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SB-420 Unemployment insurance: Unemployment Insurance Integrity Enforcement Act.(2021-2022)

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Date Published: 07/06/2021 09:00 PM
SB420:v96#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  July 06, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  June 29, 2021
Amended  IN  Senate  March 09, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 420

Introduced by Senator Umberg

February 12, 2021

An act to amend Section 1095 of, and to add Part 5 (commencing with Section 4800) to Division 1 of, the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to unemployment insurance, and making an appropriation therefor.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 420, as amended, Umberg. Unemployment insurance: Unemployment Insurance Integrity Enforcement Act.
Existing law establishes the Employment Development Department (department) within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and sets forth its powers and duties, including administration of the unemployment and disability insurance programs for California. Existing law requires the department to pay unemployment compensation benefits from the Unemployment Fund to unemployed individuals meeting specified requirements. requirements, and continuously appropriates the Unemployment Fund for that purpose. Existing law requires the department to maintain a field investigating staff, whose function includes investigation of violations of the unemployment and disability insurance programs.
Existing law establishes the Department of Justice within state government, and establishes the Attorney General as the head of the department and as the chief law officer of the state. Existing law sets forth the powers and duties of the Attorney General, including the direct supervision over the district attorneys of the several counties of the state. Existing law authorizes the Attorney General to assist any district attorney in the discharge of their duties, as prescribed.
This bill would establish the Unemployment Insurance Integrity Enforcement Program within the Department of Justice, administered by the Attorney General. The bill would require the Attorney General to establish a task force consisting of the Director of Employment Development and 5 members appointed by the Attorney General. The bill would require the task force to coordinate with local district attorneys and, when available and necessary, with the United States Attorney’s Office to pursue available methods to recover improper benefit payments made from the department. The bill would require the task force, prior to pursuing any civil or criminal action, to prepare a cost-benefit analysis, as specified. The bill would make an appropriation by continuously appropriating depositing funds recovered pursuant to the program into the continuously appropriated Unemployment Fund.
This bill would also require the Attorney General, beginning January 1, 2023, and upon appropriation by the Legislature, to fund a grant program targeted at the successful prosecution and elimination of fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. The bill would require the Attorney General, in determining whether to award a grant, to consider specified criteria, and to give priority to those grant applications with the greatest potential to reduce unemployment fraud activity and lessen the economic losses from that fraud. The bill would also prioritize grant applications for multicounty efforts to investigate and prosecute unemployment insurance fraud activity.
Under existing law, the information obtained in the administration of the Unemployment Insurance Code is for the exclusive use and information of the Director of Employment Development in the discharge of the director’s duties and is not open to the public. Existing law permits the use of the information for specified purposes, including providing authorized governmental agencies with information relevant to various types of fraud investigations, including insurance and Department of Motor Vehicle document fraud. Existing law permits the director to require reimbursement for all direct costs incurred in providing information pursuant to these provisions, except as specified. Existing law makes it a crime for a person to knowingly access, use, or disclose this confidential information without authorization.
This bill would require the Employment Development Department (EDD) to provide specified information relevant to investigations of potential unemployment insurance fraud. The bill would require that the information be provided to the extent allowed by federal law. This bill would exempt conduct related to information provided under this provision from the criminal sanctions.
Vote: TWO_THIRDSMAJORITY   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for state officials responsible for administering California’s unemployment benefits program.
(b) According to the State Auditor’s office (auditor), the number of unemployment insurance claims submitted to the Employment Development Department (department) jumped thirteenfold between April 2019 and April 2020. The department was tasked with providing unemployment benefits to this vast number of unemployed Californians as quickly as possible.
(c) The volume of claims and speed of processing those claims, combined with the lack of effective fraud controls, resulted in a flood of potentially fraudulent claims. According to the auditor, the department could not identify the claimant for nearly 2.2 million of the 9.5 million claims submitted between March 2020 and late December 2020. The auditor estimated that, due to a lack of fraud detection efforts, the department paid out at least $10.4 billion to 597,000 unidentified claimants.
(d) The auditor found that the department’s existing processes of detecting fraud have been overwhelmed by the pandemic. For example, during a two-day period in which 1,000 fraudulent claims were detected, the department had two staff persons available to review these potentially fraudulent claims.
(e) The department’s inability to distinguish fraudulent claims from legitimate claims has imposed hardships on many Californians whose unemployment benefits were suspended through no fault of their own. For example, the auditor found that in September 2020, the department directed the Bank of America to freeze 344,000 debit cards issued to benefit claimants, without any plan for unfreezing the accounts of legitimate claimants.
(f) The department’s Investigation Division reported that as of December 10, 2020, it had opened more than 250 criminal investigations related to an estimated $30 million in fraudulent claims. Based on the number of potentially fraudulent claims made during the pandemic and the difficulty in identifying those responsible for the claims, the auditor found it “highly unlikely” that the department would be able to investigate more than a small fraction of the claims or to recover a significant portion of the lost funds.
(g) Attorneys General in several states, including Illinois, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, are spearheading efforts to hold those making fraudulent claims accountable and to recoup fraudulently obtained unemployment funds.
(h) In California, local police and prosecutors are undertaking efforts to track down those responsible for making fraudulent unemployment claims and to recover lost funds. Local prosecutors have asked for more resources to investigate unemployment fraud.

