§ 22-4-18-1 — Creation of department; powers and duties related to unemployment insurance program; reports to general assembly and interim study committee

(a) There is created a department under IC 22-4.1-2-1 which shall be known as the department of workforce
development.
(b) The department of workforce development may do the
following:
(1) Administer the unemployment insurance program.
(2) Enter into agreements with the United States government that
may be required as a condition of obtaining federal funds related
to activities of the department under this article.
(3) Enter into contracts or agreements and cooperate with local
governmental units or corporations, including profit or nonprofit
corporations, or combinations of units and corporations to carry
out the duties of the department imposed by this article, including
contracts for the delegation of the department's administrative,
monitoring, and program responsibilities and duties set forth in
this article.
(c) The payment of unemployment insurance benefits must be made
in accordance with 26 U.S.C. 3304.
(d) The department of workforce development may do all acts and
things necessary or proper to carry out the powers expressly granted
under this article, including the adoption of rules under IC 4-22-2.
(e) The department of workforce development may not charge any
claimant for benefits for providing services under this article, except as
provided in IC 22-4-17-12.
(f) The department of workforce development shall do the
following:
(1) Submit a report to the general assembly in an electronic
format under IC 5-14-6 and to the governor before December 1 of
each year concerning the status of the unemployment
compensation system, including the following:
(A) Recommendations for maintaining the solvency of the
unemployment insurance benefit fund established under IC 22-4-26-1.
(B) Information regarding expenditures from the special
employment and training services fund.
(C) Information regarding money released under IC 22-4-25-1(c).
(2) Make a presentation before November 1 of each year to the
interim study committee on employment and labor (established
under IC 2-5-1.3-4) concerning the status of the unemployment
compensation system, including the following:
(A) Recommendations for maintaining the solvency of the
unemployment insurance benefit fund established under IC 22-4-26-1.
(B) Information regarding expenditures from the special
employment and training services fund.
(C) Information regarding money released under IC 22-4-25-1(c).
(D) Any other information requested by the interim study
committee on employment and labor.
(g) In addition to the duties prescribed in subsections (a) through (f),
the department of workforce development shall establish, implement,
and maintain a training program in the nature and dynamics of
domestic and family violence for training of all employees of the
department who interact with a claimant for benefits to determine
whether the claim of the individual for unemployment benefits is valid
and to determine that employment separations stemming from domestic
or family violence are reliably screened, identified, and adjudicated and
that victims of domestic or family violence are able to take advantage
of the full range of job services provided by the department. The
training presenters shall include domestic violence experts with
expertise in the delivery of direct services to victims of domestic
violence, including using the staff of shelters for battered women in the
presentation of the training. The initial training shall consist of
instruction of not less than six (6) hours. Refresher training shall be
required annually and shall consist of instruction of not less than three
(3) hours.
Formerly: Acts 1947, c.208, s.1901. As amended by
P.L.18-1987, SEC.51; P.L.220-1989, SEC.1; P.L.21-1995, SEC.91;
P.L.290-2001, SEC.12; P.L.189-2003, SEC.6; P.L.1-2005, SEC.184;
P.L.161-2006, SEC.5; P.L.234-2007, SEC.141; P.L.7-2011, SEC.17;
P.L.69-2015, SEC.16; P.L.171-2016, SEC.20; P.L.177-2017,
SEC.1.