Sec. 3. (a) The department may file a civil action to obtain reimbursement of amounts paid by the department as unemployment insurance benefits from an employer that has knowingly employed an unauthorized alien.
(b) The action must be filed in the county in which the employer employed the unauthorized alien.
(c) In determining whether an individual is an unauthorized alien for purposes of this chapter, a court may consider only the federal government's verification or status information under 8 U.S.C. 1373(c).
(d) After holding a hearing and making a finding that the employer knowingly employed an unauthorized alien, the court shall award the following to the department:
(1) The reimbursement of unemployment insurance benefits paid by the department computed using the salary of the position held by the unauthorized alien during the period the unauthorized alien was employed by the employer.
(2) Reasonable costs and attorney's fees.
(e) The department shall deposit the reimbursement awarded under subsection (d)(1) in the unemployment insurance benefit fund established by IC 22-4-26-1.
As added by P.L.171-2011, SEC.15.