Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the Secretary may enter into a reciprocal arrangement with an agency of another state or the federal government that is authorized to do so. Under a reciprocal arrangement that the Secretary enters into under this section: services that an individual performs for a single employing unit for which services usually are performed in more than one state are considered to be performed entirely within: the state in which any part of the service is performed; the state in which the individual resides; or a state in which the employing unit maintains a place of business; if services are considered to be performed entirely within one state, the employing unit shall have an election in effect that is approved by the agency responsible for administration of its unemployment insurance law under which all services that the individual performs for the employing unit are deemed to be performed entirely within the state; potential rights to benefits under this title may be the basis for payment of benefits under the law of another state or the federal government and potential rights to benefits under the law of another state or the federal government may be the basis for payment of benefits under this title; for the purpose of Part IV of Subtitle 6 of this title, contributions are deemed to have been paid to the Unemployment Insurance Fund on the day on which they were made under federal law or the law of the other state; and the Unemployment Insurance Fund shall be reimbursed for the amount of contributions made under federal law or the law of the other state plus interest that the Secretary considers to be fair and reasonable. The Secretary may not enter into an arrangement under subsection (a) of this section unless it includes a provision to reimburse: the Unemployment Insurance Fund for benefits that are based on services and wages that are subject to federal law or the law of another state; and another state or the federal government from the Unemployment Insurance Fund for benefits it pays that are based on services and wages that are subject to this title. In accordance with arrangements entered into under subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary may: use the Unemployment Insurance Fund to reimburse an agency of another state or the federal government; and receive from an agency of another state or the federal government reimbursements to the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Reimbursements made from the Unemployment Insurance Fund under this section shall be considered benefits for the purposes of this title.

Benefits paid in accordance with an arrangement entered into under § 8-701 of this subtitle shall be paid: under the provisions of this title; under the provisions of the law of another state or the federal government; or under any combination of provisions of this title or the law of another state or the federal government that may be agreed to be fair and reasonable to all affected interests.

The Secretary shall participate in an arrangement for payment of benefits that are based on a combination of covered employment and employment that is covered under the unemployment insurance law of another state if: the United States Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the agency responsible for administration of that law, approves the arrangement as reasonably calculated to ensure prompt and full payment of compensation in cases in which there is a combination of employments; and the arrangement includes a provision to: apply a base period that is determined under the law of a single state; avoid duplication of wages in computation of benefits that are based on the employments; reimburse the Unemployment Insurance Fund for benefits that are based on employment that is covered under the unemployment insurance law of another state; and use the Unemployment Insurance Fund as the Secretary finds to be fair and reasonable to reimburse the fund of another state for benefits that are based on covered employment.

The General Assembly finds that cooperation among this State, other states, and appropriate federal agencies to exchange services and make available facilities and information will promote administration of this title and other federal and state unemployment insurance and public employment service laws. As the Secretary considers appropriate or necessary to facilitate administration of this title or any federal or state unemployment insurance or public employment service law: the Secretary may conduct investigations, obtain and transmit information, make facilities and services available, and exercise any other power under this title; and the Secretary may accept and use information, facilities, and services that an agency that administers another unemployment insurance or public employment service law makes available to this State.

To the extent permissible under federal law, the Secretary may enter into or cooperate in arrangements with a foreign government under which facilities and services provided under this title and facilities and services provided under the unemployment insurance law of the foreign government may be used to take claims and pay benefits under this title or the unemployment insurance law of the foreign government.