Panel hears bill to remove dual signature requirement on unemployment insurance checks
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Summary
House Bill 54 would remove the statutory requirement that both the state treasurer and the director of administration (or later the Labor commissioner) sign unemployment insurance warrant checks. Sponsors said removing the second signature would reduce delays when leadership changes and cut administrative burden; the Department of
Representative Gary Perry presented House Bill 54, which would remove the requirement that two state officials sign unemployment insurance warrant checks. Under current language cited in testimony, the statute requires signatures by the state treasurer and the director of administration and the commissioner of labor and industry for unemployment insurance checks; HB 54 would eliminate the commissioner's signature requirement.
Misty Anne Giles, director of the Department of Administration, told the committee the change is not a federal requirement and would reduce delays when top leadership changes require reauthorization with banks. Sarah Swanson, commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry, explained the volume of checks the agency issues: in one recent week the department issued 7,448 weekly unemployment insurance checks, including 731 manual checks, which creates substantial administrative workload.
Jennifer Thompson, a state accountant with the Department of Administration, said the change would improve government efficiency by removing an unnecessary step and urged support.
No opponents appeared in the hearing record. Representative Perry closed by urging the committee to approve the efficiency change; no committee vote is recorded in the transcript.
Next steps: HB 54 will proceed to executive action if the committee so votes.