§ 51–116. Reciprocal arrangements authorized.

(a) The Director is hereby authorized to enter into reciprocal arrangements with appropriate and duly authorized agencies of other states or of the federal government, or both, whereby services performed by an individual for a single employing unit for which services are customarily performed by such individual in more than 1 state shall be deemed to be services performed entirely within any 1 of the states: (1) in which any part of such individual’s service is performed; or (2) in which such individual has his residence; or (3) in which the employing unit maintains a place of business; provided there is in effect, as to such services, an election, approved by the agency charged with the administration of such state’s unemployment compensation law, pursuant to which all the services performed by such individual for such employing unit are deemed to be performed entirely within such state.

(b) The Director is hereby authorized to enter into reciprocal arrangements with appropriate and duly authorized agencies of other states or of the federal government, or both, whereby potential rights to benefits accumulated under the unemployment compensation laws of 1 or more states or under 1 or more such laws of the federal government, or both, may constitute the basis for the payment of benefits through a single appropriate agency under terms which the Director finds will be fair and reasonable as to all affected interests and will not result in any substantial loss to the Fund.

(c) The Director shall participate in any arrangements for the payment of compensation on the basis of combining an individual’s wages and employment covered under this subchapter with his wages and employment covered under the unemployment compensation laws of other states which are approved by the Secretary of Labor in consultation with the state unemployment compensation agencies as reasonably calculated to assure the prompt and full payment of compensation in such situations and which include provisions for:

(1) Applying the base period of a single state law to a claim involving the combining of an individual’s wages and employment covered under 2 or more state unemployment compensation laws; and

(2) Avoiding the duplicate use of wages and employment by reason of such combining.

(d) The Director is hereby authorized to enter into reciprocal arrangements with appropriate and duly authorized agencies of other states or of the federal government, or both, whereby contributions due under this subchapter with respect to wages for employment shall for the purposes of § 51-104 be deemed to have been paid to the Fund as of the date payment was made as contributions therefor under another state or federal unemployment compensation law, but no such arrangement shall be entered into unless it contains provisions for such reimbursement to the Fund of such contributions and the actual earnings thereon as the Director finds will be fair and reasonable as to all affected interests.

(e) Reimbursements paid from the Fund pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall be deemed to be benefits for the purpose of §§ 51-106, 51-107, and 51-108. The Director is authorized to make to other state or federal agencies and to receive from such other state or federal agencies reimbursements from or to the Fund, in accordance with arrangements entered into pursuant to this section.

(f) The administration of this subchapter and of state and federal unemployment compensation and public employment service laws will be promoted by cooperation between the District and such states and the appropriate federal agencies in exchanging services and making available facilities and information. The Director is therefore authorized to make such investigations, secure and transmit such information, make available such services and facilities, and exercise such of the other powers provided herein with respect to the administration of this subchapter as it deems necessary or appropriate to facilitate the administration of any such unemployment compensation or public employment service law, and in like manner to accept and utilize information, services, and facilities made available to the District by the agency charged with the administration of any such other unemployment compensation or public employment service law.

(g) To the extent permissible under the laws and Constitution of the United States, the Director is authorized to enter into or cooperate in arrangements whereby facilities and services provided under this subchapter and facilities and services provided under the unemployment compensation law of any foreign government may be utilized for the taking of claims and the payment of benefits under the employment security law of the District or under a similar law of such government.

(h) To the extent permissible under the laws of the District of Columbia and the United States, the Director is hereby authorized to enter into reciprocal arrangements with the appropriate and duly authorized agencies of other states or the federal government, or both, providing for the recovery of benefits previously paid to individuals having no entitlement to them by offset of benefits due under the provisions of this subchapter, the unemployment compensation laws of other states, or the United States.