Treasurer’s office seeks two permanent positions for unclaimed property unit after banner claim year

Ashlyn Doan, director of policy in the state treasurer’s office, and Albert “Al” LaPerle, director of the Unclaimed Property Division, told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on March 20 they are requesting two permanent program technician positions funded from unclaimed property special funds to sustain increased claims processing and outreach.

Doan said the request — two program technician three positions paid 100% from unclaimed property funds — would cost about $201,000 annually in salary and benefits and that the division’s total budget is roughly $1.1 million. “We were hoping to provide some context and sort of an impassioned plea for these positions,” Doan told the committee.

Al LaPerle provided recent activity figures and described a surge in claims and payouts this fiscal year. He said the division has paid about 26,000 properties so far this year compared with about 13,000 in the same timeframe last fiscal year, and that the office has paid roughly $7.2 million to claimants so far versus about $3.1 million last year. LaPerle said the state holds roughly $130 million in unclaimed property across about a million names in its database and that, on a long‑term average, the office returns about 55–56% of received property to owners or heirs.

The treasurer’s office explained how unclaimed property interacts with the general fund. Doan told senators the statute requires a transfer: after paying claims, covering administrative costs and retaining a reserve, a share of remaining receipts is transferred to the general fund. LaPerle said statute instructs a 45% transfer of funds after the office retains amounts needed to pay claims and expenses.

“Unclaimed property is probably one of the greatest consumer protection acts that people are unaware of,” LaPerle said, describing cases in which small amounts returned to individuals made immediate differences, such as preventing eviction. On average, LaPerle said, the typical unclaimed property payout is between $300 and $400, though the office also handles large cases; he said he currently has a claim on his desk for $700,000.

The office also asked the committee to consider a statutory increase in the fast‑track claim threshold. The current statute allows the treasurer to pay a “fast track” claim of up to $250; the treasurer’s staff proposed increasing that ceiling to $1,000 so that small but urgent claims can be paid more quickly.

Doan told the committee the division has not had a staff increase in about 25 years and that the additional positions would be permanent. She said the unclaimed property unit has one vacancy, one temporary employee and one permanent claims staffer in addition to the director and that the requested positions would materially improve processing and outreach. “If we could also significantly improve the situation in unclaimed property with 1 position as well,” she added, “it's not an all‑or‑nothing request.”

Committee members expressed support for the request and discussed sending a letter to the Appropriations Committee to back the positions. One senator noted the office already provided language to Appropriations to raise the fast‑track threshold and volunteered to help draft supporting correspondence. The committee did not take a formal vote in this hearing.

Less critical details: Doan said unclaimed property receipts are seasonal and many holder reports arrive in the spring, which is why final transfer totals are typically updated in May. The treasurer’s office also offered to bring its mobile kiosks to local events to help constituents search for unclaimed property.