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2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
February 1, 2022 - Introduced by Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Regulatory Reform.
SB898,2,2 1An Act to repeal 102.11 (1) (am), 102.11 (1) (f) 1. and 102.39 (title); to renumber
2102.05 (3), 102.15 (1) and 102.16 (1) (b); to renumber and amend 102.11 (1)
3(f) 2. and 102.39; to amend 46.275 (4m), 46.277 (3r), 46.281 (1k), 46.2897 (3),
446.995 (3), 73.0301 (1) (d) 3m., 73.0301 (1) (e), 102.04 (1) (b) 1., 102.04 (1) (b) 2.,
5102.05 (1), 102.05 (2), 102.11 (1) (intro.), 102.13 (1) (b) (intro.), 102.15 (title),
6102.17 (1) (c), 102.17 (1) (cg), 102.17 (1) (cr), 102.18 (2) (a), 102.18 (3), 102.43 (6)
7(b), 102.61 (1g) (a) 2., 102.80 (1) (d), 102.81 (4) (b) (intro.), 102.81 (4) (b) 2.,
8102.81 (5), 102.82 (1), 108.227 (1) (f), 108.227 (1m) (intro.), 108.227 (3) (a) 3.,
9108.227 (5) (a), 108.227 (5) (b) 1. and 108.227 (5) (b) 2.; to repeal and recreate
10102.17 (1) (ct); and to create 73.0301 (1) (d) 15., 102.11 (1) (ap), 102.13 (1) (b)
116., 102.16 (1) (b) 2., 102.33 (2) (b) 7., 102.81 (4) (c) and 108.227 (1) (e) 16. of the

1statutes; relating to: various changes to the worker's compensation law and
2granting rule-making authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes various changes to the worker's compensation law, as
administered by the Department of Workforce Development and the Division of
Hearings and Appeals in the Department of Administration (DHA).
Claims and payments
Maximum weekly compensation for permanent partial disability
The bill increases the maximum weekly compensation rate for permanent
partial disability from $362 to $415 for injuries occurring before January 1, 2023, and
to $430 for injuries occurring on or after that date.
Part-time employment and wage expansion
Generally, under current law, when calculating average weekly earnings for
purposes of worker's compensation benefit amounts, the the normal full-time
workweek is used, and it is generally presumed that the normal full-time workweek
is not less than 40 hours per week. Current law provides, however, that if an
employee is a member of a regularly-scheduled class of part-time employees,
average weekly earnings are determined using the hours and days established by the
employer for that class, but not less than 24 hours. Current law also provides that
the weekly temporary disability benefits for a part-time employee who restricts his
or her availability in the labor market to part-time work and is not employed
elsewhere may not exceed the average weekly wages of the part-time employment.
The bill replaces the provision in current law regarding employees who are
members of a regularly-scheduled class of part-time employees with a provision
that applies to employees who work less than full time. Under this provision, an
injured employee's average weekly wage is calculated as the greater of 1) the hourly
rate at the time of injury multiplied by the average number of hours worked per week
for the 52 calendar weeks before his or her injury or 2) the actual average weekly
earnings of the employee for the 52 calendar weeks before his or her injury. Weeks
not worked are not counted under either calculation.
Under the bill, however, earnings are expanded to be based on full-time work
if the employee shows that he or she is employed by another employer, by providing
evidence of taxable earnings or evidence that the employee worked less than full time
for a period of less than 12 months. An employer may rebut the employee's evidence
of eligibility for temporary disability benefits based on full-time work by providing
evidence that the employee chose to work less than full time.
Observers in examinations
The bill allows an employee to have an observer, chosen and provided by the
employee, present during a medical examination that is requested by an employer
or insurer following a claim for worker's compensation.

Payment of proceeds of claims against third parties
Current law provides that when an employee sustains a work injury or dies as
a result of a work injury and the employee, the employee's personal representative,
or another person entitled to bring action maintains an action in tort against a third
party for the injury or death, the proceeds of the claim are to be divided pursuant to
a formula detailed under current law. Under that formula, after deducting the
reasonable cost of collection, one-third of the remainder is in all cases to be paid to
the injured employee, personal representative, or other person entitled. Current law
also provides that if an injured employee or dependent receives compensation from
the employee's employer or a third party in such an action and the employee received
payments from DWD due to the employer being an uninsured employer, the
employee or dependent must reimburse DWD for the full amount of the payments
up to the amount recovered from the third party.
