IL SB1492

Defines unemployment security benefits fraud as a felony offense for individuals who knowingly provide false, incomplete, or misleading information to obtain benefits, with Class 4 felony penalties for amounts under $300 and Class 3 felony penalties for amounts of $300 or more.

Requires the Department of Employment Security to display a permanent fraud warning statement on its website and all benefits-related forms informing applicants that providing false information is a crime with specified felony penalties.

Maintains existing penalties for fraud offenders including repayment of benefits, ineligibility for 6 weeks after first offense (2 additional weeks for subsequent offenses), with maximum ineligibility periods of 26 weeks or 2 years whichever comes first.

Requires employers and other persons to promptly provide information to law enforcement or the Department when requested for investigating, prosecuting, or preventing unemployment insurance fraud, subject to legal privileges.

Obligates employers who have reasonable belief that unemployment fraud violations are occurring to disclose relevant information to law enforcement or the Department, subject to legal privileges.