43:21-11 Administration.

43:21-11. (a) Duties and powers of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The department shall have power and authority to adopt, amend, or rescind such rules and regulations, require such reports, make such investigations, and take such other action as it deems necessary or suitable or to administer this chapter; provided that the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development may delegate such power and authority, subject to his ultimate supervision and control. Such rules and regulations shall be effective upon publication in the manner, not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter, which the department shall prescribe. The department shall determine its own organization and methods of procedure, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Whenever the department believes that a change in contribution or benefit rates will become necessary to protect the solvency of the fund, it shall promptly so inform the Governor and the Legislature, and make recommendations with respect thereto.

(b) Regulations and general and special rules. General and special rules may be adopted, amended, or rescinded by the department. General rules shall become effective 10 days after filing with the Secretary of State and publication in one or more newspapers of general circulation in this State. Special rules shall become effective 10 days after notification to or mailing to the last known address of the individuals or concerns affected thereby. Regulations may be adopted, amended, or rescinded by the department and shall become effective in the manner and at the time prescribed by the department.

(c) Publication. The department shall cause to be printed for distribution to the public the text of this chapter, the department's regulations and general rules, its annual reports to the Governor, and any other material the department deems relevant and suitable and shall furnish the same to any person upon application therefor.

(d) Personnel. Subject to other provisions of this chapter, the department is authorized to appoint (subject to the provisions of Title 11, Civil Service), fix the compensation, and prescribe the duties and powers of such officers, accountants, attorneys, experts, and other persons as may be necessary in the performance of its duties under R.S. 43:21-1 et seq. All positions shall be filled by persons selected and appointed on a nonpartisan merit basis from lists of eligible persons prepared by the Civil Service Commission, in accordance with the provisions of Title 11, Civil Service, except that any attorney, now or hereafter in office or position of legal assistant for the department, shall be placed in the exempt class of the civil service and thereafter shall not be subject to removal except for cause and then only in accordance with the provisions of Title 11, Civil Service; provided, however, that nothing herein shall be construed to apply to any attorney designated as special counsel in accordance with the provisions of sections 43:21-6, subsection (h), and 43:21-17. The division shall not employ or pay any person who is an officer or committee member of any political party organization. The commissioner may delegate to any such person so appointed such power and authority as he deems reasonable and proper for the effective administration of this chapter, and may in his discretion bond any person handling moneys or signing checks hereunder.

(e) Employment Security Council. There shall be within the department an Employment Security Council, as established and constituted under the Department of Labor and Industry Act of 1948 (P.L.1948, c. 446; C. 34:1A-1 et seq.).

(f) Employment stabilization. The department, with the advice and aid of the Employment Security Council, shall take all appropriate steps to reduce and prevent unemployment; to encourage and assist in the adoption of practical methods of vocational training, retraining and vocational guidance; to investigate, recommend, advise, and assist in the establishment and operation, by municipalities, counties, school districts, and the State, of reserves for public works to be used in times of business depression and unemployment; to promote the re-employment of unemployed workers throughout the State in every other way that may be feasible, and to these ends to carry on and publish the records of investigations and research studies.

(g) Records and reports. Each employing unit shall keep true and accurate employment records, containing such information as may be prescribed. Such records shall be open to inspection and be subject to being copied by the director of the division and the controller or their authorized representatives at any reasonable time. The department may require from any employing unit any sworn or unsworn reports, with respect to persons employed by it, which are deemed necessary for the effective administration of this chapter. Under such rules and regulations as may be adopted by the department, reports relative to wages and separation from employment may be required from any employer or employing unit at the time such employer or employing unit suspends business operations in this State, or from any employer or employing unit which fails to cooperate in submitting promptly the wage and employment data which may be required under paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of section 43:21-6 of this Title. If the nature of such suspension is temporary or in the nature of a transfer, then the employer or employing unit may be excused from furnishing such a termination report upon assurances that proper arrangements have been made to supply any information which may be required under paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of section 43:21-6 of this Title. The department may require from any employer or employing unit reports relative to wages and separation in such manner and at such time as may be necessary for the effective administration of this chapter.

