(a) Any employer who induces, solicits, or coerces an employee to file a false or fraudulent claim for benefits shall be assessed a penalty in an amount equal to 100 percent of the liability established under Sections 1375 and 1375.1 against the employee. Amounts collected under this section shall be deposited in the fund from which the overpayment was made and as prescribed in Section 1375.1, in the following order of priority:
(1) First to the fund from which the overpayment was made, up to the total amount of the benefit overpayment liability assessed against the employee under Section 1375.
(2) Second to the Benefit Audit Fund, up to the total amount assessed against the employee under Section 1375.1.
(b) The reserve account of any employer who is assessed under this section shall not be relieved of the charges for benefits related to the fraudulent claim.
(Added by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1050, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1995.)