SB197: Bill Text

SB197,9,19 108.04 (15) (am) In carrying out this state’s program of reemployment services and eligibility assessments using grant funds awarded under 42 USC 506, the department shall, except as provided in par. (b), provide reemployment services to all claimants receiving benefits, including benefits under ss. 108.141 and 108.142, including by doing all of the following for each such claimant:

SB197,9,21 1. Requiring the claimant to complete an online assessment aimed at identifying the claimant’s skills, abilities, and career aptitude.

SB197,9,23 2. Coordinating with the claimant to develop an individualized employment plan for the claimant.

SB197,10,3 3. Requiring the claimant to participate in the services described under par. (a) 2. a. as needed pursuant to the individualized employment plan described in subd. 2.

SB197,10,6 (ao) Except as provided in par. (b), the department shall, when a claimant’s remaining benefit entitlement under s. 108.06 (1) is 3 or less times the claimant’s weekly benefit rate under s. 108.05 (1), do all of the following:

SB197,10,8 1. Require the claimant to participate in a live, one-on-one reemployment counseling session between the claimant and an employee of the department.

SB197,10,12 2. Provide the claimant information about services and benefits that are available to the claimant pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, 29 USC 3101 to 3361, once the claimant exhausts his or her benefit entitlement.

SB197,27 Section 27. 108.13 (4) (a) 4. of the statutes is renumbered 108.13 (4) (a) 2m. and amended to read:

SB197,10,18 108.13 (4) (a) 2m. “Unemployment insurance” “Reemployment assistance” means any compensation payable under this chapter, including amounts payable by the department pursuant to an agreement under any federal law providing for compensation, assistance or allowances with respect to unemployment.

SB197,28 Section 28. 108.14 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB197,10,21 108.14 (1) This chapter shall be administered by the department through its division of reemployment assistance.

SB197,29 Section 29. 108.14 (8o) of the statutes is created to read:

SB197,11,2 108.14 (8o) The department shall act to continue to receive grants for reemployment services and eligibility assessments under 42 USC 506.

SB197,30 Section 30. 108.141 (1) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB197,11,11 108.141 (1) (b) 3. Has no right to unemployment reemployment assistance benefits or allowances, as the case may be, under the railroad unemployment insurance act or such other federal laws as are specified in regulations issued by the U.S. secretary of labor, and has not received and is not seeking unemployment reemployment assistance benefits under the unemployment insurance reemployment assistance law of Canada, but if the individual is seeking such benefits and the appropriate agency finally determines that he or she is not entitled to benefits under such law he or she is an exhaustee.

SB197,31 Section 31. 108.142 (1) (h) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB197,11,20 108.142 (1) (h) 3. Has no right to unemployment reemployment assistance benefits or allowances under the railroad unemployment insurance act or such other federal laws as are specified in regulations issued by the U.S. secretary of labor, and has not received and is not seeking unemployment reemployment assistance benefits under the unemployment insurance reemployment assistance law of Canada, but if the individual is seeking such benefits and the appropriate agency finally determines that he or she is not entitled to benefits under that law, the individual is an “exhaustee”.

SB197,32 Section 32. 108.19 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB197,12,18 108.19 (1m) Each employer subject to this chapter as of the date a rate is established under this subsection shall pay an assessment to the unemployment reemployment assistance interest payment fund at a rate established by the department sufficient to pay interest due on advances from the federal unemployment account under Title XII of the federal social security act, 42 USC 1321 to 1324. The rate established by the department for employers who finance benefits under s. 108.15 (2), 108.151 (2), or 108.152 (1) shall be 75 percent of the rate established for other employers. The amount of any employer’s assessment shall be the product of the rate established for that employer multiplied by the employer’s payroll of the previous calendar year as taken from quarterly employment and wage reports filed by the employer under s. 108.205 (1) or, in the absence of the filing of such reports, estimates made by the department. Each assessment made under this subsection is due within 30 days after the date the department issues the assessment. If the amounts collected from employers under this subsection exceed the amounts needed to pay interest due, the department shall use any excess to pay interest owed in subsequent years on advances from the federal unemployment account. If the department determines that additional interest obligations are unlikely, the department shall transfer the excess to the balancing account of the fund, the unemployment reemployment assistance program integrity fund, or both in amounts determined by the department.

