§ 42-16.1-12. Fraud prevention unit - Appointment - Duties - Qualifications. (a) The director of the department of labor and training shall maintain within the workers' compensation unit of the department of labor and training, a workers' compensation fraud prevention unit whose members shall be in the unclassified service and whose responsibility it shall be to formulate an integrated state plan to reduce and prevent fraud arising out of claims made pursuant to the workers' compensation laws of this state and to conduct investigations as authorized by the director. The plan shall include a fraud prevention telephone hotline.

(b) To carry out the purposes of this section, the director is authorized to employ any persons that may be required, including an assistant attorney general position within the department of attorney general to assist the unit in any hearing, investigation, action or proceeding taken or done in carrying out the purposes of this section. The director is further authorized and directed to employ any investigative or other services that he or she deems reasonable and prudent to accomplish these purposes.

(c) The unit shall be funded by the workers' compensation administrative fund established in § 28-37-1, and any other funds or balances that the director deems appropriate.

History of Section. (P.L. 1999, ch. 31, art. 8, § 4; P.L. 1999, ch. 216, § 11; P.L. 1999, ch. 384, § 11; P.L. 2001, ch. 256, § 8; P.L. 2001, ch. 355, § 8; P.L. 2005, ch. 342, § 5; P.L. 2005, ch. 403, § 5.)