All records, reports and other information obtained from employers and employees under this chapter, except to the extent necessary for the proper administration of this chapter, shall be confidential and shall not be published or open to public inspection other than to public employees in the performance of their public duties, and shall not be subject to subpena or admissible in evidence in any civil action or proceeding other than one arising under this chapter, but any claimant at a hearing before an appeal tribunal, the division or the board of review shall be supplied with information from such records to the extent necessary for the proper presentation of his claim. Any officer or employee of the department who violates any provision of this section shall be liable to a fine of $200.00, to be recovered in a civil action in the name of the division, said fine when recovered to be paid to the unemployment compensation auxiliary fund for the use of said fund.

(h) Oaths and witnesses. In the discharge of the duties imposed by this chapter, the controller, the appeal tribunal and any duly authorized representative or member of the division, the director or any deputy director thereof or member of the board of review shall have power to administer oaths and affirmations, take depositions, certify to official acts, and issue subpenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers, correspondence, memoranda and other records deemed necessary as evidence in connection with a disputed claim or the administration of this chapter. Witnesses subpenaed pursuant to this section shall in the discretion of the department be allowed fees at a rate to be fixed by it. Such fees shall be deemed a part of the expense of administering this chapter.

(i) Subpenas. In case of contumacy by or refusal to obey a subpena issued to any person, any court of this State within the jurisdiction of which the inquiry is carried on or within the jurisdiction of which said person guilty of contumacy or refusal to obey is found or resides or transacts business, upon application by the department or its duly authorized representative, or the board of review, shall have jurisdiction to issue to such person an order requiring such person to appear before the board of review or a member thereof, the department or its duly authorized representative, there to produce evidence if so ordered or there to give testimony touching the matter under investigation or in question; and any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by said court as a contempt thereof. Any person who shall without just cause fail or refuse to attend and testify or to answer any lawful inquiry or to produce books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, and other records, if it is in his power so to do, in obedience to a subpena of the division or of the board of review shall be punished by a fine of not more than $200.00 or by imprisonment for not longer than 60 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and each day such violation continues shall be deemed to be a separate offense.

(j) Protection against self-incrimination. No person shall be excused from attending and testifying or from producing books, papers, correspondence, memoranda and other records before the department or the board of review or in obedience to the subpena of a member of the department or the board of review or a member thereof, or any duly authorized representative thereof in any cause or proceeding before the department, the board of review or a member thereof, on the ground that the testimony or evidence, documentary or otherwise, required of him may tend to incriminate him or subject him to a penalty or forfeiture; but no individual shall be prosecuted or subject to any penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter, or thing concerning which he is compelled, after having claimed his privilege against self-incrimination, to testify or produce evidence, documentary or otherwise, except that such individual so testifying shall not be exempt from prosecution and punishment for perjury committed in so testifying.

(k) State-Federal cooperation. In the administration of this chapter the department shall cooperate to the fullest extent, consistent with the provisions of this chapter, with the United States Department of Labor to secure to this State and its citizens all advantages available under the provisions of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. s. 301 et seq.), as amended, the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (26 U.S.C. s. 3301 et seq.), as amended, and the Wagner-Peyser Act (29 U.S.C. s. 49 et seq.), as amended; shall make such reports, in such form and containing such information as the United States Secretary of Labor may from time to time require; and shall comply with such provisions as the United States Secretary of Labor may from time to time find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports; and shall comply with the regulations prescribed by the United States Secretary of Labor governing the expenditure of such sums as may be allotted and paid to this State under any of such federal acts.

Upon request therefor, the department shall furnish to any agency of the United States charged with the administration of public works or assistance through public employment, the name, address, ordinary occupation and employment status of each recipient of benefits and such recipient's rights to further benefits under this chapter.

The department may afford reasonable cooperation with every agency of the United States charged with the administration of any unemployment insurance law.

The department is authorized to make such investigations and exercise such of the other powers provided herein with respect to the administration of this chapter and to transmit such information and make available such services and facilities to the agency charged with the administration of any State or federal unemployment insurance or public employment service law as it deems necessary or appropriate to facilitate the administration of such law and to accept and utilize information, services and facilities made available to this State by such agency.

The department shall adopt regulations prescribed by the United States Secretary of Labor to address state unemployment tax avoidance and to insure that the transfer or acquisition of a business is not done for the specific purpose of avoiding higher contribution rates.

(l) The controller shall establish procedures to identify employers who engage in the transfer or acquisition of a business, trade or organization for the purposes of achieving an unemployment tax rate unrelated to employment experience.

Amended 1939, c.94, s.4; 1940, c.252, s.2; 1952, c.187, s.5; 1961, c.43, s.7; 1984, c.24, s.8; 2005, c.239, s.2.