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Committee advances bill increasing penalties for unemployment fraud and adding identity‑theft felony
Summary
House Bill 53 would define “knowingly” and “willfully,” increase disqualification periods and penalties for repeated unemployment-fraud findings, and add identity theft as an automatic felony for use in obtaining benefits. The Commerce and Human Resources Committee gave the bill a do-pass recommendation by voice vote.
Representative Laurie McCann, sponsor of House Bill 53, told the Commerce and Human Resources Committee the bill updates statute on unemployment fraud, including four principal changes: defining the legal terms "willfully" and "knowingly," increasing disqualification periods and penalties for repeated fraud findings, distinguishing misdemeanor from felony fraud consistent with theft statutes, and adding identity theft as an automatic felony when used to obtain unemployment benefits.
"These are legal terms," McCann said, describing the…
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