1.    Each department, board, or agency shall pay to the board each month from its funds appropriated for payroll and salary amounts a state contribution in the amount as     determined by the primary carrier of the group contract for the full single rate monthly premium for each of its eligible employees enrolled in the uniform group insurance program and the full rate monthly premium, in an amount equal to that contributed under the alternate family contract, including major medical coverage, for hospital and medical benefits coverage for spouses and dependent children of its eligible employees enrolled in the uniform group insurance program pursuant to section 54-52.1-07. The board then shall pay the necessary and proper premium amount for the uniform group insurance program to the proper carrier or carriers on a monthly basis.

2.    Any refund, rebate, dividend, experience rating allowance, discount, or other reduction of premium amount must be credited at least annually to a separate fund of the uniform group insurance program to be used by the board to reimburse the administrative expense and benefit fund of the public employees retirement program for the costs of administration of the uniform group insurance program.

3.    If an enrolled eligible employee is not entitled to receive salary, wages, or other compensation for a particular calendar month, that employee may make direct payment of the required premium to the board to continue the employee’s coverage, and the employing department, board, or agency shall provide for the giving of a timely notice to the employee of that employee’s right to make such payment at the time the right arises.

4.    A governmental unit that fails to pay the contributions by the board’s established due date is subject to a civil penalty of fifty dollars and, as interest, one percent of the amount due for each month of delay or fraction of a month after the payment became due.