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Failed bill baffles Floridians waiting for unemployment benefits

HB1157 sailed through Florida's House of Representatives and would have made an already slow application process even more rigorous

WPTV

By: Jamie Ostroff

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BOCA RATON, Fla. — Florida lawmakers passed 56 bills during the 2025 regular legislative session, according to LegiScan. One of the hundreds of bills that didn't pass involves a system that many of you tell us needs to be fixed.

HB1157 made it through the Florida House of Representatives with 83 votes in favor, but never received a vote in the Senate.

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Although the legislation didn't cross the finish line, it provides a glimpse at what dozens of lawmakers wanted to change about Florida's Reemployment Assistance program: a more rigorous identity verification process.

"I don't understand why we would need to add more steps and add a longer waiting period for people who, like me, have been waiting so long just to have some money coming in. I think that's a little silly," Dezaray Castelli of Boca Raton said. "You have to go through ID Me and provide your driver's license and your Social Security. If you have a passport, you can provide that as well ... and even if you want to escalate something, you have to go through that process again."

Castelli, 23, graduated from Florida Atlantic University in May 2024.

She's been laid off twice in less than one year.

"I was working as a staffing manager for a travel nurse recruiting agency, and I had gotten let go back in January due to budget cuts," she said.

Castelli received unemployment benefits when she was terminated from her previous job, but had not yet reached the $3,300 yearly cap.

"$1,800 would be life-changing at this moment, honestly," she said.

Castelli has not received a cent since she applied in January and received no explanation why.

"I've waited two, three hours (on the phone after calling for assistance). I've been disconnected. I mean, I've done the whole thing," she said. "They just keep saying to request your benefits as per the weeks come on, and that's what I've done, and there's been absolutely no update."

Castelli considers herself fortunate to live with her parents, but still has to make monthly payments for her car, student loans and health insurance.

"I had to dump all my savings," she said. "All we want is answers and information. And I feel like there is a huge lack of communication."

State Rep. Michelle Salzman, a Republican from Escambia County, co-sponsored HB1157.

"It's not meant to be a barrier of any kind. I certainly want folks to get access to the money that they deserve," Salzman told WPTV. "We saw a lot of people who were trying to abuse the system, and we were trying to put more guardrails in place so the abuse is brought down."

Neither the legislative analysis, nor Salzman, could provide data showing the impact of fraud on Florida's Reemployment Assistance Program.

"Since 2021, Florida has prevented approximately $32 billion in attempted fraud," said a FloridaCommerce spokeswoman in an email to WPTV in response to an inquiry. "FloridaCommerce deploys a combination of systems that identify fraudulent claims and, when those claims are submitted, they are caught and stopped."

"How am I taking advantage of a system that has done nothing for me?" Castelli said.

Salzman acknowledged that there are flaws in Florida's Reemployment Assistance program.

"We always can do better, so if there was a member that came to me and said, 'Hey, I see this happening a lot. We really need to fix it.' I would say, 'Let's do it,'" Salzman said.

WPTV told Salzman about people like Castelli who have waited months for benefits with no end in sight, despite being eligible and meeting all ongoing requirements.

"Those guys need to be calling their state representatives right now — like literally right now. Call your state representative. They can help you almost immediately," Salzman said. "And if their state representatives aren't answering the phone, they can call me."

More of WPTV's coverage of unemployment assistance in Florida: