Unemployment insurance: use of information.

Under existing law, the information obtained in the administration of the Unemployment Insurance Code is for the exclusive use and information of the Director of Employment Development in the discharge of his or her duties and is not open to the public. However, existing law permits the use of the information for specified purposes. Existing law lists as a specified purpose to provide an authorized governmental agency with relevant information that relates to any specific workers' compensation insurance fraud investigation, as provided. Existing law provides that a person who knowingly accesses, uses, or discloses this confidential information without authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would expand the definition of "authorized governmental agency" to include the Contractors' State License Board. This bill would require the director to provide the Agricultural Labor Relations Board with specified information for use in the investigation or enforcement of the Alatorre-Zenovich-Dunlap-Berman Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975. By requiring this information to be provided to the Contractors' State License Board and the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, this bill would expand the crime of unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of this information, and would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 1095 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, proposed by AB 174 and SB 1258 that would become operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are chaptered and become effective January 1, 2013, and this bill is chaptered last.