Notwithstanding any general or special laws to the contrary, there shall be established a commission to study and report on the policies and procedures of the department of unemployment assistance to prevent and address unemployment fraud. The commission shall: (1) identify and review current policies to prevent and address fraudulent unemployment claims; (2) compile and review data concerning the frequency and extent of unemployment fraud that has occurred during the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic, also known as COVID-19; (3) evaluate the effectiveness of current policies to prevent unemployment fraud; and (4) recommend evidence-based strategies or policies that can be established to prevent future fraudulent unemployment claims.

The commission shall be composed of 8 members as follows: the secretary of labor and workforce development or a designee, who shall serve as chair; the speaker of the house of representatives or a designee; the president of the senate or a designee; the house minority leader or a designee; the senate minority leader or a designee; the director of the department of unemployment assistance or a designee; the state auditor or a designee; and the attorney general or a designee.

The commission shall submit a final report with its findings and any recommendations to the clerks of the house of representative and the senate and the joint committee on labor and workforce development not later than December 31, 2021.