SEC. 2.

 Section 1095 of the Unemployment Insurance Code is amended to read:

1095.
 The director shall permit the use of any information in the director’s possession to the extent necessary for any of the following purposes, and may require reimbursement for all direct costs incurred in providing any and all information specified in this section, except information specified in subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive:
(a) To enable the director or the director’s representative to carry out their responsibilities under this code.
(b) To properly present a claim for benefits.
(c) To acquaint a worker or their authorized agent with the worker’s existing or prospective right to benefits.
(d) To furnish an employer or their authorized agent with information to enable the employer to fully discharge their obligations or safeguard their rights under this division or Division 3 (commencing with Section 9000).
(e) To enable an employer to receive a reduction in contribution rate.
(f) To enable federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies, subject to federal law, to verify or determine the eligibility or entitlement of an applicant for, or a recipient of, public social services provided pursuant to Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or Part A of Subchapter IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 601 et seq.), when the verification or determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of public social services.
(g) To enable county administrators of general relief or assistance, or their representatives, to determine entitlement to locally provided general relief or assistance, when the determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of general relief or assistance.
(h) To enable state or local governmental departments or agencies to seek criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection with the unlawful application for, or receipt of, relief provided under Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code or to enable the collection of expenditures for medical assistance services pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 17000) of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(i) To provide any law enforcement agency with the name, address, telephone number, birth date, social security number, physical description, and names and addresses of present and past employers, of any victim, suspect, missing person, potential witness, or person for whom a felony arrest warrant has been issued, when a request for this information is made by any investigator or peace officer as defined by Sections 830.1 and 830.2 of the Penal Code, or by any federal law enforcement officer to whom the Attorney General has delegated authority to enforce federal search warrants, as defined under Sections 60.2 and 60.3 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as amended, and when the requesting officer has been designated by the head of the law enforcement agency and requests this information in the course of and as a part of an investigation into the commission of a crime when there is a reasonable suspicion that the crime is a felony and that the information would lead to relevant evidence. The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations, and to the extent the information is available and accessible within the constraints and configurations of existing department records. Any person who receives any information under this subdivision shall make a written report of the information to the law enforcement agency that employs the person, for filing under the normal procedures of that agency.
(1) This subdivision shall not be construed to authorize the release to any law enforcement agency of a general list identifying individuals applying for or receiving benefits.
(2) The department shall maintain records pursuant to this subdivision only for periods required under regulations or statutes enacted for the administration of its programs.
(3) This subdivision shall not be construed as limiting the information provided to law enforcement agencies to that pertaining only to applicants for, or recipients of, benefits.
(4) The department shall notify all applicants for benefits that release of confidential information from their records will not be protected should there be a felony arrest warrant issued against the applicant or in the event of an investigation by a law enforcement agency into the commission of a felony.
(j) To provide public employee retirement systems in California with information relating to the earnings of any person who has applied for or is receiving a disability income, disability allowance, or disability retirement allowance, from a public employee retirement system. The earnings information shall be released only upon written request from the governing board specifying that the person has applied for or is receiving a disability allowance or disability retirement allowance from its retirement system. The request may be made by the chief executive officer of the system or by an employee of the system so authorized and identified by name and title by the chief executive officer in writing.
(k) To enable the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in the Department of Industrial Relations to seek criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection with the failure to pay, or the unlawful payment of, wages pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 200) of Part 1 of Division 2 of, and Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of, the Labor Code.
(l) To enable federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies to administer child support enforcement programs under Part D of Title IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.).
(m) To provide federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies with wage and claim information in its possession that will assist those departments and agencies in the administration of the Victims of Crime Program or in the location of victims of crime who, by state mandate or court order, are entitled to restitution that has been or can be recovered.
(n) To provide federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies with information concerning any individuals who are or have been:
(1) Directed by state mandate or court order to pay restitution, fines, penalties, assessments, or fees as a result of a violation of law.
(2) Delinquent or in default on guaranteed student loans or who owe repayment of funds received through other financial assistance programs administered by those agencies. The information released by the director for the purposes of this paragraph shall not include unemployment insurance benefit information.
(o) To provide an authorized governmental agency with any and all relevant information that relates to any specific workers’ compensation insurance fraud investigation. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations. For purposes of this subdivision, “authorized governmental agency” means the district attorney of any county, the office of the Attorney General, the Contractors’ State License Board, the Department of Industrial Relations, and the Department of Insurance. An authorized governmental agency may disclose this information to the State Bar of California, the Medical Board of California, or any other licensing board or department whose licensee is the subject of a workers’ compensation insurance fraud investigation. This subdivision shall not prevent any authorized governmental agency from reporting to any board or department the suspected misconduct of any licensee of that body.
(p) To enable the Director of Consumer Affairs, or the director’s representative, to access unemployment insurance quarterly wage data on a case-by-case basis to verify information on school administrators, school staff, and students provided by those schools who are being investigated for possible violations of Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 94800) of Part 59 of Division 10 of Title 3 of the Education Code.
(q) To provide employment tax information to the tax officials of Mexico, if a reciprocal agreement exists. For purposes of this subdivision, “reciprocal agreement” means a formal agreement to exchange information between national taxing officials of Mexico and taxing authorities of the State Board of Equalization, the Franchise Tax Board, and the Employment Development Department. Furthermore, the reciprocal agreement shall be limited to the exchange of information that is essential for tax administration purposes only. Taxing authorities of the State of California shall be granted tax information only on California residents. Taxing authorities of Mexico shall be granted tax information only on Mexican nationals.
