Bill > S4055

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a three-year "Unemployment Intake Accountability Pilot Program" in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The objective of the pilot program shall be to test the viability of recording customer service intake calls to the Division of Unemployment Insurance. Under the pilot program, a representative sample of customer service intake calls is to be recorded for later analysis by the commissioner. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development may enter into contracts to enact this pilot program. No later than one year following the effective date of the bill, the commissioner is required to survey the record of customer service intake calls to the Division of Unemployment Insurance. The survey shall obtain information including, but not limited to: the resolution rate of calls recorded by the pilot program; time elapsed between customer intake and the resolution of calls recorded by the pilot program; and any correlation between the time elapsed and the level of benefits received by the recipient. The commissioner shall use the survey results to publish an annual report on the effectiveness of the customer service intake telephone system. It is the view of the sponsor that this pilot program is necessary because of public dissatisfaction with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, including claimant reports of rudeness during telephone interactions with the department.

Committee Categories

Steven Oroho (R)*,  Joe Pennacchio (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Labor Committee (on 11/08/2021)