SECTION 1.  Subsection (e) of section 25 of said chapter 151A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the final paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:--

Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, no waiting period shall be allowed and no benefits shall be paid to an individual under this chapter for the period of unemployment next ensuing and until the individual has had at least eight weeks of work and in each of said weeks has earned an amount equivalent to or in excess of the individual’s weekly benefit amount after having left work to accompany or join one’s spouse or other person at a new locality;  provided that this disqualification shall not apply to an individual who has left work to accompany or join the individual’s spouse, who, being a service member on active service in the armed forces of the United States, has relocated beyond commuting distance due to a permanent change of station; provided further, however, that the service member has not been relocated in order to be separated from service. If the individual’s employer is liable for contributions under section 14 or 14C, such employer’s account shall not be charged for any benefits paid out to the individual under this paragraph.

SECTION 2.  Section 1 of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after subsection  (g) the following 2 subsections:--

(g¼) “Director”, the director of unemployment assistance.

(g⅓) “Division”, the department of unemployment assistance.

SECTION 3.  Subsection (k) of said section 1 of said chapter 151A is hereby amended by striking out the words “sections two, three, four A, five, six, and eight C” and inserting in place thereof the words: - sections two, three, four A, five, six, six A, and eight C.

SECTION 4.  Section 6 of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (v) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection: -

(v) service performed by a person committed to a custodial or penal institution.

SECTION 5.  Subsection (j) of section 25 of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 326 through 328, the words “provided further, that the amount deducted each week shall not exceed 25 per cent of the individual’s weekly unemployment benefit rate;”.

SECTION 6.  Section 29E of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 1, 15, 24, 36, and 50, each time it appears, the word “deputy”.

SECTION 7.  Said section 29E of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 38, the words “deputy director, with the approval of the”.

SECTION 8.  Subsection (e) of section 30A of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 165 and166, the words “employment and training” and inserting in place thereof, the following words:- unemployment assistance.

SECTION 9.  Subsection (c) of section 46 of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following 3 paragraphs:-

(8) to the United States department of labor, such information as required by law, or as a condition of receiving federal administrative funding.

(9) to any federal, state, or local agency entitled to such information under the social security act or any other federal law, information to the degree and in the manner prescribed by such federal law or its implementing regulations.

(10) to any federal, state, or local agency, information sought by a grand jury subpoena or other compulsory legal process served upon the department; provided that the department shall provide the notification required by subsection (k) of section 2 of Chapter 66A before providing any information sought by such subpoena or compulsory legal process.

SECTION 10.  Said section 46 of said chapter 151A is hereby further amended by striking out subsection (g).

SECTION 11.  Section 47 of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 120, the words “employment and training” and inserting in place thereof, the following words:- unemployment assistance.

SECTION 12.  Subsection (f) of section 58 of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 62, the words “employment and training” and inserting in place thereof, the following words:- unemployment assistance.

SECTION 13.  Subsection (a) of section 62A of said chapter 151A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the first paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

The department of unemployment assistance shall provide a minimum level of in-person assistance at every career center operated or overseen by the MassHire department of career services.

SECTION 14.  Said section 62A of said chapter 151A is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 19 and 34, the word “deputy”.

SECTION 15.  Said section 62A of said chapter 151A is hereby further amended by adding the following subsection: -

(h) Any written communication required or permitted by this chapter or by regulations promulgated thereunder shall be made and transmitted in the manner and form prescribed by the director, which may include by means of electronic communication. The director shall establish procedures for allowing the use of electronic communications for such purposes, provided that such procedures shall require that all written communications to and from persons lacking reasonable access to, or the ability to use or receive, electronic communications shall be made by means of the United States Postal Service. For the purpose of this subsection, a “communication” shall include, without limitation, any written notice or questionnaire from the department and any written response or other submission from a claimant, a claimant’s representative, an employer, or an employer’s representative.

An electronic communication sent to the department and made in the name of a claimant or employer and using the Social Security Account Number, Federal Employer Identification Number, or unique identification number or code assigned to the claimant or employer by the director shall be presumed to have been made by that individual or employer unless the director is satisfied on the available evidence that the electronic communication was not made by or on behalf of that individual or employer.