(r) To enable city and county planning agencies to develop economic forecasts for planning purposes. The information shall be limited to businesses within the jurisdiction of the city or county whose planning agency is requesting the information, and shall not include information regarding individual employees.
(s) To provide the State Department of Developmental Services with wage and employer information that will assist in the collection of moneys owed by the recipient, parent, or any other legally liable individual for services and supports provided pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 4775) of Division 4.5 of, and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 7200) and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 7500) of Division 7 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(t) To provide the State Board of Equalization with employment tax information that will assist in the administration of tax programs. The information shall be limited to the exchange of employment tax information essential for tax administration purposes to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations.
(u) This section shall not be construed to authorize or permit the use of information obtained in the administration of this code by any private collection agency.
(v) The disclosure of the name and address of an individual or business entity that was issued an assessment that included penalties under Section 1128 or 1128.1 shall not be in violation of Section 1094 if the assessment is final. The disclosure may also include any of the following:
(1) The total amount of the assessment.
(2) The amount of the penalty imposed under Section 1128 or 1128.1 that is included in the assessment.
(3) The facts that resulted in the charging of the penalty under Section 1128 or 1128.1.
(w) To enable the Contractors’ State License Board to verify the employment history of an individual applying for licensure pursuant to Section 7068 of the Business and Professions Code.
(x) To provide any peace officer with the Division of Investigation in the Department of Consumer Affairs information pursuant to subdivision (i) when the requesting peace officer has been designated by the chief of the Division of Investigation and requests this information in the course of and as part of an investigation into the commission of a crime or other unlawful act when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the crime or act may be connected to the information requested and would lead to relevant information regarding the crime or unlawful act.
(y) To enable the Labor Commissioner of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in the Department of Industrial Relations to identify, pursuant to Section 90.3 of the Labor Code, unlawfully uninsured employers. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations.
(z) To enable the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in accordance with the requirements of Section 84754.5 of the Education Code, to obtain quarterly wage data, commencing January 1, 1993, on students who have attended one or more community colleges, to assess the impact of education on the employment and earnings of students, to conduct the annual evaluation of district-level and individual college performance in achieving priority educational outcomes, and to submit the required reports to the Legislature and the Governor. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and regulations.
(aa) To enable the Public Employees’ Retirement System to seek criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection with the unlawful application for, or receipt of, benefits provided under Part 3 (commencing with Section 20000) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(ab) To enable the State Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, pursuant to the requirements prescribed by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), to obtain quarterly wage data, commencing July 1, 2010, on students who have attended their respective systems to assess the impact of education on the employment and earnings of those students, to conduct the annual analysis of district-level and individual district or postsecondary education system performance in achieving priority educational outcomes, and to submit the required reports to the Legislature and the Governor. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and regulations.
(ac) To provide the Agricultural Labor Relations Board with employee, wage, and employer information, for use in the investigation or enforcement of the Alatorre-Zenovich-Dunlap-Berman Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975 (Part 3.5 (commencing with Section 1140) of Division 2 of the Labor Code). The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and regulations.
(ad) (1) To enable the State Department of Health Care Services, the California Health Benefit Exchange, the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, and county departments and agencies to obtain information regarding employee wages, California employer names and account numbers, employer reports of wages and number of employees, and disability insurance and unemployment insurance claim information, for the purpose of:
(A) Verifying or determining the eligibility of an applicant for, or a recipient of, state health subsidy programs, limited to the Medi-Cal program provided pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and the Medi-Cal Access Program provided pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 15810) of Part 3.3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, when the verification or determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of the state health subsidy programs referenced in this subparagraph.
(B) Verifying or determining the eligibility of an applicant for, or a recipient of, federal subsidies offered through the California Health Benefit Exchange, provided pursuant to Title 22 (commencing with Section 100500) of the Government Code, including federal tax credits and cost-sharing assistance pursuant to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended by the federal Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152), when the verification or determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of the California Health Benefit Exchange.
(C) Verifying or determining the eligibility of employees and employers for health coverage through the Small Business Health Options Program, provided pursuant to Section 100502 of the Government Code, when the verification or determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of the Small Business Health Options Program.
(2) The information provided under this subdivision shall be subject to the requirements of, and provided to the extent permitted by, federal law and regulations, including Part 603 of Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(ae) To provide any peace officer with the Investigations Division of the Department of Motor Vehicles with information pursuant to subdivision (i), when the requesting peace officer has been designated by the Chief of the Investigations Division and requests this information in the course of, and as part of, an investigation into identity theft, counterfeiting, document fraud, or consumer fraud, and there is reasonable suspicion that the crime is a felony and that the information would lead to relevant evidence regarding the identity theft, counterfeiting, document fraud, or consumer fraud. The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations, and to the extent the information is available and accessible within the constraints and configurations of existing department records. Any person who receives any information under this subdivision shall make a written report of the information to the Investigations Division of the Department of Motor Vehicles, for filing under the normal procedures of that division.
(af) Until January 1, 2020, to enable the Department of Finance to prepare and submit the report required by Section 13084 of the Government Code that identifies all employers in California that employ 100 or more employees who receive benefits from the Medi-Cal program (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code). The information used for this purpose shall be limited to information obtained pursuant to Section 11026.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and from the administration of personal income tax wage withholding pursuant to Division 6 (commencing with Section 13000) and the disability insurance program and may be disclosed to the Department of Finance only for the purpose of preparing and submitting the report and only to the extent not prohibited by federal law.