SB197,33 Section 33. 111.39 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB197,13,19 111.39 (4) (c) If, after hearing, the examiner finds that the respondent has engaged in discrimination, unfair honesty testing or unfair genetic testing, the examiner shall make written findings and order such action by the respondent as will effectuate the purpose of this subchapter, with or without back pay. If the examiner awards any payment to an employee because of a violation of s. 111.321 by an individual employed by the employer, under s. 111.32 (6), the employer of that individual is liable for the payment. If the examiner finds a respondent violated s. 111.322 (2m), the examiner shall award compensation in lieu of reinstatement if requested by all parties and may award compensation in lieu of reinstatement if requested by any party. Compensation in lieu of reinstatement for a violation of s. 111.322 (2m) may not be less than 500 times nor more than 1,000 times the hourly wage of the person discriminated against when the violation occurred. Back pay liability may not accrue from a date more than 2 years prior to the filing of a complaint with the department. Interim earnings or amounts earnable with reasonable diligence by the person discriminated against or subjected to unfair honesty testing or unfair genetic testing shall operate to reduce back pay otherwise allowable. Amounts received by the person discriminated against or subject to the unfair honesty testing or unfair genetic testing as unemployment reemployment assistance benefits or welfare payments shall not reduce the back pay otherwise allowable, but shall be withheld from the person discriminated against or subject to unfair honesty testing or unfair genetic testing and immediately paid to the unemployment reserve fund or, in the case of a welfare payment, to the welfare agency making the payment.

SB197,34 Section 34. 230.43 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB197,14,12 230.43 (4) Rights of employee. If an employee has been removed, demoted or reclassified, from or in any position or employment in contravention or violation of this subchapter, and has been restored to such position or employment by order of the commission or any court upon review, the employee shall be entitled to compensation therefor from the date of such unlawful removal, demotion or reclassification at the rate to which he or she would have been entitled by law but for such unlawful removal, demotion or reclassification. Interim earnings or amounts earnable with reasonable diligence by the employee shall operate to reduce back pay otherwise allowable. Amounts received by the employee as unemployment reemployment assistance benefits or welfare payments shall not reduce the back pay otherwise allowable, but shall be withheld from the employee and immediately paid to the unemployment reserve fund or, in the case of a welfare payment, to the welfare agency making such payment. The employee shall be entitled to an order of mandamus to enforce the payment or other provisions of such order.

SB197,35 Section 35. 230.85 (3) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB197,14,21 230.85 (3) (d) Interim earnings or amounts earnable with reasonable diligence by the person subjected to the retaliatory action or threat shall reduce back pay otherwise allowable. Amounts received by the person subjected to the retaliatory action or threat as unemployment reemployment assistance benefits or welfare payments do not reduce the back pay otherwise allowable, but shall be withheld from the person subjected to the retaliatory action or threat and immediately paid to the unemployment reserve fund or to the welfare agency making the payment.

SB197,36 Section 36. 779.01 (2) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB197,15,2 779.01 (2) (am) “Labor” includes any wages and related contributions for state employment taxes, worker’s compensation and unemployment compensation insurance reemployment assistance, and other fringe benefits.

SB197,37 Section 37. Terminology changes.

SB197,15,4 (1) Unemployment insurance; terminology changes.

SB197,16,13 (a) Wherever “unemployment insurance” appears in the following, as affected by the acts of 2025, “reemployment assistance” is substituted: ss. 6.10 (9), 13.63 (1) (b), 15.227 (3), 16.48 (1) (intro.), (am), (bm), and (f) and (3), 19.85 (1) (ee), 29.024 (2r) (title) and (d) 1., 46.272 (7) (e), 47.035 (1), 48.715 (7), 49.163 (2) (am) 5., 49.19 (4) (dm) 4., 50.498 (title) and (4) (b), 51.032 (title) and (4), 59.40 (2) (e), 59.57 (2) (b), 66.1103 (1) (a), 71.01 (10) (b), 71.05 (6) (b) 47m., 71.26 (1) (h), 71.45 (1) (c), 71.52 (6), 71.67 (7) (a) and (b) 2., 71.80 (16) (a) and (b), 73.0301 (2) (c) 2., 73.09 (8), 93.135 (title) and (4), 101.654 (2) (c), 102.17 (1) (c) 2., 102.28 (7) (b) 2., 102.315 (2m) (d), 103.34 (10) (title), 103.92 (3) and (8) (title), 105.13 (1), 108.02 (15) (c) 1., (dm) 1., (e), (i) 2., and (k) 9., 10., and 19. b., (21) (a) 2. and (b), and (21e) (e), 108.04 (2) (ae), (4) (c), (5) (intro.), (5g) (a) (intro.), (7) (a) and (L) (intro.), (8) (a) and (c), (11) (g) 2. d., (12) (c) and (d), and (13) (g) 2., 108.06 (5) (a), 108.065 (3), 108.068 (6), 108.07 (3m) and (5m), 108.13 (2) and (4) (b), (c) (intro.), (e), and (f), 108.135 (1) (intro.) and (a), 108.14 (5) (a), (ag), and (ar), (6), (7) (a), (8) (a), (8m) (a), (8n) (a) and (b), (8s) (a) and (b), (8t), (9), (13), (14), (18), (19), (23) (b) 1., and (24), 108.141 (1) (h) and (3g) (a) 2., (c), and (d), 108.142 (1) (i), 108.155 (6), 108.16 (5) (b), 108.161 (3) and (3e), 108.162 (1), 108.19 (1e) (d), (1f) (b), and (4), 108.20 (2m), 108.227 (title) and (2) (c) 2., 115.31 (6m), 116.03 (4), 118.19 (1m) (b), 120.25 (2) (a) and (6), 138.09 (3) (am) 2. and (4) (c), 138.12 (4) (b) 5m. and (5) (am) 1. b. and 3., 138.14 (5) (b) 2m. and (9) (cm), 146.40 (4d) (d), 165.066 (title), 169.35 (title) and (3), 170.12 (8) (b) 1. bm. and 4., 175.46 (5) (a), 202.021 (4) (a) 6., 202.06 (2) (g), 202.23 (2), 203.03 (8) (c), 203.07 (3), 217.05 (5) (e) 6. and (7) (d), 218.0116 (1g) (b) and (1m) (a) 2m. and (d), 218.02 (3) (dm), (6) (d), and (9) (a) 1m., 218.04 (4) (am) 2m. and (5) (at), 218.05 (4) (c) 2m., (11) (bm), and (12) (at), 218.11 (6m) (c), 218.12 (3m) (c), 218.22 (3m) (c), 218.32 (3m) (c), 218.41 (3m) (b) 3., 218.51 (4m) (b) 3., 224.44 (title), 224.72 (7m) (bm), 224.725 (6) (bm), 224.77 (2m) (e), 224.95 (1) (bm), 230.26 (4), 238.31 (1) (e) 4. c., 238.397 (2) (a) 4. c., 254.115 (title) and (5), 254.176 (5), 254.20 (7), 256.18 (title) and (4m), 299.07 (title) and (3), 303.08 (3), (4), and (5) (intro.), 341.51 (4m) (c), 343.305 (6) (e) 6., 343.66 (3m), 440.12 (title) and (2), 463.14 (title) and (5), 551.412 (4g) (a) 2m. and (d), 562.05 (5) (a) 11. and (8) (f), 563.285 (title) and (1m), 628.097 (title) and (2m), 628.10 (2) (cm), 628.93 (2) (title), 632.69 (2) (d) 2. and (4) (d), 633.14 (2m) (b), 633.15 (2) (d), 751.155 (title) and (3), 815.18 (13) (j), 859.02 (2) (a), and 949.06 (3) (b).

