ORDER OF THE WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
EMERGENCY RULE
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development adopts the following rule to renumber DWD 128.001 (2) (a); and to create DWD 127.01 (2m), 128.001 (2) (ag), 128.01 (7), 128.02, and 128.025, relating to work search actions, availability for work, and work available for people filing claims with the unemployment insurance program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Governor approved the scope statement for this rule, SS 013-20, on March 19, 2020. The scope statement was published in register No. 771A4, on March 23, 2020, and was approved by the Department on April 3, 2020. This rule was approved by the Governor on May 5, 2020. Analysis Prepared by the Department of Workforce Development
Finding of Emergency
The Department seeks to create provisions in Chapters DWD 127 and 128 in order to implement federal guidance (see Unemployment Insurance Program Letter No., 10-20, dated March 12, 2020) related to administering unemployment insurance benefit claims during the pandemic period related to the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus, which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (in this Analysis, the virus and disease will be referred to as “COVID-19”). Additionally, by Executive Order # 72 (dated March 12, 2020), the Governor declared a public health emergency in order to protect the health and well-being of the state’s residents and directed state agencies to assist as appropriate in the state’s on-going response to the public health emergency. Furthermore, on March 13, 2020, the President declared a national emergency concerning the COVID-19 outbreak. On April 4, 2020, the President issued a major disaster declaration for Wisconsin due to COVID-19, retroactively to January 20, 2020. On March 18, 2020, the Governor issued an emergency order in response to COVID-19 to assist individuals affected by the disease by temporarily easing eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits. (See Emergency Order # 7). The rule supplants the emergency order.
Statutes Interpreted
Statutory Authority
Explanation of Statutory Authority
The Department has specific and general authority to establish rules interpreting and clarifying provisions of ch. 108, Stats., unemployment insurance and reserves, and general authority for promulgating rules with respect to ch. 108, Stats., under section 108.14 (2), Stats. Individuals who claim unemployment insurance benefits must perform four actions to search for suitable work in each week for which a claim is filed unless a waiver of that requirement applies. The Department may, under s. 108.04(2)(a)3., Stats., by rule, determine what actions “constitute a reasonable search [for suitable work].” Work search waivers are statutory, but under s. 108.04(2)(bd), Stats., the “department may, by rule…if doing so is necessary to comply with a requirement under federal law or is specifically allowed under federal law: modify the availability of any [work search] waiver” or “[e]stablish additional [work search] waivers….” Under 42 U.S.C. § 1103(h)(3)(B), states may waive the work search requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Related Statutes or Rules
Section 323.10, Stats., permits the Governor to issue an executive order declaring a public health emergency. On March 12, 2020, the Governor issued Executive Order # 72 declaring a public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plain Language Analysis
This rule provides, on a temporary basis, that a public health emergency constitutes four work search actions for each week that a claimant files an unemployment insurance claim.
This rule provides criteria for determining when unemployment insurance claimants are available for work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rule also states that no work is actually available for employees affected by COVID-19 for the purposes of determining whether unemployment insurance claimants missed work available under section 108.04 (1) (a) to (bm), Stats. Summary of, and comparison with, existing or proposed federal statutes and regulations
Federal law requires that state laws conform to and comply with federal requirements. 20 C.F.R. § 601.5. Under Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Public Law 116-127, specifically Division D, the Emergency Unemployment Insurance Stabilization and Access Act of 2020 (EUISAA), a state may receive a share of $500 million of federal funding for administering the state’s unemployment insurance program if the “State has demonstrated steps it has taken or will take to ease eligibility requirements and access to unemployment compensation for claimants, including waiving work search requirements….” 42 U.S.C. § 1103(h)(3)(B). Wisconsin’s share of the $500 million is about $9.457 million.
The EUISAA also provides that states have emergency flexibility to amend work search provisions: “EMERGENCY FLEXIBILITY.—Notwithstanding any other law, if a State modifies its unemployment compensation law and policies with respect to work search, waiting week, good cause, or employer experience rating on an emergency temporary basis as needed to respond to the spread of COVID–19, such modifications shall be disregarded for the purposes of applying section 303 of the Social Security Act and section 3304 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to such State law.” Public Law 116-127 § 4102(b). Federal law generally requires unemployment benefit claimants to be available for work. See 42 U.S.C. § 503(a)(12); 20 C.F.R. §§ 604.3 and 604.5. According to the United States Department of Labor, “federal UC framework gives states significant flexibility to determine standards for … availability to work … in the context of COVID-19.” Unemployment Compensation (UC) for Individuals Affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Unemployment Insurance Program Letter No. 10-20 (US-DOL, Mar. 12, 2020). Comparison with rules in adjacent states
Other states have waived or relaxed requirements related to work search and have temporarily provided flexibility regarding availability for work by executive order, administrative rule, or statute in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minnesota has waived work search during the COVID-19 by Minn. Emergency Executive Order 20-05.
Illinois has, by emergency rule, waived work search requirements for claimants who are temporarily laid off as a result of COVID-19. Illinois has also, by emergency rule, provided a clarifying example to find claimants available for work if they are required to be at home with a child but could telework.