(ag) To provide, to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations, the Student Aid Commission with wage information in order to verify the employment status of an individual applying for a Cal Grant C award pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 69439 of the Education Code.
(ah) To enable the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to obtain quarterly wage data of former inmates who have been incarcerated within the prison system in order to assess the impact of rehabilitation services or the lack of these services on the employment and earnings of these former inmates. Quarterly data for a former inmate’s employment status and wage history shall be provided for a period of one year, three years, and five years following release. The data shall only be used for the purpose of tracking outcomes for former inmates in order to assess the effectiveness of rehabilitation strategies on the wages and employment histories of those formerly incarcerated. The information shall be provided to the department to the extent not prohibited by federal law.
(ai) To enable federal, state, or local government departments or agencies, or their contracted agencies, subject to federal law, including the confidentiality, disclosure, and other requirements set forth in Part 603 of Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations, to evaluate, research, or forecast the effectiveness of public social services programs administered pursuant to Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or Part A of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 601 et seq.), when the evaluation, research, or forecast is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of the public social services programs.
(aj) (1) To enable the California Workforce Development Board, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Department of Rehabilitation, the State Department of Social Services, the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, the Department of Industrial Relations, the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Prison Industry Authority, the Employment Training Panel, and a chief elected official, as that term is defined in Section 3102(9) of Title 29 of the United States Code, to access any relevant quarterly wage data necessary for the evaluation and reporting of their respective program performance outcomes as required and permitted by various local, state, and federal laws pertaining to performance measurement and program evaluation under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128); the workforce metrics dashboard pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (i) of Section 14013; the Adult Education Block Grant Program consortia performance metrics pursuant to Section 84920 of the Education Code; the economic and workforce development program performance measures pursuant to Section 88650 of the Education Code; and the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program performance measures established in Part 52.5 (commencing with Section 88600) of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code. Disclosures under this subdivision shall comply with federal and state privacy laws that require the informed consent from program participants of city and county departments or agencies that administer public workforce development programs for the evaluation, research, or forecast of their programs regardless of local, state, or federal funding source.
(2) The department shall do all of the following:
(A) Consistent with this subdivision, develop the minimum requirements for granting a request for disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision regardless of local, state, or federal funding source.
(B) Develop a standard application for submitting a request for disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision.
(C) Approve or deny a request for disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision, or request additional information, within 20 business days of receiving the standard application. The entity submitting the application shall respond to any request by the department for additional information within 20 business days of receipt of the department’s request. Within 30 calendar days of receiving any additional information, the department shall provide a final approval or denial of the request for disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision. Any approval, denial, or request for additional information shall be in writing. Denials shall identify the reason or category of reasons for the denial.
(D) Make publicly available on the department’s internet website all of the following:
(i) The minimum requirements for granting a request for disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision, as developed pursuant to subparagraph (A).
(ii) The standard application developed pursuant to subparagraph (B).
(iii) The timeframe for information request determinations by the department, as specified in subparagraph (C).
(iv) Contact information for assistance with requests for disclosures of information authorized by this subdivision.
(v) Any denials for requests of disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision, including the reason or category of reasons for the denial.
(ak) (1) To provide any peace officer with the Enforcement Branch of the Department of Insurance with both of the following:
(A) Information provided pursuant to subdivision (i) that relates to a specific insurance fraud investigation involving automobile insurance fraud, life insurance and annuity fraud, property and casualty insurance fraud, and organized automobile insurance fraud. That information shall be provided when the requesting peace officer has been designated by the Chief of the Fraud Division of the Department of Insurance and requests the information in the course of, and as part of, an investigation into the commission of a crime or other unlawful act when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the crime or act may be connected to the information requested and would lead to relevant information regarding the crime or unlawful act.
(B) Employee, wage, employer, and state disability insurance claim information that relates to a specific insurance fraud investigation involving health or disability insurance fraud when the requesting peace officer has been designated by the Chief of the Fraud Division of the Department of Insurance and requests the information in the course of, and as part of, an investigation into the commission of a crime or other unlawful act when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the crime or act may be connected to the information requested and would lead to relevant information regarding the crime or unlawful act.
(2) To enable the State Department of Developmental Services to obtain quarterly wage data of consumers served by that department for the purposes of monitoring and evaluating employment outcomes to determine the effectiveness of the Employment First Policy, established pursuant to Section 4869 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(3) The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and regulations.
(al) To provide the CalSavers Retirement Savings Board with employer tax information for use in the administration of, and to facilitate compliance with, the CalSavers Retirement Savings Trust Act (Title 21 of the Government Code). The information should be limited to the tax information the director deems appropriate, and shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal laws and regulations.
(am) (1) To enable the Joint Enforcement Strike Force as established by Section 329, and the Labor Enforcement Task Force, as established pursuant to Assembly Bill 1464 of the 2011–12 Regular Session (Chapter 21 of the Statutes of 2012), to carry out their duties.
(2) To provide an agency listed in subdivision (a) of Section 329 intelligence, data, including confidential tax and fee information, documents, information, complaints, or lead referrals pursuant to Section 15925 of the Government Code.
(an) To enable the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education to access and use any relevant quarterly wage data necessary to perform the labor market outcome reporting data match pursuant to Section 94892.6 of the Education Code. The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by state and federal laws and regulations.
(ao) To enable all members of the Unemployment Insurance Integrity Enforcement Program Task Force created by Section 4801 to access relevant claimant information in order to conduct investigations of potential unemployment insurance fraud. The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations. Conduct related to information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not be subject to the criminal sanctions set forth in subdivision (f) of Section 1094.

