The proposed bill would update current statutes related to Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits by introducing new requirements for claimants and modifying existing ones. It would require unemployed individuals to actively seek suitable work by conducting at least five work search actions each week and submitting a weekly report to the Department of Economic Security (DES) detailing these actions. This change would remove the previous requirement for individuals to engage in a systematic effort to obtain work over four days and to make at least one job contact per day on four different days. Additionally, the bill would enhance the claims examination process by prohibiting DES from paying benefits until claims are cross-checked against specified national and state data sets. It would also mandate disqualification and potential prosecution for claims found to be ineligible or fraudulent based on these cross-checks. The bill aims to tighten eligibility criteria, improve the integrity of the UI benefits system, and clarify language to be more inclusive, thereby ensuring that individuals actively seek work while providing clearer guidelines for both claimants and employers.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 23-634.01, 23-762, 23-763, 23-771, 23-773, 23-776, 23-780, 23-621, 23-772, 23-775, 23-777, 23-363, 23-622, 23-615, 23-779, 23-609, 13-3601, 13-3601.02, 23-727, 23-673, 23-778