Louisiana 2020 2020 2nd Special Session

Louisiana House Bill HB66 Introduced / Bill

                    HLS 202ES-47	ORIGINAL
2020 Second Extraordinary Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 66
BY REPRESENTATIVE BEAULLIEU
UNEMPLOYMENT COMP:  Provides relative to the state's unemployment insurance
program and data sharing (Item #64)
1	AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 23:1605, relative to unemployment compensation; to provide for definitions;
3 to require the Louisiana Workforce Commission to conduct certain checks with
4 respect to unemployment compensation; to provide for data sharing; to provide for
5 the promulgation of rules; and to provide for related matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1.  R.S. 23:1605 is hereby enacted to read as follows: 
8 ยง1605. Unemployment insurance integrity program
9	A.  For the purpose of this Section, the following terms have the meanings
10 ascribed to them:
11	(1) "Department" means the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
12	(2)  "Integrity Data Hub" means the centralized, multi-state data analysis tool
13 utilized by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA), which
14 allows participating state unemployment insurance agencies to cross-match
15 unemployment insurance claims against a database of information associated with
16 potentially fraudulent claims or overpayments.
17	(3)  "National Directorate of New Hires" means the database that stores
18 personal and financial data on employed individuals across the country and contains
19 information and data on individuals receiving unemployment compensation.
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CODING:  Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 202ES-47	ORIGINAL
HB NO. 66
1	(4)  "New hire records" means the directory of newly hired and re-hired
2 employees reported under state and federal law and managed by the Louisiana
3 Workforce Commission.
4	(5)  "Unemployment insurance rolls" means unemployed workers receiving
5 unemployment insurance in the state.
6	B.  The department shall be tasked with the responsibility of enhancing the
7 integrity of the state's unemployment insurance program.
8	C.  To ensure the integrity of the unemployment insurance program and to
9 verify eligibility and to prevent fraudulent filing and payment of claims, the
10 department is required to do all of the following:
11	(1)  The department shall utilize the Integrity Data Hub to check new hire
12 records against the state's unemployment insurance rolls on a weekly basis.
13	(2)  The department, on a weekly basis, is required to check new hire records
14 against the National Directorate of New Hires.
15	(3)  The department is required to check the Integrity Data Hub and National
16 Directorate of New Hires against federal, state, and local prison and jail records.
17	(4)  The department, on a weekly basis, is required to check the
18 unemployment insurance rolls against the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and
19 Corrections department's list of incarcerated individuals.
20	D.  When the department receives information concerning an individual who
21 is participating in the unemployment compensation insurance program that indicates
22 a change in circumstances that may affect his eligibility, the department shall review
23 the individual's case and make a final determination of his eligibility in accordance
24 with the provisions in R.S. 23:1600 and 1601.
25	E.  The department shall have the authority to execute a memorandum of
26 understanding with any state department, agency, or division for data that is
27 necessary to carry out the purposes of this Section.
28	F.  The Louisiana Workforce Commission shall promulgate all rules and
29 regulations necessary for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this Section.
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CODING:  Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 202ES-47	ORIGINAL
HB NO. 66
1 Section 2.(A)  This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Unemployment
2Insurance Program Integrity Act of 2020".
3 (B)  The purpose of this Act is to enhance program integrity for the state's
4unemployment insurance program.
5 Section 3.  This Act shall become effective January 1, 2021.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services.  It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument.  The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent.  [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 66 Original 2020 Second Extraordinary Session Beaullieu
Abstract:  Provides relative to the state's unemployment insurance program by
implementing an unemployment insurance integrity program and data sharing.
Proposed law defines terms for the purposes of proposed law.
Proposed law provides that the La. Workforce Commission (LWC) shall be tasked with the
responsibility of enhancing the integrity of the state's unemployment insurance program.
Proposed law provides that in order to ensure the integrity of the unemployment insurance
program and to verify eligibility to prevent fraudulent filing and payment of claims, LWC
is required to do all of the following:
(1) LWC shall utilize the Integrity Data Hub to check new hire records against the state's
unemployment insurance rolls on a weekly basis.
(2) LWC, on a weekly basis, is required to check new hire records against the National
Directorate of New Hires.
(3) LWC is required to check the Integrity Data Hub and National Directorate of New
Hires against federal, state, and local prison and jail records.
(4) LWC, on a weekly basis, is required to check the unemployment insurance rolls
against the La. Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections department's list of
incarcerated individuals.
Proposed law provides when LWC receives information concerning an individual who is
participating in the unemployment compensation insurance program that indicates a change
in circumstances that may affect his eligibility, LWC shall review the individual's case and
make a final determination of his eligibility in accordance with the provisions in present law.
Proposed law provides that LWC shall be the authority to execute a memorandum of
understanding with any, within reason, state department, agency, or division for data that is
necessary to carry out the purposes outlined in proposed law.
Proposed law provides that LWC shall promulgate all rules and regulations necessary for the
purposes of carrying out the provisions under proposed law.
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HB NO. 66
Proposed law provides that proposed law shall be known and may be cited as the
"Unemployment Insurance Program Integrity Act of 2020" and that the purpose of proposed
law is to enhance program integrity for the state's unemployment insurance program.
Effective Jan. 1, 2021.    
(Adds R.S. 23:1605)
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CODING:  Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.