SEC. 2.SEC. 3.

 Part 5 (commencing with Section 4800) is added to Division 1 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, to read:

PART 5. Unemployment Insurance Integrity Enforcement Program

4800.
 This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the Unemployment Insurance Integrity Enforcement Act.

4801.
 There is hereby established, within the Department of Justice, the Unemployment Insurance Integrity Enforcement Program, to be administered by the Attorney General.

4802.
 For purposes of this part, unless context requires otherwise, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) “Department” means the Employment Development Department.
(b) “Program” means the Unemployment Insurance Integrity Enforcement Program established by Section 4801.
(c) “Task force” shall mean the task force established by the Attorney General pursuant to Section 4803.
(d) “Director” means the Director of Employment Development appointed pursuant to Section 302.

4803.
 (a) To fulfill the purposes of this part, the Attorney General shall establish a task force consisting of the director and five members appointed by the Attorney General.
(b) With the exception of the director, the members of the task force shall serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General.
(c) Prior to pursuing any civil or criminal action pursuant to this part, the task force shall prepare a cost-benefit analysis. That analysis shall consider, among other things, the following:
(1) The likelihood of prevailing on the merits of the case.
(2) The likelihood of collecting any of the misappropriated funds subject to the case.
(3) The costs of investigating and litigating the case.

4804.
 (a) The task force shall coordinate closely with county district attorneys to pursue available methods, including both civil and criminal actions, to recover funds misappropriated from the department.
(b) When available and necessary due to jurisdictional limitations, the task force shall coordinate with the United States Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies to pursue available methods, including both civil and criminal actions, to recover improper benefit payments made from the department.

4805.
 (a) (1) Beginning January 1, 2023, and upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Attorney General shall fund a grant program targeted at the successful prosecution and elimination of fraudulent unemployment insurance claims.
(2) In determining whether to award a district attorney a grant pursuant to this subdivision, the Attorney General shall consider factors indicating fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in the district attorney’s county, including, but not limited to, the county’s level of general criminal activity, population density, claim frequency, number of suspected fraudulent claims, and prior and current evidence of fraudulent activity. Funding priority shall be given to those grant applications with the greatest potential to reduce unemployment fraud activity and lessen the economic losses from that fraud.
(3) All recipients of a grant under this subdivision shall coordinate their efforts and work in conjunction with the Attorney General, other participating agencies, and the department in this regard.
(4) The Attorney General shall prioritize funding under this section for multicounty efforts to investigate and prosecute unemployment insurance fraud activity.
(b) In accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable grant, each grantee shall provide the Attorney General with information resulting from the investigations the grantee conducts pursuant to this section. This section does not prohibit the referral of any cases developed by grantees or the Attorney General to any appropriate prosecutorial entity.
(c) A grant under this section shall be awarded on the basis of a single application for a period of three years. Continued funding of a grant shall be contingent upon a grantee’s successful performance, as determined by an annual review by the Attorney General. Any redirection of grant funds under this section shall be made only for good cause.
(d) Two or more district attorneys may submit a joint application for a grant award under this section.

4805.4806.
 (a) The entirety of the recovered funds shall be returned to the Employment Development Department to be appropriated back to the original funding source in accordance with the Federal Unemployment Tax Act and Section 1521.
(b) The recovery of costs pursuant to this section shall not foreclose the Attorney General from any other actions allowed by law.

SEC. 3.Section 1095 of the Unemployment Insurance Code is amended to read:
1095.

The director shall permit the use of any information in the director’s possession to the extent necessary for any of the following purposes, and may require reimbursement for all direct costs incurred in providing any and all information specified in this section, except information specified in subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive:

(a)To enable the director or the director’s representative to carry out their responsibilities under this code.

(b)To properly present a claim for benefits.

(c)To acquaint a worker or their authorized agent with the worker’s existing or prospective right to benefits.

(d)To furnish an employer or their authorized agent with information to enable the employer to fully discharge their obligations or safeguard their rights under this division or Division 3 (commencing with Section 9000).

(e)To enable an employer to receive a reduction in contribution rate.

(f)To enable federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies, subject to federal law, to verify or determine the eligibility or entitlement of an applicant for, or a recipient of, public social services provided pursuant to Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or Part A of Subchapter IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 601 et seq.), when the verification or determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of public social services.

