AI-assisted research summary: The secretary may requisition trust-fund money for unemployment benefits, and certain federal funds may be used for administration only if appropriation and spending limits are met.
(a) Money shall be requisitioned from the state’s account in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund solely for the payment of benefits and in accordance with regulations prescribed by the secretary; except, that money credited to this state’s account pursuant to Section 903 of the Social Security Act, as amended, shall be used exclusively as provided in this section. The secretary shall from time to time requisition from the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund such amounts, not exceeding the amounts standing to this state’s account therein, as he deems necessary for the payment of benefits for a reasonable future period. Upon receipt thereof the treasurer of the fund shall deposit such moneys in the benefit payment account and shall issue his checks for the payment of benefits solely from such benefit account. Expenditures of such moneys in the benefit payment account and refunds for the clearing account shall not be subject to any provisions of law (and shall be in lieu of all provisions of law) requiring specific appropriations or other formal release by state officers of moneys in their custody. All checks issued by the treasurer of the fund for the payment of benefits shall bear the signature of said treasurer, and the countersignature of the secretary or his or her duly authorized agent, both in such manner as the secretary may prescribe. Any balance of moneys requisitioned from the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund which remains unclaimed or unexpended in the benefit payment account after the expiration of the period for which such sums were requisitioned shall either be deducted from estimates for, and may be utilized for the payment of benefits during succeeding periods, or, in the discretion of the secretary, shall be redeposited with the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States to the credit of this state’s account in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund as provided in Section 25-4-31. (b) Money credited to the account of this state in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund by the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States of America pursuant to Section 903 of the Social Security Act, as amended, may be requisitioned and used for the payment of expenses incurred for the administration of this chapter pursuant to a specific appropriation by the Legislature; provided, that the expenses are incurred and the money is requisitioned after the enactment of an appropriation law which: (1) Specifies the purposes for which such money is appropriated and the amounts appropriated therefor; (2) Limits the period within which such money may be expended to a period ending not more than two years after the date of the enactment of the appropriation law; and (3) Limits the amount which may be used during a 12-month period beginning on July 1, and ending on the next June 30, to an amount which does not exceed the amount by which the aggregate of the amounts credited to the account of this state pursuant to Section 903 of the Social Security Act, as amended, exceeds the aggregate of the amounts used pursuant to this section and charged against the amount credited to the account of this state. (c) Money requisitioned for the payment of expenses of administration pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Employment Security Administration Fund, but, until expended, shall remain a part of the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund. The secretary shall maintain a separate record of the deposit, obligation, expenditure, and return of funds so deposited. If any money so deposited is, for any reason, not to be expended for the purpose for which it was appropriated, or, if it remains unexpended at the end of the period specified by the law appropriating such money, it shall be withdrawn and returned to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States for credit to this state’s account in the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund. (d) Money credited to the account of this state pursuant to Section 903 of the Social Security Act, as amended, may not be withdrawn or used except for the payment of benefits and for the payment of expenses for the administration of this chapter and of public employment offices pursuant to this chapter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, money credited with respect to federal fiscal years 1999, 2000, and 2001 shall be used solely for the administration of the Unemployment Compensation Program.