H.R.1119 - Unemployment Integrity Act of 2025 (119th Congress)
Summary
H.R. 1119, the "Unemployment Integrity Act of 2025," aims to amend the Social Security Act to impose stricter requirements on individuals receiving unemployment compensation. It mandates that claimants, if requested, respond to requests, schedule and attend interviews, participate in reemployment services, and comply with reasonable requests like drug testing or skill assessments. The bill also requires states to establish a method for employers to report claimant non-compliance and directs the Secretary of Labor to study the effect of increasing random audits under the Beneficiary Accuracy Management program.
Expected Effects
The bill's likely effect is to reduce unemployment compensation payouts by increasing eligibility requirements and monitoring. This could lead to some individuals losing benefits, while potentially incentivizing faster reemployment. The increased audits may also identify and prevent fraudulent claims.
Potential Benefits
- Reduced Fraud: Increased audits can help detect and prevent fraudulent unemployment claims.
- Incentivized Reemployment: Stricter requirements may encourage individuals to actively seek and accept suitable work.
- Improved State Law Administration: The audit program adjustments could lead to better administration of state unemployment compensation laws.
- Potential Cost Savings: Reduced payouts due to stricter eligibility could save taxpayer money.
- Workforce Readiness: Reemployment services and skill assessments could improve the workforce's overall readiness.
Most Benefited Areas:
Potential Disadvantages
- Increased Burden on Claimants: The new requirements may create additional hurdles for individuals legitimately seeking unemployment benefits.
- Potential for Unfair Application: Subjective interpretation of "suitable work" and "reasonable requests" could lead to inconsistent application.
- Administrative Costs: Implementing and managing the new requirements and audit programs will incur administrative costs.
- Delayed Benefits: The interview and compliance requirements could delay benefit payments.
- Disproportionate Impact: The requirements may disproportionately affect vulnerable populations or those with limited access to resources.
Most Disadvantaged Areas:
Constitutional Alignment
The bill's constitutionality is primarily related to Congress's power to tax and spend for the general welfare (Article I, Section 8). The amendments to the Social Security Act fall under this power. However, the drug testing requirement could raise Fourth Amendment concerns regarding unreasonable search and seizure, depending on the specific implementation and justification. The reporting of non-compliance does not appear to violate any specific constitutional provision.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).