(g)To enable county administrators of general relief or assistance, or their representatives, to determine entitlement to locally provided general relief or assistance, when the determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of general relief or assistance.

(h)To enable state or local governmental departments or agencies to seek criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection with the unlawful application for, or receipt of, relief provided under Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code or to enable the collection of expenditures for medical assistance services pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 17000) of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(i)To provide any law enforcement agency with the name, address, telephone number, birth date, social security number, physical description, and names and addresses of present and past employers, of any victim, suspect, missing person, potential witness, or person for whom a felony arrest warrant has been issued, when a request for this information is made by any investigator or peace officer as defined by Sections 830.1 and 830.2 of the Penal Code, or by any federal law enforcement officer to whom the Attorney General has delegated authority to enforce federal search warrants, as defined under Sections 60.2 and 60.3 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as amended, and when the requesting officer has been designated by the head of the law enforcement agency and requests this information in the course of and as a part of an investigation into the commission of a crime when there is a reasonable suspicion that the crime is a felony and that the information would lead to relevant evidence. The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations, and to the extent the information is available and accessible within the constraints and configurations of existing department records. Any person who receives any information under this subdivision shall make a written report of the information to the law enforcement agency that employs the person, for filing under the normal procedures of that agency.

(1)This subdivision shall not be construed to authorize the release to any law enforcement agency of a general list identifying individuals applying for or receiving benefits.

(2)The department shall maintain records pursuant to this subdivision only for periods required under regulations or statutes enacted for the administration of its programs.

(3)This subdivision shall not be construed as limiting the information provided to law enforcement agencies to that pertaining only to applicants for, or recipients of, benefits.

(4)The department shall notify all applicants for benefits that release of confidential information from their records will not be protected should there be a felony arrest warrant issued against the applicant or in the event of an investigation by a law enforcement agency into the commission of a felony.

(j)To provide public employee retirement systems in California with information relating to the earnings of any person who has applied for or is receiving a disability income, disability allowance, or disability retirement allowance, from a public employee retirement system. The earnings information shall be released only upon written request from the governing board specifying that the person has applied for or is receiving a disability allowance or disability retirement allowance from its retirement system. The request may be made by the chief executive officer of the system or by an employee of the system so authorized and identified by name and title by the chief executive officer in writing.

(k)To enable the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in the Department of Industrial Relations to seek criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection with the failure to pay, or the unlawful payment of, wages pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 200) of Part 1 of Division 2 of, and Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of, the Labor Code.

(l)To enable federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies to administer child support enforcement programs under Part D of Title IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.).

(m)To provide federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies with wage and claim information in its possession that will assist those departments and agencies in the administration of the Victims of Crime Program or in the location of victims of crime who, by state mandate or court order, are entitled to restitution that has been or can be recovered.

(n)To provide federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies with information concerning any individuals who are or have been:

(1)Directed by state mandate or court order to pay restitution, fines, penalties, assessments, or fees as a result of a violation of law.

(2)Delinquent or in default on guaranteed student loans or who owe repayment of funds received through other financial assistance programs administered by those agencies. The information released by the director for the purposes of this paragraph shall not include unemployment insurance benefit information.

(o)To provide an authorized governmental agency with any and all relevant information that relates to any specific workers’ compensation insurance fraud investigation. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations. For purposes of this subdivision, “authorized governmental agency” means the district attorney of any county, the office of the Attorney General, the Contractors’ State License Board, the Department of Industrial Relations, and the Department of Insurance. An authorized governmental agency may disclose this information to the State Bar of California, the Medical Board of California, or any other licensing board or department whose licensee is the subject of a workers’ compensation insurance fraud investigation. This subdivision shall not prevent any authorized governmental agency from reporting to any board or department the suspected misconduct of any licensee of that body.

(p)To enable the Director of Consumer Affairs, or the director’s representative, to access unemployment insurance quarterly wage data on a case-by-case basis to verify information on school administrators, school staff, and students provided by those schools who are being investigated for possible violations of Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 94800) of Part 59 of Division 10 of Title 3 of the Education Code.

(q)To provide employment tax information to the tax officials of Mexico, if a reciprocal agreement exists. For purposes of this subdivision, “reciprocal agreement” means a formal agreement to exchange information between national taxing officials of Mexico and taxing authorities of the State Board of Equalization, the Franchise Tax Board, and the Employment Development Department. Furthermore, the reciprocal agreement shall be limited to the exchange of information that is essential for tax administration purposes only. Taxing authorities of the State of California shall be granted tax information only on California residents. Taxing authorities of Mexico shall be granted tax information only on Mexican nationals.

(r)To enable city and county planning agencies to develop economic forecasts for planning purposes. The information shall be limited to businesses within the jurisdiction of the city or county whose planning agency is requesting the information, and shall not include information regarding individual employees.

(s)To provide the State Department of Developmental Services with wage and employer information that will assist in the collection of moneys owed by the recipient, parent, or any other legally liable individual for services and supports provided pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 4775) of Division 4.5 of, and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 7200) and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 7500) of Division 7 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(t)To provide the State Board of Equalization with employment tax information that will assist in the administration of tax programs. The information shall be limited to the exchange of employment tax information essential for tax administration purposes to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations.

