Bill > A05015

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework for waiving repayments of unemployment pandemic benefits (UPB) received during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily focusing on providing relief to claimants who received benefits without intentional fraud. The bill creates multiple pathways for waiving overpayments, including blanket waivers (automatically approved), categorical waivers (requiring federal approval), and individual waivers. Claimants can have their overpayments waived if they were "without fault" - meaning they did not knowingly provide false information to receive benefits - and if repayment would be "contrary to equity and good conscience." The bill provides extensive guidelines for determining fault, including presumptions in favor of claimants in scenarios like department errors, communication barriers, or financial hardship. The department must proactively review all pandemic unemployment overpayments, notify claimants about waiver opportunities, and provide applications for individual waivers. If an overpayment cannot be fully waived, claimants are given up to ten years to repay, with potential extensions if they can make minimal monthly payments. Additionally, the bill requires the department to publicly report quarterly data on waiver requests and outcomes, broken down by race, gender, ethnicity, and language, ensuring transparency in the process.

Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5015