notify the United States internal revenue service and the United States department of labor. The secretary may determine that any Indian tribe that loses coverage pursuant to this paragraph may have services performed on behalf of such tribe again deemed employment if all contributions, payments in lieu of contributions, penalties and interest have been paid. (G) In the discretion of the secretary, any employer who elects to become liable for payments in lieu of contributions and any nonprofit organization or group of nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code of 1986 or governmental reimbursing employer or Indian tribe or tribal unit who is delinquent in filing reports or in making payments of amounts certified by the secretary under this section shall be required within 60 days after the effective date of such election, in the case of an eligible employer so electing, or after the date of notification to the delinquent employer under this subparagraph, in the case of a delinquent employer, to execute and file with the secretary a surety bond, except that the employer may elect, in lieu of a surety bond, to deposit with the secretary money or securities as approved by the secretary or to purchase and deliver to an escrow agent a certificate of deposit to guarantee payment. The amount of the bond, deposit or escrow agreement required shall not exceed 5.4% of the organization's taxable wages paid for employment by the eligible employer during the four calendar quarters immediately preceding the effective date of the election or the date of notification, in the case of a delinquent employer. If the employer did not pay wages in each of such four calendar quarters, the amount of the bond or deposit shall be as determined by the secretary. Upon the failure of an employer to comply with the provisions of this subparagraph within the time limits imposed or to maintain the required bond or deposit, the secretary may terminate the election of such eligible employer or delinquent employer, as the case may be, to make payments in lieu of contributions, and such termination shall be effective for the current and next calendar year. (H) The state of Kansas shall make reimbursement payments quarterly at a fiscal year rate that shall be based upon: (i) The available balance in the state's reimbursing account as of December 31 of each calendar year; (ii) the historical unemployment experience of all covered state agencies during prior years; (iii) the estimate of total covered wages to be paid during the ensuing calendar year; (iv) the applicable fiscal year rate of the claims processing and auditing fee under K.S.A. 75-3798, and amendments thereto; and (v) actuarial and other information furnished to the secretary by the secretary of administration. In accordance with K.S.A. 75-3798, and amendments thereto, the claims processing and auditing fees charged to state agencies shall be deducted from the amounts collected for the reimbursement payments under this paragraph prior to making the quarterly reimbursement payments for the state of Kansas. The fiscal year rate shall be expressed as a percentage of covered total wages and shall be the same for all covered state agencies. The fiscal year rate for each fiscal year will be certified in writing by the secretary to the secretary of administration on July 15 of each year and such certified rate shall become effective on the July 1 immediately following the date of certification. A detailed listing of benefit charges applicable to the state's reimbursing account shall be furnished quarterly by the secretary to the secretary of administration and the total amount of charges deducted from previous reimbursing payments made by the state. On January 1 of each year, if it is determined that benefit charges exceed the amount of prior reimbursing payments, an upward adjustment shall be made therefor in the fiscal year rate to be certified on the ensuing July 15. If total payments exceed benefit charges, all or part of the excess may be refunded, at the discretion of the secretary, from the fund or retained in the fund as part of the payments that may be required for the next fiscal year. (3) Allocation of benefit costs. The reimbursing account of each reimbursing employer shall be charged the full amount of regular benefits and ½ of the amount of extended benefits paid except that each reimbursing governmental employer's account shall be charged the full amount of regular benefits and extended benefits paid for weeks of unemployment beginning after December 31, 1978, to individuals whose entire base period wage credits are from such employer. When benefits received by an individual are based upon base period wage credits from more than one employer then the reimbursing employer's or reimbursing governmental employer's account shall be charged in the same ratio as base period wage credits from such employer bear to the individual's total base period wage credits. Notwithstanding any other provision of the employment security law, no reimbursing employer's or reimbursing governmental employer's account shall be charged for payments of extended benefits that are wholly reimbursed to the state by the federal government. (A) Proportionate allocation when fewer than all reimbursing base period employers are liable. If benefits paid to an individual are based on wages paid by one or more reimbursing employers and on wages paid by one or more contributing employers or rated governmental employers, the amount of benefits payable by each reimbursing employer shall be an amount that bears the same ratio to the total benefits paid to the individual as the total base period wages paid to the individual by such employer bears to the total base period wages paid to the individual by all of such individual's base period employers. (B) Proportionate allocation when all base period employers are reimbursing employers. If benefits paid to an individual are based on wages paid by two or more reimbursing employers, the amount of benefits payable by each such employer shall be an amount that bears the same ratio to the total benefits paid to the individual as the total base period wages paid to the individual by such employer bear to the total base period wages paid to the individual by all of such individual's base period employers. (4) Group accounts. Two or more reimbursing employers may file a joint application to the secretary for the establishment of a group account for the purpose of sharing the cost of benefits paid that are attributable to service in the employment of such reimbursing employers. Each such application shall identify and authorize a group representative to act as the group's agent for the purposes of this paragraph. Upon approval of the application, the secretary shall establish a group account for such employers effective as of the beginning of the calendar quarter in which the secretary receives the application and shall notify the group's representative of the effective date of the account. Such account shall remain in effect for not less than four years and thereafter such account shall remain in effect until terminated at the discretion of the secretary or upon application by the group. Upon establishment of the account, each member of the group shall be liable for payments in lieu of contributions with respect to each calendar quarter in the amount that bears the same ratio to the total benefits paid in such quarter that are attributable to service performed in the employ of all members of the group as the total wages paid for service in employment by such member in such quarter bear to the total wages paid during such quarter for service performed in the employ of all members of the group. The secretary shall adopt such rules and regulations as the secretary deems necessary with respect to applications for establishment, maintenance and termination of group accounts that are authorized by this paragraph, for addition of new members to, and withdrawal of active members from such accounts, and for the determination of the amounts that are payable under this paragraph by members of the group and the time and manner of such payments. History: L. 1937, ch. 255, § 10; L. 1941, ch. 264, § 7; L. 1943, ch. 190, § 5; L. 1945, ch. 220, § 5; L. 1947, ch. 292, § 1; L. 1949, ch. 288, § 5; L. 1953, ch. 247, § 1; L. 1963, ch. 276, § 1; L. 1970, ch. 191, § 6; L. 1971, ch. 180, § 4; L. 1972, ch. 192, § 2; L. 1973, ch. 205, § 6; L. 1974, ch. 205, § 1; L. 1975, ch. 261, § 1; L. 1976, ch. 370, § 62; L. 1977, ch. 181, § 4; L. 1979, ch. 159, § 4; L. 1981, ch. 205, § 1; L. 1982, ch. 216, § 2; L. 1984, ch. 184, § 3; L. 1987, ch. 191, § 5; L. 1988, ch. 343, § 1; L. 1989, ch. 150, § 3; L. 1990, ch. 186, § 4; L. 1996, ch. 232, § 3; L. 1997, ch. 19, § 2; L. 1998, ch. 167, § 1; L. 2001, ch. 139, § 3; L. 2002, ch. 84, § 3; L. 2003, ch. 96, § 4; L. 2004, ch. 105, § 4; L. 2004, ch. 179, § 59; L. 2008, ch. 105, § 2; L. 2010, ch. 14, § 1; L. 2011, ch. 85, § 5; L. 2013, ch. 106, § 7; L. 2020, ch. 1, § 30 (Special Session); L. 2021, ch. 92, § 16; L. 2024, ch. 83, § 6; July 1.