House Ways and Means Committee members approved legislation on Feb. 28 that provides states new incentives to go after an estimated $400 billion in COVID-19 unemployment insurance (UI) fraud and extends the federal statute of limitations on prosecution of such crimes.
The “Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act” was introduced in the House by Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), who’s chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. There are 26 co-sponsors of the proposal, all of them Republicans. The bill is expected to be moved to the floor of the House of Representatives for debate and voting on final passage in the spring.
