(a) If the director finds that any employer or any employee, officer, or agent of any employer, in submitting facts concerning the termination of a claimant’s employment, where the claimant was performing services for an educational institution, as described in Section 1253.3, willfully makes a false statement or representation or willfully fails to report a material fact regarding any week during which the services were performed, as provided in Section 1253.3, or any time granted to the claimant for professional development during his or her employment with that employer, the director shall assess a penalty against the employer of that claimant in an amount not less than two, nor more than 10, times the weekly benefit amount of that claimant.
(b) This article, Article 9 (commencing with Section 1176) of this chapter, with respect to refunds, and Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 1701) of this part, with respect to collections, shall apply to the assessments provided by this section. Penalties collected under this section shall be deposited in the Employment Development Department Contingent Fund.
(Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 190, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.)