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Marshall Introduces Legislation Taking Aim at COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud

Marshall Introduces Legislation Taking Aim at COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud

Marshall Introduces Legislation Taking Aim at COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud

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Kansas Senator Roger Marshall along with five other Senate Republicans, introduced on new legislation that aims to hold individuals accountable who improperly received federal COVID-19 unemployment insurance.

The bill is titled the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Recoupment Act. The senators say it would give the federal government more time to prosecute fraud cases by extending the statute of limitations for overpayments in five COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance programs.

“While millions of Americans worked hard to get through difficult financial times during the pandemic, others used the brief shutdown of our economy to scam billions in unemployment benefits,” Senator Marshall said.

U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (TN), Mike Bruan (IN), Kevin Cramer (ND), Joni Ernst (IA), and Rick Scott (FL) also introduced the bill.

“Reports indicate improper and fraudulent payments during the COVID pandemic top at least $191 billion – an unacceptable abuse of taxpayer dollars,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Recoupment Act helps ensure we can hold them accountable and reclaim funds before it’s too late.”

“In response to the economic impacts of COVID-19, the federal government authorized extraordinary levels of financial relief for Americans during an unprecedented time,” said Senator Cramer. “Unfortunately, bad actors sought to take advantage of these benefits, committed fraud, and ultimately cheated taxpayers out of their hard-earned money. This bill provides much needed time for the federal government to identify and prosecute these bad actors and recover the stolen funds.”

To help law enforcement regain these fraudulently improperly paid funds, the Sens. say the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Recoupment Act would:

  • Extend the statute of limitations for fraud in pandemic UI programs such as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and the Lost Wages Assistance programs from 5 years to 10 years.
  • Extend the statute of limitations for PUA, FPUC, MEUC, PEUC, and Lost Wages Assistance from 3 years to 10 years.

You may click here to read the legislation in full.

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