The bill modifies the latter provision such that if an injured employee or
dependent receives compensation from the employee's employer or a third party in
such an action and the employee received payments from DWD due to the employer
being an uninsured employer, the employee or dependent must reimburse DWD in
accordance with the formula described above.
Coverage; liability
Employers subject to worker's compensation law; withdrawal
Current law generally provides that, with certain exceptions, every person who
usually employs three or more employees for services performed in this state is
subject to the worker's compensation law and provides that a covered employer who
has not usually employed three employees in every calendar quarter in a calendar
year may file a notice with DWD to withdraw from coverage under the law. The bill
provides that any person who at any time employs three or more employees for
services performed in this state is subject to the worker's compensation law and
specifies that a person becomes subject to that law on the day on which the person
employs three or more employees for services performed in this state. The bill
provides that an employer who has not employed three employees in every calendar
quarter in a calendar year may file a notice with DWD to withdraw from coverage
under the law.
Current law also provides that an employer who has had no employee at any
time within a continuous period of two years shall be deemed to have effected
withdrawal, which shall be effective on the last day of such period. The bill clarifies
that this provision applies to farm employers.
Long-term care providers; clarification
The bill makes clarifications regarding individuals who perform services for
persons receiving long-term care benefits under certain long-term care programs
and who do not otherwise have worker's compensation coverage for those services to
confirm that they are considered to be employees, for worker's compensation
purposes, of the entities providing financial management services for the persons
receiving the benefits.

Program administration
Confidential records; disclosure to certain agencies
Under current law, subject to a number of exceptions, certain records of DWD,
DHA, or the Labor and Industry Review Commission that reveal information about
injured employees are confidential and not subject to disclosure under the public
records law or a subpoena. The bill creates another exception for records requested
by the Department of Health Services, a county department of social services, or a
county department of human services if the request is limited to the name and
address of the employee who is the subject of the record, the name and address of the
employee's employer, and any financial information about that employee contained
in the record.
Other changes
The bill makes various other changes regarding the administration of the
worker's compensation law, including:
1. Granting explicit rule-making authority to DWD to carry out the worker's
compensation law.
2. Expressly providing that DWD may conduct alternative dispute resolution
activities for certain cases.
3. Transferring from DWD to DHA the authority to grant licenses for
non-attorneys to appear in worker's compensation cases.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB898,1 1Section 1 . 46.275 (4m) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,4,72 46.275 (4m) Worker's compensation coverage. An individual who is
3performing services for a person receiving long-term care benefits under this section
4on a self-directed basis and who does not otherwise have worker's compensation
5coverage for those services is considered, for purposes of worker's compensation
6coverage,
to be an employee of the entity that is providing financial management
7services for that person.
SB898,2 8Section 2 . 46.277 (3r) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,5,6
146.277 (3r) Worker's compensation coverage. An individual who is
2performing services for a person receiving long-term care benefits under this section
3on a self-directed basis and who does not otherwise have worker's compensation
4coverage for those services is considered, for purposes of worker's compensation
5coverage,
to be an employee of the entity that is providing financial management
6services for that person.
SB898,3 7Section 3 . 46.281 (1k) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,5,138 46.281 (1k) Worker's compensation coverage. An individual who is
9performing services for a person receiving the Family Care benefit, or benefits under
10Family Care Partnership, on a self-directed basis and who does not otherwise have
11worker's compensation coverage for those services is considered, for purposes of
12worker's compensation coverage,
to be an employee of the entity that is providing
13financial management services for that person.
SB898,4 14Section 4 . 46.2897 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,5,1915 46.2897 (3) Worker's compensation coverage. An individual who is
16performing services for a person participating in the self-directed services option
17and who does not otherwise have worker's compensation coverage for those services
18is considered, for purposes of worker's compensation coverage, to be an employee of
19the entity that is providing financial management services for that person.
