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# Summary This bipartisan bill aims to strengthen unemployment insurance by cracking down on fraud while improving access to benefits. The legislation extends the statute of limitations for prosecuting pandemic-era unemployment fraud from standard periods to 10 years, allowing authorities more time to pursue cases involving the pandemic unemployment assistance programs created during COVID-19. It also allows states to waive repayment of non-fraudulent overpayments made during the pandemic if repayment would cause financial hardship or be inequitable, with a deadline of December 31, 2025 for most determinations. The bill permits states to retain a portion of recovered overpayments and collected contributions—up to 5 percent for regular unemployment claims and up to 25 percent for pandemic-related fraud recoveries—to fund fraud prevention, technology modernization, and improved benefit access. It requires states to compare unemployment claims against the National Directory of New Hires to identify people working while collecting benefits and mandates electronic information-sharing between state agencies and employers. States must also cross-match claimant data against multiple databases and prisoner records to prevent improper payments. Additionally, the bill establishes new standards for user-friendly online claim filing systems, requiring states to provide multilingual support, mobile accessibility, and alternative filing methods like phone and in-person options by December 31, 2027. The Government Accountability Office must study how states are using federal fraud-prevention funding and report findings within two years.

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