Title 26, Title 26

Benefits shall be deemed to be due and payable under this chapter only to the extent provided in this chapter and to the extent that moneys are available therefor to the credit of the Unemployment Compensation Fund, and neither the State, the bureau nor the commission shall be li…

All information transmitted to the bureau, the commission or its duly authorized representatives pursuant to this chapter is absolutely privileged and may not be made the subject matter or basis in any action of slander or libel in any court in this State. The privileged nature o…

If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of this chapter and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commissioner shall provide quarterly data, contained in the department's records of wages and unemployment compensation benefits paid to individuals who are reported to the Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to Title 1…

All the rights, privileges or immunities conferred by this chapter or by acts done pursuant thereto shall exist subject to the power of the Legislature to amend or repeal this chapter at any time.

If at any time the provisions of this chapter requiring the payment of contributions and benefits have been held invalid under the Constitution of Maine by the Supreme Judicial Court of this State or under the United States Constitution by the Supreme Court of the United States i…

1. False statement or representation. A person is guilty of unemployment fraud if that person makes a false statement or representation knowing it to be false or knowingly fails to disclose a material fact or solicits another person to make a false statement knowing it to be fals…

The bureau may not send a notice to an individual as required under this chapter exclusively by electronic mail without first allowing the individual the opportunity to elect to receive that notice exclusively by electronic mail.

1. Commission. The Maine Unemployment Insurance Commission consists of 3 members, one of whom must be a representative of labor, one of whom must be a representative of employers and one of whom must be a representative of the general public who shall be impartial, must be an att…

1. Powers and duties of the commissioner. Except as otherwise provided, it is the duty of the commissioner to administer this chapter, through an organization to be known as the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation. The commissioner may employ persons, make expenditures, require r…

1. State employment service. The commissioner shall establish and maintain free public employment offices in such number and in such places as may be necessary for the proper administration of this chapter and for the purpose of performing such duties as are within the purview of…

1. Authorization. The legislative body of a municipality may authorize its municipal officers or their designee to enter into an agreement, not financed by the State, with the commissioner for the purpose of providing job services or job service facilities, or both. 2. Liability …

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Affected person" means a person who is: (1) An applicant for employment with the bureau who will have access to federal tax information as part of…

The special fund in the State Treasury known as the Unemployment Compensation Administration Fund, as heretofore created, shall hereafter be known as the Employment Security Administration Fund. All moneys which are deposited or paid into this fund are appropriated and made avail…

If any moneys received in the Employment Security Administration Fund after June 30, 1941 are found by the Secretary of Labor because of any action or contingency to have been lost or been expended for purposes other than, or in amounts in excess of, those found necessary by the …

The Unemployment Compensation Fund, as heretofore created, shall be a special fund, separate and apart from all public moneys or funds of this State, and shall be administered by the commissioner exclusively for the purposes of this chapter. All moneys in the fund shall be mingle…

The Treasurer of State is the ex officio treasurer and custodian of the Unemployment Compensation Fund and shall administer the fund in accordance with the directions of the commissioner. The Treasurer of State shall maintain within the fund 4 separate accounts: [PL 2003, c. 164,…

Moneys must be requisitioned from the State's account in the Unemployment Trust Fund solely for the payment of benefits and for the payment of refunds pursuant to section 1043, subsection 11, paragraph F, subparagraph (2) and section 1225 in accordance with rules prescribed by th…

Sections 1141, 1161 and 1162, to the extent that they relate to the Unemployment Trust Fund, shall be operative only so long as such Unemployment Trust Fund continues to exist and so long as the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States of America continues to maintain for t…

The Special Administrative Expense Fund is created as a special fund in the State Treasury. All interest, fines and penalties collected under this chapter and all voluntary contributions tendered as a contribution to this fund must be paid into this fund. The money may not be exp…

The Federal Advance Interest Fund shall be a special nonlapsing fund in the State Treasury. All receipts, including interest, fines and penalties collected from the special assessment as defined in section 1241, shall be paid into this fund. Income from investment of this fund sh…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Competitive Skills Scholarship Fund contributions" means the money payments required by this section to be made into the Competitive Skills Schola…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Unemployment Program Administrative Fund contributions" or "fund contributions" means the money payments required by this section to be made into …

1. Referral for review and evaluation. Whenever a legislative measure containing an unemployment compensation benefit change is proposed, the bureau shall complete a review and evaluation pursuant to subsection 2 in advance of the public hearing on the proposed measure. Once a re…