(u)This section shall not be construed to authorize or permit the use of information obtained in the administration of this code by any private collection agency.

(v)The disclosure of the name and address of an individual or business entity that was issued an assessment that included penalties under Section 1128 or 1128.1 shall not be in violation of Section 1094 if the assessment is final. The disclosure may also include any of the following:

(1)The total amount of the assessment.

(2)The amount of the penalty imposed under Section 1128 or 1128.1 that is included in the assessment.

(3)The facts that resulted in the charging of the penalty under Section 1128 or 1128.1.

(w)To enable the Contractors’ State License Board to verify the employment history of an individual applying for licensure pursuant to Section 7068 of the Business and Professions Code.

(x)To provide any peace officer with the Division of Investigation in the Department of Consumer Affairs information pursuant to subdivision (i) when the requesting peace officer has been designated by the chief of the Division of Investigation and requests this information in the course of and as part of an investigation into the commission of a crime or other unlawful act when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the crime or act may be connected to the information requested and would lead to relevant information regarding the crime or unlawful act.

(y)To enable the Labor Commissioner of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in the Department of Industrial Relations to identify, pursuant to Section 90.3 of the Labor Code, unlawfully uninsured employers. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations.

(z)To enable the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in accordance with the requirements of Section 84754.5 of the Education Code, to obtain quarterly wage data, commencing January 1, 1993, on students who have attended one or more community colleges, to assess the impact of education on the employment and earnings of students, to conduct the annual evaluation of district-level and individual college performance in achieving priority educational outcomes, and to submit the required reports to the Legislature and the Governor. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and regulations.

(aa)To enable the Public Employees’ Retirement System to seek criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection with the unlawful application for, or receipt of, benefits provided under Part 3 (commencing with Section 20000) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(ab)To enable the State Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, pursuant to the requirements prescribed by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), to obtain quarterly wage data, commencing July 1, 2010, on students who have attended their respective systems to assess the impact of education on the employment and earnings of those students, to conduct the annual analysis of district-level and individual district or postsecondary education system performance in achieving priority educational outcomes, and to submit the required reports to the Legislature and the Governor. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and regulations.

(ac)To provide the Agricultural Labor Relations Board with employee, wage, and employer information, for use in the investigation or enforcement of the Alatorre-Zenovich-Dunlap-Berman Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975 (Part 3.5 (commencing with Section 1140) of Division 2 of the Labor Code). The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and regulations.

(ad)(1)To enable the State Department of Health Care Services, the California Health Benefit Exchange, the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, and county departments and agencies to obtain information regarding employee wages, California employer names and account numbers, employer reports of wages and number of employees, and disability insurance and unemployment insurance claim information, for the purpose of:

(A)Verifying or determining the eligibility of an applicant for, or a recipient of, state health subsidy programs, limited to the Medi-Cal program provided pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and the Medi-Cal Access Program provided pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 15810) of Part 3.3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, when the verification or determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of the state health subsidy programs referenced in this subparagraph.

(B)Verifying or determining the eligibility of an applicant for, or a recipient of, federal subsidies offered through the California Health Benefit Exchange, provided pursuant to Title 22 (commencing with Section 100500) of the Government Code, including federal tax credits and cost-sharing assistance pursuant to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended by the federal Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152), when the verification or determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of the California Health Benefit Exchange.

(C)Verifying or determining the eligibility of employees and employers for health coverage through the Small Business Health Options Program, provided pursuant to Section 100502 of the Government Code, when the verification or determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of the Small Business Health Options Program.

(2)The information provided under this subdivision shall be subject to the requirements of, and provided to the extent permitted by, federal law and regulations, including Part 603 of Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(ae)To provide any peace officer with the Investigations Division of the Department of Motor Vehicles with information pursuant to subdivision (i), when the requesting peace officer has been designated by the Chief of the Investigations Division and requests this information in the course of, and as part of, an investigation into identity theft, counterfeiting, document fraud, or consumer fraud, and there is reasonable suspicion that the crime is a felony and that the information would lead to relevant evidence regarding the identity theft, counterfeiting, document fraud, or consumer fraud. The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations, and to the extent the information is available and accessible within the constraints and configurations of existing department records. Any person who receives any information under this subdivision shall make a written report of the information to the Investigations Division of the Department of Motor Vehicles, for filing under the normal procedures of that division.

(af)Until January 1, 2020, to enable the Department of Finance to prepare and submit the report required by Section 13084 of the Government Code that identifies all employers in California that employ 100 or more employees who receive benefits from the Medi-Cal program (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code). The information used for this purpose shall be limited to information obtained pursuant to Section 11026.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and from the administration of personal income tax wage withholding pursuant to Division 6 (commencing with Section 13000) and the disability insurance program and may be disclosed to the Department of Finance only for the purpose of preparing and submitting the report and only to the extent not prohibited by federal law.

(ag)To provide, to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations, the Student Aid Commission with wage information in order to verify the employment status of an individual applying for a Cal Grant C award pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 69439 of the Education Code.

