SECTION 38A. Payment of benefits resulting from failure of employing unit to timely or adequately respond to department request for information

(a) If the director, or the director's authorized representative, determines, after providing written or electronic notice to the employer, that a payment of benefits was made because the employing unit, or an agent of the employing unit, was at fault for failing to respond timely or adequately to any request of the department for information relating to the claim for benefits, then: (i) the employing unit, except for employing units making payments into the Unemployment Compensation Fund under section 14A, shall not be relieved of charges on account of any such payment of benefits; and (ii) if the employing unit makes payments into the Fund under section 14A, it shall not be relieved from reimbursing the fund on account of any such payment of benefits. For purposes of this subsection, a response shall be considered inadequate if it fails to provide sufficient facts to enable the department to make the proper determination regarding a claim for benefits. A response shall not be considered inadequate if the department fails to ask for all necessary information, except in any case where there has been a failure to respond.

(b) The director shall adopt regulations implementing this section.

(c) A determination that an employing unit, or an agent of an employing unit, is at fault for failing to timely or adequately respond to a request of the department relating to a claim for benefits may be appealed under sections 39 to 42, inclusive, but the remedy shall not be subject to appeal.