Office of Digital Innovation: blockchain technology study: employment claims.

Existing law establishes the Employment Development Department within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and sets forth its powers and duties, including job creation activities, computation of benefits, and determination of contribution rates and collection of contributions for benefits. Existing law creates the Office of Digital Innovation within the Government Operations Agency, and establishes the office's mission of delivering better government services to the people of California through technology and design, including by collaborating with state entities to transform government services. This bill would require the office to study the feasibility and appropriateness of utilizing blockchain technology, as defined, by the Employment Development Department for the purposes of identity verification and fraud prevention, subject to the availability of funding for these purposes. The bill would require the office, on or before January 1, 2024, to report to the Legislature on the findings of this study, as specified, and would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2026.