SB898,5 20Section 5 . 46.995 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,6,221 46.995 (3) An individual who is performing services for a person receiving
22long-term care benefits under any children's long-term support waiver program on
23a self-directed basis and who does not otherwise have worker's compensation
24coverage for those services is considered, for purposes of worker's compensation

1coverage,
to be an employee of the entity that is providing financial management
2services for that person.
SB898,6 3Section 6 . 73.0301 (1) (d) 3m. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,6,64 73.0301 (1) (d) 3m. A license or certificate issued by the department of
5workforce development under s. 102.17 (1) (c), 103.275 (2) (b), 103.34 (3) (c), 103.91
6(1), 103.92 (3), 104.07 (1) or (2), or 105.13 (1).
SB898,7 7Section 7 . 73.0301 (1) (d) 15. of the statutes is created to read:
SB898,6,98 73.0301 (1) (d) 15. A license issued by the division of hearings and appeals
9under s. 102.17 (1) (c).
SB898,8 10Section 8 . 73.0301 (1) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,6,1811 73.0301 (1) (e) “Licensing department" means the department of
12administration; the division of hearings and appeals; the department of agriculture,
13trade and consumer protection; the board of commissioners of public lands; the
14department of children and families; the ethics commission; the department of
15financial institutions; the department of health services; the department of natural
16resources; the department of public instruction; the department of safety and
17professional services; the department of workforce development; the office of the
18commissioner of insurance; or the department of transportation.
SB898,9 19Section 9 . 102.04 (1) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,6,2520 102.04 (1) (b) 1. Every person who usually at any time employs 3 or more
21employees for services performed in this state, whether in one or more trades,
22businesses, professions, or occupations, and whether in one or more locations. A
23person who employs 3 or more employees for services performed in this state becomes
24subject to this chapter on the day on which the person employs 3 or more such
25employees.
SB898,10
1Section 10. 102.04 (1) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,7,52 102.04 (1) (b) 2. Every person who usually employs less fewer than 3
3employees, provided the person has paid wages of $500 or more in any calendar
4quarter for services performed in this state. Such employer a person shall become
5subject to this chapter on the 10th day of the month next succeeding such quarter.
SB898,11 6Section 11. 102.05 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,7,107 102.05 (1) Withdrawal. (a) An employer, including a person engaged in
8farming who has become subject to this chapter,
who has had no employee at any time
9within a continuous period of 2 years shall be deemed to have effected withdrawal,
10which shall be effective on the last day of such that 2-year period. An
SB898,7,17 11(b) 1. If an employer who has not usually, in every calendar quarter in a
12calendar year,
employed 3 employees and who has not paid wages of at least $500 for
13employment in this state in every calendar quarter in a calendar year, the employer
14may file a withdrawal notice with the department, which withdrawal shall take
15effect 30 days after the date of such filing or at such later date as is specified in the
16notice. Such employer may again become subject to this chapter as provided by s.
17102.04 (1) (b) and (e). This subdivision shall not apply to farmers.
SB898,7,22 18(c) If an employer who is subject to this chapter only because the employer
19elected to become subject to this chapter under sub. (2) cancels or terminates his or
20her contract for the insurance of compensation under this chapter, that employer is
21deemed to have effected withdrawal, which shall be effective on the day after the
22contract is canceled or terminated.
SB898,12 23Section 12. 102.05 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,8,524 102.05 (2) Election. Any employer who shall enter enters into a contract for
25the insurance of compensation, or against liability therefor, shall be deemed thereby

1to have elected to accept the provisions of this chapter, and such election shall include
2farm laborers, domestic servants and employees not in the course of a trade,
3business, profession or occupation of the employer if such intent is shown by the
4terms of the policy. Such election shall remain in force until withdrawn in the
5manner provided in sub. (1) (c).
SB898,13 6Section 13. 102.05 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 102.05 (1) (b) 2.