SB197,16,17 (b) Wherever “unemployment compensation” appears in the following, as affected by the acts of 2025, “reemployment assistance” is substituted: ss. 49.45 (23b) (a) 2. f., 71.07 (6n) (c) 3., 71.28 (6n) (c) 3., 71.47 (6n) (c) 3., 108.04 (13) (g) 1. b., 108.11 (2), 701.0508 (2), 756.04 (2) (c) 4., and 767.75 (3m) (title).

SB197,16,21 (c) Wherever “unemployment” appears in the following, as affected by the acts of 2025, “reemployment assistance” is substituted: ss. 25.17 (1) (xe) and (xf), 108.04 (2) (bb) 5., 108.16 (6) (i) and (m) and (6m) (b), 108.19 (title), (1f) (a), (1q), and (1s) (a) (intro.) and 2. and (b), 108.221 (3), 108.225 (4) (b), and 111.15.

SB197,17,2 (d) The legislative reference bureau shall, when preparing the statutes for publication, make other changes necessary to effect the terminology changes in pars. (a) to (c).

SB197,38 Section 38. Nonstatutory provisions.

SB197,17,8 (1) The department of workforce development shall submit a notice to the legislative reference bureau for publication in the Wisconsin Administrative Register when the department determines that the department has any rules in place that are necessary to implement the treatment of s. 108.04 (2) (a) 3. by this act.

SB197,39 Section 39. Initial applicability.

SB197,17,11 (1) The treatment of s. 108.04 (2) (a) 3. first applies with respect to weeks of unemployment beginning on the effective date of this subsection.

SB197,17,16 (2) The renumbering and amendment of s. 108.04 (2) (a) 4. and (15) (a) 2., the consolidation, renumbering, and amendment of s. 108.04 (15) (a) (intro.) and 1., and the creation of s. 108.04 (2) (a) 4. c. and 5. and (15) (a) 2. b., (am), and (ao) first apply with respect to weeks of unemployment beginning on the effective date of this subsection.

SB197,40 Section 40. Effective dates. This act takes effect on July 5, 2026, except as follows:

SB197,17,22 (1) The treatment of s. 108.04 (2) (a) 3. and Section 39 (1) of this act take effect on the Sunday after the notice under Section 38 (1) of this act is published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register or on January 4, 2026, whichever occurs first.

SB197,18,4 (2) The treatment of ss. 108.01 (2m) and 108.14 (8o) and (30), the renumbering and amendment of s. 108.04 (2) (a) 4. and (15) (a) 2., the consolidation, renumbering, and amendment of s. 108.04 (15) (a) (intro.) and 1., and the creation of s. 108.04 (2) (a) 4. c. and 5. and (15) (a) 2. b., (am), and (ao) and Sections 38 (1) and 39 (2) of this act take effect on the first Sunday after publication.

SB197,18,5 (end)