AB50: Bill Text

AB50,904,14 (3) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this section, which shall include procedures and criteria for awarding grants under this section.

AB50,1685 Section 1685. 106.145 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,904,22 106.145 Wisconsin worker advancement program. The department shall, from the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (cm), establish and administer a Wisconsin worker advancement program to make grants to local organizations, including local workforce development boards established under 29 USC 3122 and community-based organizations, for the organizations to provide employment and workforce services, including unrestricted support services, career services, and training programs to address workforce barriers.

AB50,1686 Section 1686. 106.27 (1) (h) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,905,2 106.27 (1) (h) Grants for education and training in the use of artificial intelligence.

AB50,1687 Section 1687. 106.27 (2m) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,905,7 106.27 (2m) Consultation. The department shall consult with the department of public instruction, the department of health services, the technical college system board and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation in implementing this section.

AB50,1688 Section 1688. 106.29 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,905,13 106.29 Workforce innovation grant program. (1) Workforce innovation grants. The department shall, from the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (bw), establish and operate a program to provide grants to regional organizations to design and implement programs to address their region’s workforce challenges.

AB50,905,17 (2) Implementation. (a) Duties. To implement this section, the department shall receive and review applications for grants under sub. (1) and prescribe the form, nature, and extent of the information that must be contained in an application for a grant under sub. (1).

AB50,905,20 (b) Powers. In addition to the duties described in par. (a), the department shall have all other powers necessary and convenient to implement this section, including the power to audit and inspect the records of grant recipients.

AB50,1689 Section 1689. 106.30 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,906,2 106.30 (1) Definition. In this section, “nurse” means a registered nurse licensed under s. 441.06 or permitted under s. 441.08, a licensed practical nurse licensed or permitted under s. 441.10, or an advanced practice registered nurse prescriber certified under s. 441.16 (2), or a nurse-midwife licensed under s. 441.15 441.09.

AB50,1690 Section 1690. 106.30 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,906,10 106.30 (2) Survey form. Each odd-numbered year Biennially, the department of workforce development shall develop and submit to the department of safety and professional services a survey form to gather data under s. 441.01 (7) (a) 1. to assist the department of workforce development in evaluating the supply of, demand for, and turnover among nurses in this state and in determining whether there are any regional shortages of nurses, shortages of nurses in any specialty areas, or impediments to entering the nursing profession in this state.

AB50,1691 Section 1691. 106.50 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,907,3 106.50 (1) Intent. It is the intent of this section to render unlawful discrimination in housing. It is the declared policy of this state that all persons shall have an equal opportunity for housing regardless of sex, race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, family status, status as a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, lawful source of income, receipt of rental or housing assistance, as defined in s. 106.50 (1m) (rm), age, or ancestry and it is the duty of the political subdivisions to assist in the orderly prevention or removal of all discrimination in housing through the powers granted under ss. 66.0125 and 66.1011. The legislature hereby extends the state law governing equal housing opportunities to cover single-family residences that are owner-occupied. The legislature finds that the sale and rental of single-family residences constitute a significant portion of the housing business in this state and should be regulated. This section shall be considered an exercise of the police powers of the state for the protection of the welfare, health, peace, dignity, and human rights of the people of this state.

AB50,1692 Section 1692. 106.50 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 2025 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), is amended to read:

AB50,907,21 106.50 (1) Intent. It is the intent of this section to render unlawful discrimination in housing. It is the declared policy of this state that all persons shall have an equal opportunity for housing regardless of sex, race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, family status, status as a holder or nonholder of a license under s. 343.03 (3r), status as a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, lawful source of income, receipt of rental or housing assistance, as defined in s. 106.50 (1m) (rm), age, or ancestry and it is the duty of the political subdivisions to assist in the orderly prevention or removal of all discrimination in housing through the powers granted under ss. 66.0125 and 66.1011. The legislature hereby extends the state law governing equal housing opportunities to cover single-family residences that are owner-occupied. The legislature finds that the sale and rental of single-family residences constitute a significant portion of the housing business in this state and should be regulated. This section shall be considered an exercise of the police powers of the state for the protection of the welfare, health, peace, dignity, and human rights of the people of this state.

AB50,1693 Section 1693. 106.50 (1m) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,908,5 106.50 (1m) (h) “Discriminate” means to segregate, separate, exclude, or treat a person or class of persons unequally in a manner described in sub. (2), (2m), or (2r) because of sex, race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, family status, status as a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, lawful source of income, receipt of rental or housing assistance, as defined in s. 106.50 (1m) (rm), age, or ancestry.

