SB2961eng 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2961 Engrossed LRB099 16781 JLS 41126 b

AN ACT concerning employment.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Unemployment Insurance Act is amended by changing Sections 2201 and 2201.1 as follows:

(820 ILCS 405/2201) (from Ch. 48, par. 681)

Sec. 2201. Refund or adjustment of contributions. Not later than 3 years after the date of overpayment by upon which the Director first notifies an employing unit of that it has paid contributions, interest or penalties thereon erroneously, the employing unit may file a claim with the Director for an adjustment thereof in connection with subsequent contribution payments, or for a refund thereof where such adjustment cannot be made; provided, however, that no refund or adjustment shall be made of any contribution, the amount of which has been determined and assessed by the Director, if such contribution was paid after the determination and assessment of the Director became final, and provided, further, that any such adjustment or refund, involving contributions with respect to wages on the basis of which benefits have been paid, shall be reduced by the amount of benefits so paid. Upon receipt of a claim the Director shall make his determination, either allowing such claim in whole or in part, or ordering that it be denied, and serve notice upon the claimant of such determination. Such determination of the Director shall be final at the expiration of 20 days from the date of service of such notice unless the claimant shall have filed with the Director a written protest and a petition for hearing, specifying his objections thereto. Upon receipt of such petition within the 20 days allowed, the Director shall fix the time and place for a hearing and shall notify the claimant thereof. At any hearing held as herein provided, the determination of the Director shall be prima facie correct and the burden shall be upon the protesting employing unit to prove that it is incorrect. All of the provisions of this Act applicable to hearings conducted pursuant to Section 2200 shall be applicable to hearings conducted pursuant to this Section. Upon the conclusion of such hearing, a decision shall be made by the Director and notice thereof given to the claimant. If the Director shall decide that the claim be allowed in whole or in part, or if such allowance be ordered by the Court pursuant to Section 2205 and the judgment of said Court has become final, the Director shall, if practicable, make adjustment without interest in connection with subsequent contribution payments by the claimant, and if adjustments thereof cannot practicably be made in connection with such subsequent contribution payments, then the Director shall refund to the claimant the amount so allowed, without interest except as otherwise provided in Section 2201.1 from moneys in the benefit account established by this Act. Nothing herein contained shall prohibit the Director from making adjustment or refund upon his own initiative, within the time allowed for filing claim therefor, provided that the Director shall make no refund or adjustment of any contribution, the amount of which he has previously determined and assessed, if such contribution was paid after the determination and assessment became final.

If this State should not be certified for any year by the Secretary of Labor of the United States of America, or other appropriate Federal agency, under Section 3304 of the Federal Internal Revenue Code of 1954, the Director shall refund without interest to any instrumentality of the United States subject to this Act by virtue of permission granted in an Act of Congress, the amount of contributions paid by such instrumentality with respect to such year.

The Director may by regulation provide that, if there is a total credit balance of less than $2 in an employer's account with respect to contributions, interest, and penalties, the amount may be disregarded by the Director; once disregarded, the amount shall not be considered a credit balance in the account and shall not be subject to either an adjustment or a refund.

The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly apply to refunds and credits after January 1, 2017.

(Source: P.A. 98-1133, eff. 1-1-15.)

(820 ILCS 405/2201.1) (from Ch. 48, par. 681.1)

Sec. 2201.1. Interest on Overpaid Contributions, Penalties and Interest. The Director shall quarterly semi-annually furnish each employer with a statement of credit balances in the employer's account where the balances with respect to all contributions, interest and penalties combined equal or exceed $2. Under regulations prescribed by the Director and subject to the limitations of Section 2201, the employer may file a request for an adjustment or refund of the amount erroneously paid. Interest shall be paid on refunds of erroneously paid contributions, penalties and interest imposed by this Act, except that if any refund is mailed by the Director within 90 days after the date of the refund claim, no interest shall be due or paid. The interest shall begin to accrue as of the date of the refund claim and shall be paid at the rate of 1.5% per month computed at the rate of 12/365 of 1.5% for each day or fraction thereof. Interest paid pursuant to this Section shall be paid from monies in the special administrative account established by Sections 2100 and 2101. This Section shall apply only to refunds of contributions, penalties and interest which were paid as the result of wages paid after January 1, 1988.

The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly apply to refunds and credits after January 1, 2017.

(Source: P.A. 98-1133, eff. 1-1-15.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2017.