§ 72-1383 — INTEGRITY OF THE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY PROGRAM

(1) The purpose of this section is to enhance program integrity for the state’s unemployment insurance program. The department shall be required to perform routine cross-matches, review eligibility of suspicious claims, implement identity protection protocols, recover overpayments, and report the results of such activities to the legislature.
(2) The department shall establish and follow procedures to verify claimant eligibility and perform cross-match activities by:
(a) Engaging with and utilizing the integrity data hub operated by the national association of state workforce agencies;
(b) On a weekly basis, cross-checking the unemployment insurance rolls against the national directory of new hires and the state directory of new hires;
(c) On a weekly basis, cross-checking the unemployment insurance rolls with the department of correction’s list of incarcerated individuals; and
(d) Cross-checking the unemployment insurance rolls against the most recent state death records list available to the department.
(3) The department shall verify a claimant’s identity by methods including but not limited to:
(a) Verifying the identity of an applicant prior to awarding benefits;
(b) Requiring multifactor authentication as part of online applications; or
(c) Requiring an applicant to identify himself at a state office in a manner to be established by the department.
(4) The department shall perform a full eligibility review of suspicious or potentially improper claims, including but not limited to:
(a) Multiple or duplicative claims filed online originating from suspicious internet protocol addresses;
(b) Claims filed online from foreign internet protocol addresses; or
(c) Multiple or duplicative claims filed that are associated with the same mailing address or bank account.

Legislative History

[72-1383, added 2023, ch. 250, sec. 1, p. 767.]