Nebraska § 48-606 - Commissioner; duties; powers; annual report; schedule of fees.

§ 48-606. Commissioner; duties; powers; annual report; schedule of fees.

(1) It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Labor to administer the Employment Security Law. He or she shall have the power and authority to employ such persons, make such expenditures, require such reports, make such investigations, and take such other action as he or she deems necessary or suitable, if consistent with the Employment Security Law. The commissioner shall determine his or her own organization and methods of procedure in accordance with such law and shall have an official seal which shall be judicially noticed. Not later than the first day of January of each year, the commissioner shall submit to the Governor a report covering the administration and operation of such law during the preceding combined tax rate computational period ending September 30. The report shall include a balance sheet of the money in the fund in which there shall be provided a reserve against the liability in future years to pay benefits in excess of the then current contributions. The reserve shall be set up by the commissioner. Whenever the commissioner believes that a change in contribution or benefit rates will become necessary to protect the solvency of the fund, he or she shall promptly inform the Governor and the Clerk of the Legislature and make recommendations with respect thereto. Such information and recommendations submitted to the Clerk of the Legislature shall be submitted electronically. Each member of the Legislature shall receive an electronic copy of such information upon request to the commissioner.

(2) The commissioner may establish a schedule of fees to recover the cost of services including, but not limited to, copying, preparation of forms and other materials, responding to inquiries for information, payments for returned check charges and electronic payments not accepted, and furnishing publications prepared by the commissioner pursuant to the Employment Security Law. Fees received pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in the Employment Security Administration Fund.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow the department to charge any fee for making a claim for unemployment benefits or receiving assistance from the state employment service established pursuant to section 48-662 when performing functions within the purview of the federal Wagner-Peyser Act, 29 U.S.C. 49 et seq., as amended.