AB168: Bill Text

AB168,2,7 (a) The measures require a claimant to verify his or her identity prior to filing an initial claim for benefits and when engaging in other transactions with the department.

AB168,2,9 (b) The measures achieve the IAL2 and AAL2 standards adopted in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Digital Identity Guidelines.

AB168,2 Section 2. 108.14 (23m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB168,2,12 108.14 (23m) The department shall provide training materials on the unemployment insurance system, including all of the following:

AB168,2,14 (a) Training videos for claimants and employing units published on the department’s website.

AB168,2,16 (b) Live training seminars for employing units that are free of charge and provided on a quarterly basis. The seminars may be in-person, online, or both.

AB168,3 Section 3. 108.14 (28) of the statutes is created to read:

AB168,3,2 108.14 (28) If the department suspends or reduces any method used by the department to detect fraud committed against the unemployment insurance program under this chapter, the department shall submit a notification detailing the suspension or reduction and the reasons therefor to the council on unemployment insurance, the governor, and the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3).

AB168,4 Section 4. 108.14 (29) of the statutes is created to read:

AB168,3,6 108.14 (29) (a) The department shall maintain a call center to provide assistance and support by telephone to claimants for benefits under this chapter or payments under federal assistance programs for unemployment.

AB168,3,8 (b) 1. The department shall, during each of the following periods, operate the call center with hours of at least 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays:

AB168,3,10 a. During a declared state of emergency for the state that causes or relates to an increase in unemployment claims.

AB168,3,13 b. For 90 days after any week in which the call center experiences an increase of at least 100 percent in calls compared to the same week during the previous year, and for 90 days after each subsequent week in which such an increase occurs.

AB168,3,15 2. The department shall, during each of the following periods, operate the call center with hours after 5 p.m. on weekdays and at least 16 hours on weekends:

AB168,3,17 a. During a declared state of emergency for the state that causes or relates to an increase in unemployment claims.

AB168,3,20 b. For 90 days after any week in which the call center experiences an increase of at least 300 percent in calls compared to the same week during the previous year, and for 90 days after each subsequent week in which such an increase occurs.

AB168,5 Section 5. 108.14 (30) of the statutes is created to read:

AB168,4,2 108.14 (30) (a) The department shall, on at least a weekly basis, perform a comparison of recipients of benefits under this chapter against all of the following for the purpose of detecting fraud or erroneous payments:

AB168,4,4 1. Nationally recognized databases that contain information on death records, including the federal social security administration’s death master file.

AB168,4,5 2. The National Association of State Workforce Agencies’ integrity data hub.

AB168,4,7 3. The national directory of new hires maintained by the office of child support enforcement in the U.S. department of health and human services.

AB168,4,9 4. Prisoner databases maintained by the department of justice, the department of corrections, and the U.S. department of justice.

AB168,4,11 5. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Secure Automated Verification of Eligibility database.

AB168,4,12 6. Databases maintained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

AB168,4,15 (b) The department may perform comparisons of recipients of benefits under this chapter against public or private databases in addition to those specified in par. (a) 1. to 6.

AB168,6 Section 6. 939.74 (2) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

AB168,5,2 939.74 (2) (d) A prosecution for a felony violation under s. 108.24 (1) or (2) or under any other statute under which a person is prosecuted for fraud in obtaining unemployment insurance benefits, benefits under the pandemic unemployment assistance program under 15 USC 9021, benefits under the federal pandemic unemployment compensation and mixed earner unemployment compensation programs under 15 USC 9023, or benefits under the pandemic emergency unemployment compensation program under 15 USC 9025 must be commenced within 8 years after the commission of the violation if the violation is related to benefits that were paid or payable on or before September 4, 2021.

AB168,7 Section 7. Initial applicability.

AB168,5,6 (1) Notwithstanding s. 990.06, the treatment of s. 939.74 (2) (d) first applies to an act for which the time limit under s. 939.74 (1) for prosecution has not expired as of the effective date of this subsection.

AB168,8 Section 8. Effective date.

AB168,5,8 (1) This act takes effect on the Sunday after publication.

AB168,5,9 (end)