Section 25-4-145 Penalties; limitation of actions; collection of overpayments; waiver of overpayments.
Section 25-4-145
Penalties; limitation of actions; collection of overpayments; waiver of overpayments.
(a) Penalties.
(1) Whoever willfully makes a false statement or representation or who willfully fails to disclose a material fact to obtain or increase any benefit or payment under this chapter, or under an unemployment insurance law of any other state or government, either for himself or for any other person, whether such benefit or payment is actually received or not, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon such conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00, or by imprisonment for not longer than 12 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and each such false statement or representation shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.
(2) Any officer or agent of employer, or any employer who is an individual, who willfully makes a false statement or representation to avoid his employer or himself becoming or remaining subject to this chapter for contributions, or to reduce any contribution or other payment required of such employer or him under this chapter, or who willfully fails or refuses to make any such contributions or other payments as lawfully required under this chapter, or who induces any employee to waive any rights under this chapter, or any officer or agent of an employing unit, or any employing unit who is an individual, who refuses to furnish any reports duly required under this chapter or to appear or testify or produce records as lawfully required hereunder shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00, or by imprisonment for not longer than 12 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and each such false statement or representation and each day of such failure or refusal, and each such inducement shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.
(3) If the director finds that any fraudulent misrepresentation has been made by a claimant with the object of obtaining benefits under this chapter to which he was not entitled, then, in addition to any other penalty or prosecution provided under this chapter, the director may make a determination that there shall be deducted from any benefits to which such claimant might become entitled during his present benefit year and/or next subsequent benefit year, an amount not less than four times his weekly benefit amount and not more than the maximum benefit amount payable in a benefit year, as determined under Sections 25-4-72, 25-4-74 and 25-4-75, at the time the director makes the determination. The director shall notify the claimant of his findings and determination either by delivering a copy thereof to him or by mailing a copy, postage prepaid, to his last known address. Unless the claimant shall appeal from said finding or from said determination, or both, within seven calendar days after delivery of such notice to him, or within 15 calendar days after such notice was mailed to his last known address, postage prepaid, such finding and determination shall become final. If such claimant shall appeal from such finding or determination, or both, within the time specified, the issue or issues shall be referred to an appeals tribunal for hearing, as in other benefit cases, and thereafter the procedure shall be the same as set forth in Article 5 of this chapter.
(4) Any violation of any provisions of this chapter, for which a penalty is neither prescribed above nor provided by any other applicable statute, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00, or by imprisonment for not longer than twelve months, or by such fine and imprisonment.
(b) Limitation of actions. Prosecution under this section must be begun within three years from the date of the commission of the offense or offenses described herein.
(c) Collection of overpayments.
(1) Any individual who has received any sum as benefits or payments under this chapter while any conditions for the receipt of benefits or payment imposed by this chapter were not fulfilled by such person, or while he was disqualified from receipt of benefits; or by reason of non-disclosure or misrepresentation by him or another of a material fact (irrespective of whether such non-disclosure was known or fraudulent) or for any other reason causing him to receive benefits to which he was not entitled, shall be required to repay such sum in cash or by offset against any future benefits if payable or a combination of both.
(2) Such person shall be promptly notified of the determination of overpayment and the reasons therefor. Unless such person, within 15 calendar days immediately following the date such notification was mailed to his last known address, files an appeal from such determination, such determination shall be final. Any appeal therefrom pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be limited solely to the overpayment issue.
(3) If the indebtedness is not paid by such person within 30 calendar days after the determination has become final, the director shall proceed to effect collection of the overpayment and shall have available to him all civil actions available to him under the laws of this state to collect the overpayment as well as those provisions contained in subsection (b) of Section 25-4-134 applying to the collection of contributions.
(d) Waiver of overpayment; limitations.
(1) The director is hereby authorized to waive overpayments under such procedure and conditions as he may by regulation prescribe.
(2) The other provisions of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, no action to enforce recovery or recoupment of any overpayment shall begin after six years from the date of the final determination as is provided for in subsection (c) of this section.
(Acts 1939, No. 497, p. 721; Code 1940, T. 26, §251; Acts 1951, No. 568, p. 1000; Acts 1961, Ex. Sess., No. 274, p. 2298, §9; Acts 1978, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 1, p. 5, §11; Acts 1980, No. 80-756, p. 1561, §7; Acts 1983, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 83-155, p. 264, §15.)