The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted unanimously this week in support of legislation to increase the penalties for defrauding the system to obtain unemployment compensation benefits, including cases of fraud by prison inmates. Earlier this year, it was discovered that about 3,000 county prisoners had been receiving $18 million in jobless benefits.
In addition to fraud by prisoners, the bill also addresses other types of fraud. It would increase the monetary penalty from its current range of $100 to $1,000 to $500 to $1,500 for claimants who knowingly make false statements.
This week, the House also voted unanimously in support of a bill to end the practice of pay-to-play politics in the state contracting procurement process. The measure, which I co-sponsored, aims to limit any undue influence a former employer could have on a state employee who is in the position of making contract decisions. House Bill 201 now heads to the Senate for consideration.