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House perfects 'ghosting' bill to let agencies verify improper unemployment claims
Summary
Lawmakers perfected a bill intended to reduce improper unemployment claims by allowing verification checks against incarceration, death and new‑hire records and by codifying methods for employers to report no-shows.
The Missouri House perfected House Committee Substitute for House Bill 202, a bill aimed at reducing improper unemployment insurance claims by giving the division authority to verify claims against incarceration, death records and new-hire databases and by requiring identity verification methods for claimants.
The Gentleman from Jefferson, floor sponsor, described the measure on the floor as an "employment security" bill and said it updates verification methods and codifies existing best practices. An amendment adopted on the floor specifies multifactor authentication and eligibility reviews for suspicious claims; the sponsor said the amendment was supported by the Department of Labor.
Supporters argued the bill would protect employers from recruitment and hiring fraud, while some members voiced concerns that the measure could create obstacles for legitimately unemployed people, especially those with unreliable access to online systems. The bill sponsor said the aim is to close a loophole used by people who repeatedly fail to show for job interviews (often described in committee testimony as "ghosting") after collecting unemployment benefits.
The House perfected the committee substitute and ordered it printed during the session; the transcript does not include a roll-call tally for the final perfection recorded in floor proceedings.
