Senator Young, colleagues introduce bipartisan bill to combat unemployment insurance fraud

Sunday, July 14, 2024 at 7:05 PM

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced bipartisan legislation that would make significant improvements to the nation’s unemployment insurance (UI) system. The Unemployment Insurance Integrity and Accessibility Act would focus on program administration and integrity to combat fraud and improve access for eligible workers.

“Our bipartisan bill will improve the UI system to make it more accessible to workers who need it and better protect taxpayer dollars by preventing fraud," said Senator Young.

Senator Young has led efforts to combat UI fraud for several years. Last month, Young sent a letter to the Department of Labor (DOL) urging the Biden Administration to support state-level prevention of UI fraud. In 2023, Young sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and former DOL Secretary Marty Walsh requesting an update on the Biden Administration’s efforts to recover fraudulent benefits obtained through the temporary COVID-19 UI programs. Senator Young also introduced the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act to help recover funds lost to UI fraud and provide incentives for states to recover fraudulent payments.

In addition to Senators Young, Crapo, and Wyden, this legislation is cosponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

A section-by-section outline of the legislation is available here. The full bill text is available here.