Section 25-11-2

Legislative findings and intent.

The Legislature finds that individuals need to take more personal responsibility for their actions.

The Legislature further finds that certain individuals are not meeting their legal child support obligations. It is the express intent of the Legislature that individuals with legal child support obligations be located and required to take financial responsibility for their children by paying these child support obligations. A "new hire" reporting procedure shall require employers to obtain certain information from newly hired, recalled, or rehired individuals. This information shall be reported to the Department of Industrial Relations which shall form a State Directory of New Hires and the information shall be used by the Department of Human Resources to cross-match these individuals with individuals having outstanding legal child support obligations.

The Legislature further finds that there are certain individuals being overpaid unemployment compensation. This can occur when an individual is drawing unemployment compensation, obtains employment, and fails to notify the Department of Industrial Relations. This individual continues to draw unemployment compensation while receiving wages for his or her employment. The Legislature expressly intends to curtail this practice by using the "new hire" information to cross-match individuals being entered in the new hire directory against a master unemployment compensation claim file to stop individuals who are concurrently working and drawing unemployment compensation benefits.

The Legislature further finds that in some instances individuals are drawing workers' compensation benefits and working for wages over the same period of time. The Legislature expressly intends to curtail this practice by using the "new hire" information to cross-match individuals entered in the new hire directory against a master workers' compensation benefit file to stop individuals from receiving workers' compensation benefits when they are simultaneously employed.

The Legislature further finds that there are individuals receiving more food stamp benefits than they are entitled to receive. It is the express intent of the Legislature that these food stamp overissuances be repaid by the individuals. Persons with overissuances shall be identified at the time of application for unemployment compensation. Repayment shall be accomplished through deduction and withholding of unemployment benefits.

The Legislature specifically finds that the above requirements are mandated by federal law, specifically "The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996" (P.L. 104-193). It is the express intent of this Legislature to pass this chapter to remain in conformity with federal law and as a condition for receiving federal administrative funds to operate the employment security programs of the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations; as a condition for Alabama employers continuing to receive Federal Unemployment Tax Act credits; and as a condition for receiving federal funds for Alabama Department of Human Resources' programs.

(Acts 1997, No. 97-228, p. 373, §2.)