For Immediate Release:                                                      

October 1, 2020                                                                     

Auditor Faber’s Statement on HB 614

Columbus – Auditor of State Keith Faber released the following statement after Governor DeWine signed House Bill 614:

“As hardworking Ohioans were put out of work by the pandemic, the state’s unemployment system was forced to respond to thousands of new claims, eventually buckling under the tremendous strain of the economic shutdown. The last several months, I have met with individuals who faced issues when the time came for them to rely on the unemployment system, and worked with members of the General Assembly to hear the concerns of their constituents. I welcome the opportunity to help Ohioans gain better access to the benefits they deserve and look forward to working with the administration to ensure Ohio’s programs are working as they were intended and improve the system.”

House Bill 614 requires the Auditor of State to examine the process by which an individual files a claim for and receives unemployment benefits. Upon completion, the Auditor’s Office must report findings along with any recommendations to the Senate President, Speaker of the House, Governor, Director of ODJFS, Legislative Service Commission, and the newly-created Unemployment Compensation Modernization and Improvement Council.

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio is responsible for auditing more than 6,000 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.