SB898,14 7Section 14. 102.11 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,8,248 102.11 (1) (intro.) The average weekly earnings for temporary disability,
9permanent total disability, or death benefits for injury in each calendar year on or
10after January 1, 1982, shall be not less than $30 nor more than the wage rate that
11results in a maximum compensation rate of 110 percent of the state's average weekly
12earnings as determined under s. 108.05 as of June 30 of the previous year. The
13average weekly earnings for permanent partial disability shall be not less than $30
14and, for permanent partial disability for injuries occurring on or after March 2, 2016,
15and before January 1, 2017, not more than $513, resulting in a maximum
16compensation rate of $342, and, for permanent partial disability for injuries
17occurring on or after
January 1, 2017, and before the effective date of this subsection
18.... [LRB inserts date],
not more than $543, resulting in a maximum compensation
19rate of $362; for permanent partial disability for injuries occurring on or after the
20effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], and before January 1, 2023,
21not more than $622.50, resulting in a maximum compensation rate of $415; and for
22permanent partial disability for injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2023, not
23more than $645, resulting in a maximum compensation rate of $430
. Between such
24limits the average weekly earnings shall be determined as follows:
SB898,15 25Section 15 . 102.11 (1) (am) of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,16
1Section 16. 102.11 (1) (ap) of the statutes is created to read:
SB898,9,42 102.11 (1) (ap) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., in the case of an employee who
3works less than full time, average weekly earnings shall be calculated by whichever
4of the following is greater:
SB898,9,75 a. The actual average weekly earnings of the employee for the 52 calendar
6weeks before his or her injury, except that calendar weeks within which no work was
7performed shall not be considered.
SB898,9,118 b. The employee's hourly earnings on the date of injury multiplied by the
9average number of hours worked in that employment for the 52 calendar weeks
10before his or her injury, except that calendar weeks within which no work was
11performed shall not be considered.
SB898,9,1912 2. An employee may, subject to subd. 3., demonstrate that he or she is eligible
13for temporary disability benefits based on full-time work rather than part-time
14work as provided in subd. 1. a. by providing evidence of qualifying taxable earnings
15with an employer other than the employer liable for the employee's injury or
16demonstrating that the employee has worked less than full time for less than 12
17months before the date of the employee's injury. If the employee so demonstrates,
18the employee's average weekly wage shall be calculated using the normal full-time
19workweek established by the employer under par. (a).
SB898,9,2420 3. An employer may rebut the employee's evidence of eligibility for temporary
21disability benefits based on full-time work under subd. 2. by providing evidence that
22the employee chose to work less than full time. Such evidence of a choice to restrict
23employment to less than full time may include a written statement signed by the
24employee or an employment application that indicates an hour or shift preference.
SB898,17 25Section 17 . 102.11 (1) (f) 1. of the statutes is repealed.
SB898,18
1Section 18. 102.11 (1) (f) 2. of the statutes is renumbered 102.11 (1) (f) and
2amended to read:
SB898,10,73 102.11 (1) (f) The weekly temporary disability benefits for a part-time
4employee who restricts his or her availability in the labor market to part-time work
5and is not employed elsewhere, or who has worked less than full time for 12 months
6or longer before the employee's injury,
may not exceed the average weekly wages of
7the part-time employment.
SB898,19 8Section 19. 102.13 (1) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,10,239 102.13 (1) (b) (intro.) An employer or insurer who requests that an employee
10submit to reasonable examination under par. (a) or (am) shall tender to the employee,
11before the examination, all necessary expenses including transportation expenses.
12The employee is entitled to have a physician, chiropractor, psychologist, dentist,
13physician assistant, advanced practice nurse prescriber, or podiatrist provided by
14himself or herself present at the examination and to receive a copy of all reports of
15the examination that are prepared by the examining physician, chiropractor,
16psychologist, podiatrist, dentist, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse
17prescriber, or vocational expert immediately upon receipt of those reports by the
18employer or worker's compensation insurer. The employee is entitled to have one
19observer provided by himself or herself present at the examination.
The employee
20is also entitled to have a translator provided by himself or herself present at the
21examination if the employee has difficulty speaking or understanding the English
22language. The employer's or insurer's written request for examination shall notify
23the employee of all of the following:
SB898,20 24Section 20. 102.13 (1) (b) 6. of the statutes is created to read:
SB898,11,2
1102.13 (1) (b) 6. The employee's right to have one observer provided by himself
2or herself present at the examination.
SB898,21 3Section 21 . 102.15 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB898,11,4 4102.15 (title) Rules of procedure; transcripts.
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