TX HB4424

Requires unemployment benefit claimants to complete at least five work search activities per week, including job applications, resume submissions, job fair attendance, interviews, or skills training programs; local workforce boards may require more than five activities but not fewer

Increases wage credit eligibility requirements from two to three calendar quarters during the base period, and raises the re-qualification threshold after a prior benefit year from six times to 37 times the individual's benefit amount

Mandates identity verification using government-issued ID and cross-checking of all claims against federal and state databases including the National Association of State Workforce Agencies integrity data hub, new hire directories, death records, incarceration records, and USCIS immigration status databases

Adds failure to respond to or attend a job interview as grounds for disqualification from benefits

Strengthens fraud penalties with escalating consequences: first offense forfeits benefits for the remainder of the benefit year plus one calendar year; second offense adds three-year disqualification; third and subsequent offenses result in five-year disqualification, with a 15% penalty on forfeited amounts