Senate Bill 2819 Summary

• Codifies Section 71-5-128 to establish minimum fraud prevention, detection, and recovery requirements for the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) regarding unemployment insurance benefits and tax contributions.

• Requires MDES to pursue recovery of improper overpayments, mandate employers notify MDES within 10 business days of employees refusing suitable work, and utilize technological resources including the Integrity Data Hub and National Directory of New Hires to verify newly hired employees and reduce fraudulent applications.

• Authorizes MDES to use cross-match verification and other technological methods to identify potentially fraudulent claims and overpayments, and requires employers to promptly respond to wage request inquiries.

• Mandates all state agencies and political subdivisions share data with MDES for fraud prevention and recovery purposes, with authority for MDES to execute memoranda of understanding with agencies for information sharing.

• Brings forward existing unemployment compensation code sections (71-5-11, 71-5-13, 71-5-355, 71-5-503, 71-5-505, 71-5-507) for possible future amendment and takes effect January 1, 2023.