AB50,1694 Section 1694. 106.50 (1m) (h) of the statutes, as affected by 2025 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), is amended to read:

AB50,908,14 106.50 (1m) (h) “Discriminate” means to segregate, separate, exclude, or treat a person or class of persons unequally in a manner described in sub. (2), (2m), or (2r) because of sex, race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, family status, status as a holder or nonholder of a license under s. 343.03 (3r), status as a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, lawful source of income, receipt of rental or housing assistance, as defined in s. 106.50 (1m) (rm), age, or ancestry.

AB50,1695 Section 1695. 106.50 (1m) (nm) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,908,21 106.50 (1m) (nm) “Member of a protected class” means a group of natural persons, or a natural person, who may be categorized because of sex, race, color, disability, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, marital status, family status, status as a holder or nonholder of a license under s. 343.03 (3r), status as a victim of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, or stalking, lawful source of income, age, or ancestry.

AB50,1696 Section 1696. 106.50 (1m) (rm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,909,6 106.50 (1m) (rm) “Rental or housing assistance” means any form of financial contribution from a 3rd party for the purpose of creating or maintaining affordable housing for tenants, purchasers, or other recipients of housing, including assistance provided under 42 USC 1437f, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program administered by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, or the Community Development Block Grant Program administered by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

AB50,1697 Section 1697. 106.50 (5m) (f) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,909,14 106.50 (5m) (f) 1. Nothing in this section prohibits an owner or agent from requiring that a person who seeks to buy or rent housing supply information concerning family status, and marital, financial, and business status but not concerning race, color, disability, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, status as a holder or nonholder of a license under s. 343.03 (3r), status as a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, or, subject to subd. 2., age.

AB50,1698 Section 1698. 106.52 (3) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,909,20 106.52 (3) (a) 1. Deny to another or charge another a higher price than the regular rate for the full and equal enjoyment of any public place of accommodation or amusement because of sex, race, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, or ancestry or because a person holds or does not hold a license under s. 343.03 (3r).

AB50,1699 Section 1699. 106.52 (3) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,910,2 106.52 (3) (a) 2. Give preferential treatment to some classes of persons in providing services or facilities in any public place of accommodation or amusement because of sex, race, color, creed, sexual orientation, national origin, or ancestry or because a person holds or does not hold a license under s. 343.03 (3r).

AB50,1700 Section 1700. 106.52 (3) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,910,10 106.52 (3) (a) 3. Directly or indirectly publish, circulate, display or mail any written communication which the communicator knows is to the effect that any of the facilities of any public place of accommodation or amusement will be denied to any person by reason of sex, race, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, or ancestry or because a person holds or does not hold a license under s. 343.03 (3r) or that the patronage of a person is unwelcome, objectionable or unacceptable for any of those reasons.

AB50,1701 Section 1701. 106.52 (3) (a) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,910,14 106.52 (3) (a) 4. Refuse to furnish or charge another a higher rate for any automobile insurance because of race, color, creed, disability, national origin, or ancestry or because a person holds or does not hold a license under s. 343.03 (3r).

AB50,1702 Section 1702. 106.52 (3) (a) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,910,20 106.52 (3) (a) 5. Refuse to rent, charge a higher price than the regular rate or give preferential treatment, because of sex, race, color, creed, sexual orientation, national origin, or ancestry or because a person holds or does not hold a license under s. 343.03 (3r), regarding the use of any private facilities commonly rented to the public.

AB50,1703 Section 1703. 108.02 (18r) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,910,23 108.02 (18r) Marijuana. “Marijuana” has the meaning given in s. 111.32 (11m).

AB50,1704 Section 1704. 108.02 (26m) of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1705 Section 1705. 108.022 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,911,7 108.022 Electronic payments and filings; good cause. For purposes of requirements to use electronic filing, payment, or interchange methods specified under ss. 108.14 (2e), 108.17 (2b) and (7) (a), 108.185, and 108.205 (2), good cause for not using such method includes all of the following, as determined by the department:

AB50,911,8 (1) Having limited or no Internet access.

AB50,911,9 (2) Having digital literacy limitations.

AB50,911,12 (3) Having communication barriers, such as having a vision or other disability that prevents the ease of using the electronic method or having limited or no English proficiency.

AB50,911,14 (4) The presence of other circumstances that make use of the electronic method unusually difficult for the person, as determined by the department.

