The proposed bill would update the eligibility requirements for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits by requiring unemployed individuals to actively seek and apply for suitable work, conducting at least five work search actions each week, which may include submitting resumes, completing job applications, attending job fairs, and providing weekly reports to the Department of Economic Security (DES). This change would remove the current requirement that individuals engage in a systemic effort to obtain work for at least four days a week and make one job contact per day on four different days. Additionally, the bill would enhance the claims examination process by mandating that DES cross-check claims against various data sets, including employment, incarceration, and death records, before benefits are paid. It would also allow DES to refer fraudulent claims for prosecution and stipulate that claims found to be ineligible or fraudulent cannot be paid. Moreover, the bill clarifies disqualification language for extended benefits, replacing "he" with "individual," and specifies that individuals must earn at least four times their weekly benefit amount to lift disqualification. It also enhances employer reporting obligations by requiring notifications to DES when a former employee refuses to return to work or fails to respond to job offers, allowing for digital submissions and independent reviews by the department. Overall, these updates aim to modernize the statutes, improve the integrity of the UI benefits system, and ensure compliance with current employment practices.

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, 23-799.01, 23-778