By Staff Report
A bill that would add requirements for collecting unemployment benefits continued moving through the Senate on Thursday after receiving a favorable committee vote.
The proposal, SB 216 — titled the “Promoting Work, Deterring Fraud Act of 2026” — would revise how the Florida Department of Commerce disqualifies claimants from reemployment assistance benefits. In addition to existing requirements, such as contacting five employers a week, attending scheduled job interviews and returning to work when called by a former employer, the bill would require the department to verify a person’s employment and immigration status every two weeks.
“I think they’ve been doing it less often,” said bill sponsor Sen. Stan McClain, R-Ocala, adding that the goal is to reduce fraudulent benefit claims.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida paid $22 million in fraudulent unemployment claims, according to the U.S. Labor Department. As of December 2025, Florida’s unemployment rate stood at 4.3%, roughly in line with the national average.
The bill passed by an 11-4 vote. It also would require the Department of Commerce to publish annual online reports detailing fraudulent claims activity.
Despite the additional responsibilities, McClain said the department has not indicated the bill would create a greater workload.
“The biggest challenge they have is during the initial intake of the employee applying for assistance,” McClain said. “Because they’re already doing verification, this just makes it a little more timely.”
He did not provide cost estimates or identify funding sources for the additional requirements.
Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, raised concerns about the lack of an agency analysis.
“I don’t see an agency analysis that gives a sense of what the impact will be,” Bradley said. “I would love to see an agency analysis on how many full-time employees this will require. Does this require IT upgrades or third-party contracts?”
Sen. Rosalind Osgood, D-Fort Lauderdale, said she was concerned about how the bill could affect older Floridians.
“Statistics say one in five adults 65 and over are working not because they want to, but because fixed incomes are no longer enough,” Osgood said. She warned the bill assumes older workers have the same physical ability, digital access and transportation as younger workers.
Rich Templin, a lobbyist for the Florida AFL-CIO, said the current economic climate makes changes to unemployment benefits risky.
“We’re in the middle of a big economic shift in this country,” Templin said. “If this bill passes and mass layoffs happen, there will be people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own and won’t be able to rely on this system.”
McClain said the bill is intended to ensure unemployment assistance goes only to people who qualify.
“I think all of us have a heart for people,” he said. “But the unemployment system should be for those that absolutely are qualified to receive it, and we should make sure they continue to be qualified.”
AMBER PATINO