Bill > HB1281

This bill modifies the state's employment security program by establishing the "Employment Security Program Integrity Act of 2025", which introduces several new measures to prevent unemployment benefit fraud and improve program administration. The bill enhances the division of employment security's ability to verify claimant eligibility by requiring weekly checks against incarceration records, death records, and new-hire directories. It mandates identity verification through multi-factor authentication and requires a full review of suspicious claims, such as those originating from the same internet address or associated with duplicate mailing addresses. The legislation also requires welfare agencies to notify the division when an enrolled individual becomes employed, and compels the division to prioritize recovering fraudulent or improper benefit overpayments. Additionally, the bill expands provisions related to disqualifying unemployment benefits, including stricter rules about voluntarily leaving work, refusing job offers, and addressing misconduct. Employers will now have more methods to report individuals who fail to accept or respond to job offers, and the division must provide an annual report to the general assembly detailing improper payment recovery efforts. The bill aims to increase accountability, reduce fraud, and ensure that unemployment benefits are distributed more accurately and efficiently.

Government Affairs

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1281&year=2025&code=R