(a) In the administration of this act, the commission shall cooperate with the appropriate agency of the United States under the social security act. The commission shall make reports, in a form and containing information as the appropriate agency of the United States may require, and shall comply with the provisions that the appropriate agency of the United States prescribes to assure the correctness and verification of the reports. The commission, subject to this act, shall comply with the regulations prescribed by the appropriate agency of the United States relating to the receipt or expenditure of the sums that are allotted and paid to this state for the purpose of assisting in the administration of this act. As used in this section, “social security act” means the social security act, chapter 531, 49 Stat. 620.

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(b)(1) Information obtained from any employing unit or individual pursuant to the administration of this act and determinations as to the benefit rights of any individual are confidential and shall not be disclosed or open to public inspection other than to public employees and public officials in the performance of their official duties under this act and to agents or contractors of those public officials, including those described in subdivision (viii), in any manner that reveals the individual’s or the employing unit’s identity or any identifying particular about any individual or any past or present employing unit or that could foreseeably be combined with other publicly available information to reveal identifying particulars. However, all of the following apply:

(i) Information in the commission’s possession that might affect a claim for worker’s disability compensation under the worker’s disability compensation act of 1969, 1969 PA 317, MCL 418.101 to 418.941, shall be available to interested parties as defined in R 421.201 of the Michigan administrative code, regardless of whether the commission is a party to an action or proceeding arising under that act.

(ii) Any information in the commission’s possession that may affect a claim for benefits or a charge to an employer’s experience account shall be available to interested parties as defined in R 421.201 of the Michigan administrative code, and to their agents, if their agents provide the unemployment insurance agency with a written authorization of representation from the party represented. A written authorization of representation is not required in any of the following circumstances:

(A) If the request is made by an attorney who is retained by an interested party and files an appearance for purposes related to a claim for unemployment benefits.

(B) If the request is made by an elected official performing constituent services and the elected official presents reasonable evidence that the identified individual authorized the disclosure.

(C) If the request is made by a third party who is not acting as an agent for an interested party and the third party presents a release from an interested party for the information. The release shall be signed by an interested party; specify the information to be released and all individuals who may receive the information; and state the specific purpose for which the information is sought, that files of the state may be accessed to obtain the information, and that the information sought will only be used for the purpose indicated. The purpose specified in the release shall be limited to that of providing a service or benefit to the individual signing the release or carrying out administration or evaluation of a public program to which the release pertains.

(iii) Except as provided in this act, the information and determinations shall not be used in any action or proceeding before any court or administrative tribunal unless the commission is a party to or a complainant in the action or proceeding, or unless used for the prosecution of fraud, civil proceeding, or other legal proceeding in the programs indicated in subdivision (2).

(iv) Any report or statement, written or verbal, made by any person to the commission, any member of the commission, or to any person engaged in administering this act is a privileged communication, and a person, firm, or corporation shall not be held liable for slander or libel on account of a report or statement. The records and reports in the custody of the commission shall be available for examination by the employer or employee affected.

(v) Subject to restrictions that the commission prescribes by rule, information in the commission’s possession may be made available to any agency of this state, any other state, or any federal agency charged with the administration of an unemployment compensation law or the maintenance of a system of public employment offices; the bureau of internal revenue of the United States department of the treasury; the bureau of the census of the economics and statistics administration of the United States department of commerce; or the social security administration of the United States department of health and human services.

(vi) Information obtained in connection with the administration of the employment service may be made available to persons or agencies for purposes appropriate to the operation of a public employment service. Subject to restrictions that the commission prescribes by rule, the commission may also make that information available to agencies of other states that are responsible for the administration of public assistance to unemployed workers, and to the departments of this state. Information so released shall be used only for purposes not inconsistent with the purposes of this act.

(vii) Upon request, the commission shall furnish to any agency of the United States charged with the administration of public works or assistance through public employment, and may furnish to any state agency similarly charged, the name, address, ordinary occupation, and employment status of each recipient of benefits and the recipient’s rights to further benefits under this act.

(viii) Subject to restrictions the commission prescribes, by rule or otherwise, the commission may also make information that it obtains available for use in connection with research projects of a public service nature to a college, university, or agency of this state that is acting as a contractor or agent of a public official and conducting research that assists the public official in carrying out the duties of the office. A person associated with those institutions or agencies shall not disclose the information in any manner that would reveal the identity of any individual or employing unit from or concerning whom the information was obtained by the commission. The unemployment insurance agency shall enter into a written, enforceable agreement with the public official that holds the official responsible for ensuring that the agent or contractor maintains the confidentiality of the information. If the agreement is violated, the agreement shall be terminated and the public official may be subject to penalties equivalent to those that apply under section 54(f) to a person associated with a college, university, or public agency who discloses confidential information.

(ix) The commission may request the comptroller of the currency of the United States to cause an examination of the correctness of any return or report of any national banking association rendered under this act, and may, in connection with the request, transmit the report or return to the comptroller of the currency of the United States as provided in section 3305(c) of the internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 3305(c).

(2) The commission shall disclose to qualified requesting agencies, upon request, with respect to an identified individual, information in its records pertaining to the individual’s name; social security number; gross wages paid during each quarter; the name, address, and federal and state employer identification number of the individual’s employer; any other wage information; whether an individual is receiving, has received, or has applied for unemployment benefits; the amount of une