LRB-1809/1
AJM:amn
2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE
March 8, 2017 - Introduced by Representatives Hesselbein, Pope, Billings,
Berceau, Bowen, Considine, Goyke, Milroy, Ohnstad, Sargent, Spreitzer,
Subeck and C. Taylor, cosponsored by Senators Bewley, Erpenbach, Hansen,
Johnson, Ringhand, Risser and Vinehout. Referred to Committee on Public
Benefit Reform.
AB131,1,3 1An Act to amend 108.04 (2) (a) 3. (intro.) of the statutes; relating to: an
2exemption from work search requirements for certain individuals claiming
3unemployment insurance benefits.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill provides that a claimant for unemployment insurance benefits who
reasonably expects to be reemployed by the claimant's former employer within 26
weeks is exempt from the eligibility requirement of conducting weekly searches for
suitable work.
Under current law, a claimant is generally required to conduct searches for
work each week to be eligible for unemployment benefits. Current law provides that
a claimant who is laid off is exempt from the work search requirement if the claimant
reasonably expects to be reemployed by the former employer and the Department of
Workforce Development verifies that expectation. DWD may grant a claimant a
waiver of the work search requirement under certain conditions. Administrative
rules promulgated by DWD require DWD to grant a claimant a waiver of the work
search requirement for eight weeks if the claimant reasonably expects to be
reemployed with the claimant's employer within that period. The rules permit DWD
to provide an additional four-week extension of that waiver. The rules also provide
additional reasons a claimant may qualify for a waiver.
This bill modifies current law to specifically provide that a claimant is exempt
from the work search requirement for up to 26 weeks after the week the claimant was
laid off if the claimant reasonably expects to be reemployed within that 26-week
period.

For further information see the state 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:
AB131,1 1Section 1. 108.04 (2) (a) 3. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB131,2,162 108.04 (2) (a) 3. (intro.) The individual conducts a reasonable search for
3suitable work during that week, unless the search requirement is waived under par.
4(b) or s. 108.062 (10m). The search for suitable work must include at least 4 actions
5per week that constitute a reasonable search as prescribed by rule of the department.
6In addition, the department may, by rule, require an individual to take more than
74 reasonable work search actions in any week. The department shall require a
8uniform number of reasonable work search actions for similar types of claimants.
9This subdivision does not apply to an individual if If the department determines that
10the an individual is currently laid off from employment with an employer but there
11is a reasonable expectation of reemployment of the individual by that employer
12within 26 weeks after the week the individual was laid off, this subdivision does not
13apply to that individual with respect to that 26-week period
. In determining
14whether the individual has a reasonable expectation of reemployment by an
15employer, the department shall request the employer to verify the individual's
16employment status and shall also consider other factors, including:
AB131,2 17Section 2. Initial applicability.
AB131,2,1918 (1) This act first applies to weeks of unemployment beginning on the effective
19date of this subsection.
AB131,3 20Section 3. Effective date.
AB131,3,1
1(1) This act takes effect on the first Sunday after publication.
AB131,3,22 (End)
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