AB50,1706 Section 1706. 108.04 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,911,18 108.04 (2) (a) (intro.) Except as provided in pars. par. (b) to (bd), sub. (16) (am) and (b), and s. 108.062 (10) and (10m) and as otherwise expressly provided, a claimant is eligible for benefits as to any given week only if all of the following apply:

AB50,1707 Section 1707. 108.04 (2) (a) 3. of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB50,912,10 108.04 (2) (a) 3. The claimant conducts a reasonable search for suitable work during that week and provides verification of that search to the department. The search for suitable work must include at least 4 actions per week that constitute a reasonable search as prescribed by rule of the department. In addition, the department may, by rule, require a claimant to take more than 4 reasonable work search actions in any week. The department shall require a uniform number of reasonable work search actions for similar types of claimants. This subdivision does not apply to a claimant if the department determines that the claimant is currently laid off from employment with an employer but there is a reasonable expectation of reemployment of the individual by that employer. In determining whether the claimant has a reasonable expectation of reemployment by an employer, the department shall request the employer to verify the claimant’s employment status and shall consider all of the following:

AB50,912,11 a. The history of layoffs and reemployments by the employer.

AB50,912,13 b. Any information that the employer furnished to the claimant or the department concerning the claimant’s anticipated reemployment date.

AB50,912,15 c. Whether the claimant has recall rights with the employer under the terms of any applicable collective bargaining agreement.

AB50,1708 Section 1708. 108.04 (2) (b) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB50,912,19 108.04 (2) (b) 1. The department may, by rule, establish waivers from the registration for work requirement under par. (a) 2. and the work search requirement under par. (a) 3.

AB50,913,6 2. a. The department may promulgate rules under subd. 1. as emergency rules, using the procedure under s. 227.24, if the secretary of workforce development determines that the waiver is needed only on a temporary basis or that permanent rules are not warranted. Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (1) (a) and (3), the department is not required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule under this subd. 2. a. as an emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this subd. 2. a. Except as provided under subd. 2. b., a rule promulgated under this subd. 2. a. remains in effect only for 150 days.

AB50,913,13 b. Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (2), the secretary of workforce development may extend the effective period of an emergency rule promulgated under subd. 2. a. for a period specified by the secretary not to exceed 60 days. Any number of extensions may be granted under this subd. 2. b. Whenever the secretary extends an emergency rule under this subd. 2. b., it shall file a statement of its action with the legislative reference bureau. The statement shall identify the specific emergency rule to which it relates.

AB50,1709 Section 1709. 108.04 (2) (bb) of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1710 Section 1710. 108.04 (2) (bd) of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1711 Section 1711. 108.04 (2) (bm) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,913,24 108.04 (2) (bm) A claimant is ineligible to receive benefits for any week for which there is a determination that the claimant failed to comply with the registration for work and work search requirements under par. (a) 2. or 3. or failed to provide verification to the department that the claimant complied with those requirements, unless the department has waived those requirements under par. (b), (bb), or (bd) or s. 108.062 (10m). If the department has paid benefits to a claimant for any such week, the department may recover the overpayment under s. 108.22.

AB50,1712 Section 1712. 108.04 (2) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,914,8 108.04 (2) (h) A claimant shall, when the claimant first files a claim for benefits under this chapter and during each subsequent week the claimant files for benefits under this chapter, inform the department whether he or she is receiving social security disability insurance payments, as defined in sub. (12) (f) 2m s. 108.05 (7m) (b). If the claimant is receiving social security disability insurance payments, the claimant shall, in the manner prescribed by the department, report to the department the amount of the social security disability insurance payments.

AB50,1713 Section 1713. 108.04 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1714 Section 1714. 108.04 (5) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 108.04 (5) (cm) and amended to read:

AB50,915,7 108.04 (5) (cm) An employee whose work is terminated by an employing unit for misconduct by the employee connected with the employee’s work is ineligible to receive benefits until 7 weeks have elapsed since the end of the week in which the discharge occurs and the employee earns wages after the week in which the discharge occurs equal to at least 14 times the employee’s weekly benefit rate under s. 108.05 (1) in employment or other work covered by the unemployment insurance law of any state or the federal government. For purposes of requalification, the employee’s weekly benefit rate shall be the rate that would have been paid had the discharge not occurred. The wages paid to an employee by an employer which terminates employment of the employee for misconduct connected with the employee’s employment shall be excluded from the employee’s base period wages under s. 108.06 (1) for purposes of benefit entitlement. This subsection paragraph does not preclude an employee who has employment with an employer other than the employer which terminated the employee for misconduct from establishing a benefit year using the base period wages excluded under this subsection paragraph if the employee qualifies to establish a benefit year under s. 108.06 (2) (a). The department shall charge to the fund’s balancing account any benefits otherwise chargeable to the account of an employer that is subject to the contribution requirements under ss. 108.17 and 108.18 from which base period wages are excluded under this subsection paragraph.

AB50,915,15 (am) For purposes of this subsection, “misconduct” means one or more actions or conduct evincing such willful or wanton disregard of an employer’s interests as is found in deliberate violations or disregard of standards of behavior which an employer has a right to expect of his or her employees, or in carelessness or negligence of such degree or recurrence as to manifest culpability, wrongful intent, or evil design of equal severity to such disregard, or to show an intentional and substantial disregard of an employer’s interests, or of an employee’s duties and obligations to his or her employer.