1. Payment of benefits. Benefits must be paid from the Unemployment Compensation Fund through public employment offices or such other agencies as the commissioner may by rule prescribe, and in accordance with such rules as the commissioner may prescribe. 2. Weekly benefit amount …

The following provisions govern an individual's eligibility to receive benefits under this chapter. [PL 2025, c. 235, §11 (NEW).] 1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Deputy" means a …

An individual shall be disqualified for benefits: 1. Voluntarily leaves work. A. For the week in which the claimant left regular employment voluntarily without good cause attributable to that employment. The disqualification continues until the claimant has earned 4 times the cla…

1. Filing. Claims for benefits must be made in accordance with such rules as the commissioner may prescribe. Each employer shall post and maintain printed statements of the rules in places readily accessible to individuals in the employer's service and shall make available to eac…

1. Definitions. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the following words, as used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise. A. "Exhaustee" means an individual who, with respect to any week of unemployment i…

1. Dislocated worker defined. As used in this section and section 1191, subsection 4, paragraph A, the term "dislocated worker" means an individual who is in training as approved by the deputy, under rules adopted by the commissioner, and: A. An individual who: (1) Has been termi…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Affected unit" means a specified plant, department, shift or other definable unit consisting of 2 or more eligible employees to which a work-shari…

The provisions of this section apply for the duration of a state of emergency declared by the Governor pursuant to Title 37‑B, section 742 due to the outbreak of COVID-19, and for 30 days following the termination of that state of emergency. [PL 2019, c. 617, Pt. B, §1 (NEW).] 1.…

1. Payment. A. Contributions accrue and become payable by each employer subject to this chapter, other than those liable for payments in lieu of contributions, for each calendar year in which the employer is subject to this chapter, with respect to wages for employment, as define…

1. Joint and several liability. A client company is jointly and severally liable for unpaid contributions, interest and penalties due under this chapter from the employee leasing company for wages paid to employees leased to the client company. 2. Liability for contributions. Not…

To the extent permitted under federal law, including the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, Title 25, United States Code, Chapter 19, Subchapter II, this section governs unemployment contributions and direct reimbursement options for Indian tribes. [PL 2001, c. 381, §1 (NEW).] 1…

1. Period of employer's coverage. Any employing unit which is or becomes an employer subject to this chapter within any calendar year shall be subject to this chapter during the whole of such calendar year. 2. Termination of employer's coverage. A. Except as otherwise provided in…

All employers, exempt from the weekly payment of wage law of this State, may be required to report to the commissioner all accrued wages payable for employment during the calendar quarter when filing payroll reports in accordance with section 1082, subsection 13 under such regula…

1. Assessment procedure. If any employer files reports for the purpose of determining the amount of contribution due, but fails to pay any part of the contribution, interest or penalties due thereon as prescribed by the commissioner, or fails to file the reports when due, or file…

1. Appeal to the commission. A. An employer may appeal determinations by the commissioner or the commissioner's designated representatives made under sections 1082, subsection 14, 1221, 1222, 1225 and 1228, or an assessment made under section 1225, to the Division of Administrati…

1. Form and effect. Upon the failure of an employer to pay the amount assessed pursuant to section 1225, the commissioner may file in the registry of deeds of any county a certificate under the commissioner's official seal, stating the name of the employer; the employer's address…

An individual or organization, including the types of organizations described in section 1043, subsection 10, whether or not an employing unit, that acquires the organization, trade or business or a substantial part of the assets thereof from an employer, is liable, in an amount …

If any employer fails to make any payment of contributions, interest or penalties after notice of an assessment under section 1225, subsection 1, and after the assessment has become final as to law and fact, in addition to or alternatively to any other method of collection prescr…

1. Request for warrant. If any contribution required to be paid and any interest or penalty or both payable to the commissioner under this chapter is not paid when due and has become final as to law and fact under section 1226, the commissioner may, within 3 years thereafter, not…

In the event of any distribution of an employer's assets pursuant to an order of any court under the laws of this State, including any receivership, assignment for benefit of creditors, adjudicated insolvency, composition or similar proceeding, contributions then or thereafter du…

1. Information provided to commissioner. At the request of the commissioner, every department, board, commission, division, authority, district or other agency of the State issuing or renewing a license or other certificate of authority to conduct a profession, trade or business …