[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6303253,"mediaKeyId","2473848-cf2e443f2c86224bf8e9b5e36a5280ee","parentId",2473848,"title","Senate Commerce Committee advances bill tightening penalties for unemployment insurance fraud","audioSeconds",1257,"startMs",243000,"endMs",1500000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2473848-cf2e443f2c86224bf8e9b5e36a5280ee&start=243&end=1500","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2473848-cf2e443f2c86224bf8e9b5e36a5280ee/thumbnail_243000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6303253/Idaho/Senate-Commerce-Committee-advances-bill-tightening-penalties-for-unemployment-insurance-fraud","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6303253-f96683e7906dc074a0617d4ed7f1c252/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159373&Signature=Jolce2MZ5Ovp2h9xnXUF2YdXstjgx-pchtjGenRItpBrOg0PgboKP9YsXCN-HSLzMO5K~cakeEgOht3NWUaWOTdD2qcah9ZX1vh96QhbdJD1CGqSzypL~eD08CTUdt4Vz3MrrNXdg6MlxPgQJHmNZ4TdV1iA2XNEtbNQLaRgFAT8WCf1b0HMhCIva4oXwbr8QQY8M98mCzgSR5pxUggiJaAPcTNCbaBSRS14uhM~AchP1yyMbTrRZus3fWg3y969tr~dGXrXBrV8jKvS0Q4CcQEeVeJhDZSuEo1-FZPw27e~6jaWMLFwT3gTNMqkAqOLbpjOD4fARbadpnMov1RNzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate of Idaho","date","2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Commerce Committee voted to send House Bill 53 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it \"do pass\" after a presentation by Janie Revere, director of the Idaho Department of Labor.

Janie Revere, director of the Idaho Department of Labor, told the committee the bill updates the state's statutes addressing claimants who commit unemployment insurance fraud, including moving key legal definitions into statute and strengthening penalties. \"This bill identifies identity theft and makes it a crime to use stolen identity to apply for UI benefits,\" Revere said, adding the proposal allows for restitution to victims and creates stiffer administrative consequences for repeat offenders.

The bill makes four principal changes, according to Revere: it codifies definitions of \"knowingly\" and \"willfully\" into statute; it increases disqualification periods for repeat fraud (a second fraud would lead to a two-year disqualification, a third to three years, and so on); it creates a misdemeanor/felony distinction for fraud based on a $1,000 threshold (misdemeanor for less than $1,000, felony for $1,000 or more); and it establishes a specific crime for unemployment insurance identity theft with the ability to award up to $1,000 in restitution to victims. Revere said the department expects an estimated savings of $152,000 to the unemployment insurance trust fund in the first year as a result of longer ineligibility periods, with a projected $112,000 in later years.

Revere described the existing framework for overpayments and penalties: fraud overpayments arise when a claimant makes false statements, with existing penalties of 25% for a first fraud, 50% for a second, and 100% for a third (in addition to repaying the overpayment and interest). Using her example, Revere said a $1,000 fraudulent payment that is a claimant's third fraud would require repayment of the $1,000 plus a $2,000 penalty and a multi-year disqualification under the proposed changes.

Revere also cited outside recognition of Idaho's efforts: she said the Department of Justice COVID-19 fraud enforcement task force identified Idaho as one of two states that performed \"outstanding\" fraud prevention and detection during the pandemic. The director said the U.S. Department of Labor had urged states to reduce harms to victims of identity-theft claims, and that the restitution provision is intended to address that concern.

There was no public testimony on the bill. Senator Guthrie moved to send House Bill 53 to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation; the motion was seconded by Senator Nichols. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; no roll-call tally was taken and the chair declared the motion carried.

Background: Revere reviewed how unemployment insurance in Idaho operates as a federal-state partnership, how eligibility and weekly certifications work, and how the department handles overpayments, investigations, collections and appeals. She said claimants in Idaho are eligible for benefits that vary by weekly amount and by number of weeks based on statutory formulas and the unemployment rate, and that overpayments from the 2020 pandemic period produced elevated recovery work in subsequent years.

The committee did not ask further questions after Revere's presentation and took no amendments on the bill before advancing it to the floor.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Commerce and Human Resources Meeting February 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Commerce Committee voted to send House Bill 53 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it \"do pass\" after a presentation by Janie Revere, director of the Idaho Department of Labor.","taxTitle","Commerce and Human Resources, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Idaho","taxId",57000,"location","Idaho","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6303248,"Committee approves bill moving unemployment rules into statute to improve clarity",247,1522000,1769000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2473848-cf2e443f2c86224bf8e9b5e36a5280ee&start=1522&end=1769","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2473848-cf2e443f2c86224bf8e9b5e36a5280ee/thumbnail_1522000.jpg","/articles/6303248/Idaho/Committee-approves-bill-moving-unemployment-rules-into-statute-to-improve-clarity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6303248-d7b981fe4129917cccc9d61d6b58651f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159373&Signature=QqALvB3dyjPDgO7HES29gSW6fk9hAdKvDYSWIAhSA8P9dD0Tqy3ztwOQusa9LzaxXeLzbXpgtMK5FikAS7-nzwpjIDMC8-0rG3sa3GfRoobUKRtSB3wNyupXQOjjRpGNmgf88D2t4HGF~FsxfNUh8iFLnlWT~R-o0SDpipUkUnmutx8TR16jSdOMdOiuNjz0JIOKnhftGXB-~xBWyT06fBr200-yshOSshRalyrIfWekx84AMbIXiSJEMIo17OjPLJ60e8k5uDK-zuvfZxh8VTF75D9jK-5RsEbiku0RmzF47R7DDNfIp5ASxPwhZUtgxEyYZMWDSeXyxvFQYZ0i2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Commerce Committee voted to send House Bill 54 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it \"do pass\" after hearing from Janie Revere, director of the Idaho Department of Labor, who said the measure would transfer major rule language into statute to improve clarity and ensure continued federal conformity.

Revere told the committee that HB 54 is a response to recent legislation (House Bill 563 and House Bill 626) prompting agencies to consider codifying rule content into statute where appropriate. \"This legislation moves significant portions of our rule into statute,\" Revere said, adding that the intent is to keep statutory provisions clear about who qualifies for benefits, how employers are taxed, and how appeals are processed while leaving procedural detail to rule. She said the bill would eliminate about 65% of the department's current rules and amend 24 statutory sections while creating six new sections of employment security law; it also amends one section related to claims for wages.

Revere emphasized that the unemployment insurance program remains a federal-state partnership, and that federal law (including the Social Security Act and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act) constrains key program requirements. She said the department's current program meets federal conformity rules and that the bill would not change program operations or have a fiscal impact on the general fund or federal funds.

After the presentation, Senator Guthrie moved to send HB 54 to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation; Senator Ward Engle King seconded the motion. The committee approved the motion by voice vote and the chair said the motion carried. There was no public testimony and no amendments recorded.

Background provided by Revere included an overview of the department's operations: three divisions (determinations, workforce and commissions, administrative services), unemployment insurance eligibility and weekly certification processes, the department's compliance and overpayment recovery activities, and ongoing DDS (Disability Determination Services) processing times. Revere noted the department recently broke ground on a new Twin Falls office expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

The bill will next be scheduled for floor consideration by the Idaho State Senate.","House Bill 54 would move substantial portions of Department of Labor rules into statute to consolidate requirements for unemployment insurance and claims for wages; the Senate Commerce Committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.","actionData","errors"]

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Senate Commerce Committee advances bill tightening penalties for unemployment insurance fraud

Committee approves bill moving unemployment rules into statute to improve clarity