§ 51–107.01. Delayed unemployment compensation payments.

(a)(1) No later than December 31, 2021, the Director shall issue a $500 payment to each of the 10,000 claimants with the greatest number of days between the timeframes described in paragraph (2)(B)(i) and (ii) of this subsection.

(2) To be eligible for the payment authorized in paragraph (1) of this subsection:

(A) A claimant's initial claim must have been approved by the Director for payment between March 16, 2020, and July 1, 2021;

(B)(i) For claimants receiving traditional unemployment compensation or extended benefits under this subchapter (§ 51-107), or receiving Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (section 2104 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, approved March 27, 2020 (134 Stat. 318; 15 U.S.C. § 9023)), there must be at least 60 days between the time the claimant filed the claimant's initial claim for benefits or claim for extension program and the issuance of the first payment to the claimant; and

(ii) For claimants receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (section 2102 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, approved March 27, 2020 (134 Stat. 313; 15 U.S.C. § 9021)), there must be at least 60 days between the time the claimant's initial monetary determination was made and the time the monetary redetermination was made;

(C) A claimant must be a District resident based on the claimant's address of record at the time the claimant was first deemed eligible for a first payment;

(D) A claimant must not have engaged in conduct with respect to a claim for unemployment benefits that the Director deems fraudulent; and

(E) The claimant must have provided all necessary documentation to support the claim, including weekly certifications and identity verification documents as requested by the Director and required by applicable law or regulation.

(3) The Director shall not require claimants to provide additional documentation or an application to receive the payment authorized in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

(4) If there are fewer than 10,000 claimants eligible to receive payments pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Director may increase the size of the payments, subject to availability of funds.

(5) The Director may not withhold payments authorized pursuant to this section to compensate for overpayments the Director has made to a claimant.

(6) Should the District determine that a claimant received a payment authorized pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection to which the claimant was not entitled, because of fraud or ineligibility, the District may recoup the payment through any means available to it for the recovery of debts owed to the District. Any funds recovered through recoupment may be used for additional payments to claimants qualified under this subsection.

(b) For the purposes of this subsection, the term:

(1) "Benefits" means the money payments to an individual, as provided in this subchapter or federal law, with respect to his unemployment including any dependent's allowance paid under the provisions of § 51-108; and

(2) "Claim" means either an application or claim.