1213-S2 AMH COUT LEON 129

2SHB 1213 - H AMD 753

By Representative Couture

NOT ADOPTED 03/10/2025

On page 2, after line 32, insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 50A.05 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By October 1, 2026, the department shall contract with a qualified third party auditor to conduct a fraud audit of the program under this title, including determining the prevalence and costs of fraudulent claims and the presence, effectiveness, and use of safeguards to prevent, detect, and investigate fraud and recover fraudulently obtained benefits.

(2) By October 1, 2027, the third party auditor shall submit its final report with findings and recommendations to the department, the advisory committee in RCW 50A.05.030, the appropriate committees of the legislature, and the governor in compliance with RCW 43.01.036."

Renumber the remaining sections consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.

EFFECT: Requires the Employment Security Department (ESD) to contract with a qualified third party auditor to conduct a fraud audit of the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program, including determining the prevalence and costs of fraudulent claims and the presence, effectiveness, and use of safeguards to prevent, detect, and investigate fraud and recover fraudulently obtained benefits. Requires the third party auditor to submit its final report with findings and recommendations to the ESD, PFML Advisory Committee, the Legislature, and the Governor by October 1, 2027.

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