HB 4982 Summary

• Requires unemployment agency employees to independently examine facts and determine willful or intentional violations before making fraud determinations, rather than basing determinations solely on computer-identified discrepancies between claimant and employer information.

• Mandates that unemployment agency issue notifications to claimants within 2 weeks and again 6 months after initial benefit payment, containing information about determinations, penalties, appeal rights, and agency regulations.

• For fraud cases involving unreported earnings beginning May 1, 2017, requires unemployment agency to possess weekly wage information from the employer to establish fraud, strengthening evidentiary standards.

• Modifies benefit reduction rates for partial remuneration effective October 1, 2015, changing from 40 cents to 50 cents reduction per dollar earned, and adjusts the maximum benefit earnings ceiling from 1-3/5 times to 1-1/2 times the weekly benefit amount.

• Reduces maximum weeks of unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 20 weeks for initial claims filed on or after January 15, 2012, while maintaining minimum of 14 weeks, and requires agency to report annually on earnings reduction impacts.