AB50,915,17 (bm) In addition to the conduct described in par. (am), “misconduct” includes all of the following:

AB50,1715 Section 1715. 108.04 (5) (a) to (g) of the statutes are renumbered 108.04 (5) (bm) 1. to 7., and 108.04 (5) (bm) 5. and 7., as renumbered, are amended to read:

AB50,916,4 108.04 (5) (bm) 5. Absenteeism by an employee on more than 2 occasions within the 120-day period before the date of the employee’s termination, unless otherwise specified by his or her employer in an employment manual of which the employee has acknowledged receipt with his or her signature, or excessive tardiness by an employee in violation of a policy of the employer that has been communicated to the employee, if the employee does not provide to his or her employer both notice and one or more valid reasons for the absenteeism or tardiness. For purposes of this subdivision, an employee’s notice and reason for an occasion of absenteeism or tardiness shall be analyzed under the standard specified in par. (am).

AB50,916,11 7. Unless directed by the employer, a willful and deliberate violation of a written and uniformly applied standard or regulation of the federal government or a state or Indian tribal government by an employee of an employer that is licensed or certified by a governmental agency, which standard or regulation has been communicated by the employer to the employee and which violation would cause the employer to be sanctioned or to have its license or certification suspended by the agency.

AB50,1716 Section 1716. 108.04 (5g) of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1717 Section 1717. 108.04 (5m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,916,18 108.04 (5m) Discharge for use of marijuana. (a) Notwithstanding sub. (5), “misconduct,” for purposes of sub. (5), does not include the employee’s use of marijuana off the employer’s premises during nonworking hours or a violation of the employer’s policy concerning such use, unless termination of the employee because of that use is permitted under s. 111.35.

AB50,916,22 (b) Notwithstanding sub. (5g), “substantial fault,” for purposes of sub. (5g), does not include the employee’s use of marijuana off the employer’s premises during nonworking hours or a violation of the employer’s policy concerning such use, unless termination of the employee because of that use is permitted under s. 111.35.

AB50,1718 Section 1718. 108.04 (7) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,917,9 108.04 (7) (e) Paragraph (a) does not apply if the department determines that the employee accepted work that the employee could have failed to accept under sub. (8) and terminated the work on the same grounds and within the first 30 calendar days 10 weeks after starting the work, or that the employee accepted work that the employee could have refused under sub. (9) and terminated the work within the first 30 calendar days 10 weeks after starting the work. For purposes of this paragraph, an employee has the same grounds for voluntarily terminating work if the employee could have failed to accept the work under sub. (8) (d) to (em) when it was offered, regardless of the reason articulated by the employee for the termination.

AB50,1719 Section 1719. 108.04 (7) (t) 1. of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1720 Section 1720. 108.04 (7) (t) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,917,14 108.04 (7) (t) 2. The employee’s spouse was required by the U.S. armed forces his or her employing unit to relocate to a place to which it is impractical for the employee to commute.

AB50,1721 Section 1721. 108.04 (8) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,918,7 108.04 (8) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), if If an employee fails, without good cause, to accept suitable work when offered, the employee is ineligible to receive benefits until the employee earns wages after the week in which the failure occurs equal to at least 6 times the employee’s weekly benefit rate under s. 108.05 (1) in employment or other work covered by the unemployment insurance law of any state or the federal government. For purposes of requalification, the employee’s weekly benefit rate shall be that rate which would have been paid had the failure not occurred. This paragraph does not preclude an employee from establishing a benefit year during a period in which the employee is ineligible to receive benefits under this paragraph if the employee qualifies to establish a benefit year under s. 108.06 (2) (a). Except as provided in par. (b), the The department shall charge to the fund’s balancing account any benefits otherwise chargeable to the account of an employer that is subject to the contribution requirements under ss. 108.17 and 108.18 whenever an employee of that employer fails, without good cause, to accept suitable work offered by that employer.

AB50,1722 Section 1722. 108.04 (8) (b) of the statutes is repealed.

AB50,1723 Section 1723. 108.04 (8) (d) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,918,12 108.04 (8) (d) (intro.) With respect to the first 6 10 weeks after the employee became unemployed, “suitable work,” for purposes of par. (a), means work to which all of the following apply:

AB50,1724 Section 1724. 108.04 (8) (dm) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,918,19 108.04 (8) (dm) With respect to the 7th 11th week after the employee became unemployed and any week thereafter, “suitable work,” for purposes of par. (a), means any work that the employee is capable of performing, regardless of whether the employee has any relevant experience or training, that pays wages that are above the lowest quartile of wages for similar work in the labor market area in which the work is located, as determined by the department.