(ah)To enable the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to obtain quarterly wage data of former inmates who have been incarcerated within the prison system in order to assess the impact of rehabilitation services or the lack of these services on the employment and earnings of these former inmates. Quarterly data for a former inmate’s employment status and wage history shall be provided for a period of one year, three years, and five years following release. The data shall only be used for the purpose of tracking outcomes for former inmates in order to assess the effectiveness of rehabilitation strategies on the wages and employment histories of those formerly incarcerated. The information shall be provided to the department to the extent not prohibited by federal law.

(ai)To enable federal, state, or local government departments or agencies, or their contracted agencies, subject to federal law, including the confidentiality, disclosure, and other requirements set forth in Part 603 of Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations, to evaluate, research, or forecast the effectiveness of public social services programs administered pursuant to Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or Part A of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 601 et seq.), when the evaluation, research, or forecast is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of the public social services programs.

(aj)(1)To enable the California Workforce Development Board, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Department of Rehabilitation, the State Department of Social Services, the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, the Department of Industrial Relations, the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Prison Industry Authority, the Employment Training Panel, and a chief elected official, as that term is defined in Section 3102(9) of Title 29 of the United States Code, to access any relevant quarterly wage data necessary for the evaluation and reporting of their respective program performance outcomes as required and permitted by various local, state, and federal laws pertaining to performance measurement and program evaluation under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128); the workforce metrics dashboard pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (i) of Section 14013; the Adult Education Block Grant Program consortia performance metrics pursuant to Section 84920 of the Education Code; the economic and workforce development program performance measures pursuant to Section 88650 of the Education Code; and the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program performance measures established in Part 52.5 (commencing with Section 88600) of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code. Disclosures under this subdivision shall comply with federal and state privacy laws that require the informed consent from program participants of city and county departments or agencies that administer public workforce development programs for the evaluation, research, or forecast of their programs regardless of local, state, or federal funding source.

(2)The department shall do all of the following:

(A)Consistent with this subdivision, develop the minimum requirements for granting a request for disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision regardless of local, state, or federal funding source.

(B)Develop a standard application for submitting a request for disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision.

(C)Approve or deny a request for disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision, or request additional information, within 20 business days of receiving the standard application. The entity submitting the application shall respond to any request by the department for additional information within 20 business days of receipt of the department’s request. Within 30 calendar days of receiving any additional information, the department shall provide a final approval or denial of the request for disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision. Any approval, denial, or request for additional information shall be in writing. Denials shall identify the reason or category of reasons for the denial.

(D)Make publicly available on the department’s internet website all of the following:

(i)The minimum requirements for granting a request for disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision, as developed pursuant to subparagraph (A).

(ii)The standard application developed pursuant to subparagraph (B).

(iii)The timeframe for information request determinations by the department, as specified in subparagraph (C).

(iv)Contact information for assistance with requests for disclosures of information authorized by this subdivision.

(v)Any denials for requests of disclosure of information authorized by this subdivision, including the reason or category of reasons for the denial.

(ak)(1)To provide any peace officer with the Enforcement Branch of the Department of Insurance with both of the following:

(A)Information provided pursuant to subdivision (i) that relates to a specific insurance fraud investigation involving automobile insurance fraud, life insurance and annuity fraud, property and casualty insurance fraud, and organized automobile insurance fraud. That information shall be provided when the requesting peace officer has been designated by the Chief of the Fraud Division of the Department of Insurance and requests the information in the course of, and as part of, an investigation into the commission of a crime or other unlawful act when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the crime or act may be connected to the information requested and would lead to relevant information regarding the crime or unlawful act.

(B)Employee, wage, employer, and state disability insurance claim information that relates to a specific insurance fraud investigation involving health or disability insurance fraud when the requesting peace officer has been designated by the Chief of the Fraud Division of the Department of Insurance and requests the information in the course of, and as part of, an investigation into the commission of a crime or other unlawful act when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the crime or act may be connected to the information requested and would lead to relevant information regarding the crime or unlawful act.

(2)To enable the State Department of Developmental Services to obtain quarterly wage data of consumers served by that department for the purposes of monitoring and evaluating employment outcomes to determine the effectiveness of the Employment First Policy, established pursuant to Section 4869 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(3)The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and regulations.

(al)To provide the CalSavers Retirement Savings Board with employer tax information for use in the administration of, and to facilitate compliance with, the CalSavers Retirement Savings Trust Act (Title 21 of the Government Code). The information should be limited to the tax information the director deems appropriate, and shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal laws and regulations.

(am)(1)To enable the Joint Enforcement Strike Force as established by Section 329, and the Labor Enforcement Task Force, as established pursuant to Assembly Bill 1464 of the 2011–12 Regular Session (Chapter 21 of the Statutes of 2012), to carry out their duties.

(2)To provide an agency listed in subdivision (a) of Section 329 intelligence, data, including confidential tax and fee information, documents, information, complaints, or lead referrals pursuant to Section 15925 of the Government Code.

(an)To enable the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education to access and use any relevant quarterly wage data necessary to perform the labor market outcome reporting data match pursuant to Section 94892.6 of the Education Code. The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by state and federal laws and regulations.

(ao)To enable all members of the Unemployment Insurance Integrity Enforcement Program Task Force created by Section 4801 to access relevant claimant information in order to conduct investigations of potential unemployment insurance fraud. The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations. Conduct related to information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not be subject to the criminal sanctions set forth in subdivision (f) of Section 1094.