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State Representative Matthew Bierlein is calling for action on legislative reforms aimed at improving the efficiency and transparency of government programs. This comes as Michigan's Office of the Auditor General releases its final audit of the state's Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA), which uncovered significant fraud and improper payments within the agency.

The audit focused on the Investigations Division at UIA and revealed that the agency failed to identify a large number of imposter claims and did not recover many payments and penalties. It also identified an additional $245.1 million in potentially improper payments to ineligible individuals. Rep. Bierlein expressed his concern over these findings, stating, "These failures are completely unacceptable. They ended up taking funds from real people who needed assistance from the agency during government-mandated shutdowns and taking advantage of taxpayers and job providers throughout our state."

With the conclusion of the audits, Rep. Bierlein emphasized the need to take action on legislative reforms that he and other House Republicans have introduced. House Bills 4369-74 aim to reform the unemployment agency by increasing transparency, preventing fraud, and improving customer service for both unemployed workers and employers. Rep. Bierlein's plan, HB 4372, specifically creates a UIA ombudsman to address issues reported by people dealing with the agency. He explained, "This bill would provide a direct outlet to address problems. People will know that the role of this position is specifically to advocate and work on their behalf. It will help get people benefits they deserve so they can pay bills and put food on the table for their families when they face unforeseen and trying times regarding their employment."

Rep. Bierlein believes that addressing the failures of the UIA should be a bipartisan priority when the House reconvenes in January. He emphasized that this is not simply a funding issue but an effectiveness issue, stating, "We need better checks and balances in place and better fraud protection tools to ensure programs like these are working as intended for people. We have seen plenty of proof that we can do better, and plans we have put forth will help get us there."

The audit of the UIA has shed light on the magnitude of fraud and incompetence within the state government during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Rep. Bierlein's call for legislative reforms is a response to these findings, aiming to prevent future failures and ensure that government programs are efficient and transparent for both users and taxpayers.

To find out more, go to this link: https://gophouse.org/posts/rep-bierlein-house-should-prioritize-needed-reforms-as-uia-audit-wraps-up