AB553: Bill Text

AB553, s. 36 Section 36. 108.05 (7) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,45,8 108.05 (7) (a) 1. "Pension payment" means a pension, retirement, annuity, or other similar payment made to a claimant, based on the previous work of that claimant, whether or not payable on a periodic basis, from a governmental or other retirement system maintained or contributed to by an employer from which that claimant has base period wages, other than a payment received under the federal Social Security Act (42 USC 301 et seq.).

AB553, s. 37 Section 37. 108.05 (7) (f) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,45,13 108.05 (7) (f) 1. If the pension payment is received under the social security act (42 USC 301 et seq.) or railroad retirement act (45 USC 231 et seq.), the department shall reduce the weekly benefits payable for a week of partial or total unemployment by 50% of the weekly pension amount.

AB553, s. 38 Section 38. 108.065 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,45,17 108.065 (1) An employee service A temporary help company is the employer of an individual who the company engages in employment to perform services for a client or customer of the company.

AB553, s. 39 Section 39. 108.065 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,45,22 108.065 (1m) A professional employer organization is the employer of the employees who it engages to perform services for its client, including a corporate officer if the officer's position is included in the employee leasing agreement with the client.

AB553, s. 40 Section 40. 108.067 of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,46,6 108.067 Professional employer organizations and leasing agreements. (1) Each professional employer organization that enters into an employee leasing agreement with a client during any calendar quarter shall submit to the department, no later than the due date for the report under s. 108.17 (2) relating to that quarter, in the form prescribed by the department, a report disclosing the identity of that client and such other information as the department prescribes.

AB553,46,9 (2) If a professional employer organization and client terminate an employee leasing agreement, the professional employer organization and client shall notify the department within 10 working days of the termination.

AB553,46,20 (3) Notwithstanding s. 108.02 (13) (i), if an employer that is a client of a professional employer organization enters into an employee leasing agreement with the organization that results in the discontinuance of all employees of the employer who are engaged in employment, the department shall maintain the employer account of the client for a period of 5 full calendar years after the beginning of the agreement. If the employee leasing agreement is terminated prior to the end of the 5-year period, the client shall so notify the department and resume all responsibilities as the employer of its employees under this chapter as of the date of termination. Section 108.02 (13) (i) applies if the employee leasing agreement is terminated before the end of the 5-year period and the conditions for termination of coverage set forth in s. 108.02 (13) (i) exist.

AB553, s. 41 Section 41. 108.09 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 108.09 (3) (a) 1. and amended to read:

AB553,47,2 108.09 (3) (a) 1. To hear and decide disputed claims, the department shall establish appeal tribunals. Except as authorized in this paragraph, each of which tribunal shall consist of an individual who is a permanent employee of the department.

AB553,47,7 3. Upon request of a party to an appeal or upon its own motion, the department may appoint an individual who is not a permanent employee of the department to hear an appeal in which the department or an employee or former employee of the department is an interested party. No individual may hear any appeal in which the individual is a directly interested party.

AB553, s. 42 Section 42. 108.09 (3) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,47,14 108.09 (3) (a) 2. The department may appoint an individual who is not a permanent employee of the department to serve as a temporary reserve appeal tribunal if the individual formerly served as an appeal tribunal while employed by the department and retired from state service as a permanent employee. An individual who is appointed to serve as a temporary reserve appeal tribunal shall be an attorney who is licensed to practice in this state.

AB553, s. 43 Section 43. 108.14 (2e) of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,47,24 108.14 (2e) The department may provide a secure means of electronic interchange between itself and employing units, claimants, and other persons which, upon request to and with prior approval by the department, may be used for departmental transmission or receipt of any document specified by the department that is related to the administration of this chapter in lieu of any other means of submission or receipt specified in this chapter. If a due date is established by statute for the receipt of any document that is submitted electronically to the department under this subsection, then that submission is timely only if the document is submitted by midnight of the statutory due date.

AB553, s. 44 Section 44. 108.14 (19) of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,48,4 108.14 (19) On or about February 15 annually, the department shall prepare and furnish to the council on unemployment insurance a report summarizing the department's activities related to detection and prosecution of unemployment insurance fraud in the preceding year.

AB553, s. 45 Section 45. 108.141 (7) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,48,8 108.141 (7) (c) The department shall charge the full amount of extended benefits based upon employment for an Indian tribe to the account of the Indian tribe.

AB553, s. 46 Section 46. 108.152 of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,48,15 108.152 Financing benefits for employees of Indian tribes. (1) Election of reimbursement financing. Each Indian tribe which is an employer may, in lieu of paying contributions under ss. 108.17 and 108.18, elect reimbursement financing for itself as a whole or for any tribal units or combinations of tribal units which are wholly owned subdivisions, subsidiaries or business enterprises, as of the beginning of any calendar year, subject to the following conditions:

AB553,48,19 (a) The Indian tribe or tribal unit shall file a written notice of the election with the department before the beginning of that year except that, if the Indian tribe or tribal unit became an employer as of the beginning of that year, it shall file the notice within 30 days after the date of the determination that it is an employer.

AB553,48,24 (b) An Indian tribe or tribal unit whose election of reimbursement financing is terminated under sub. (2) (a) may not thereafter reelect reimbursement financing unless it has been subject to the contribution requirements of ss. 108.17 and 108.18 for at least 3 calendar years thereafter and is not, at the time of filing such reelection, delinquent under s. 108.22.

AB553,49,3 (c) No election of reimbursement financing is valid unless the Indian tribe or tribal unit has satisfied the requirements of sub. (3) within 60 days after it files the notice of election.

AB553,49,9 (d) If the Indian tribe or tribal unit is an employer prior to the effective date of an election, ss. 108.17 and 108.18 shall apply to all employment prior to the effective date of the election, but after all benefits based on prior employment have been charged to any account that it has had under s. 108.16 (2), the department shall transfer any positive balance or charge any negative balance remaining therein to the balancing account as if s. 108.16 (6) (c) and (6m) (d) applied.

AB553,49,14 (2) Termination of election. (a) An Indian tribe or tribal unit that elected reimbursement financing may terminate its election as of the close of the 2nd calendar year to which the election applies, or at the close of any subsequent calendar year, by filing a written notice of termination with the department before the close of that year.

AB553,49,17 (b) If an Indian tribe or tribal unit terminates an election under this subsection, the employer's contribution rate is 2.7% on its payroll for each of the next 3 calendar years.

AB553,49,21 (3) Assurance of reimbursement. An Indian tribe or tribal unit electing reimbursement financing under sub. (1) shall file assurance of reimbursement in the same manner and subject to the conditions provided for other employers under s. 108.151 (4).

AB553,50,2 (4) Reimbursement account. The department shall maintain a reimbursement account, as a subaccount of the fund's balancing account, for each Indian tribe, tribal unit, or combination of tribal units in accordance with any valid election made under subs. (1) and (5) and subject to the procedures and conditions provided for other employers under s. 108.151 (5).

AB553,50,7 (5) Group reimbursement account. An Indian tribe that has elected reimbursement financing for tribal units or one or more combinations of tribal units may request to have specified tribal units treated as one employer for purposes of this chapter. The department shall approve any such request subject to the following conditions:

AB553,50,12 (a) The tribal units shall be so treated for a period of at least the 3 calendar years following their request, unless their election of reimbursement financing is terminated under sub. (2) or (6), but the Indian tribe may discontinue the treatment as of the beginning of any calendar year following that period by filing notice with the department prior to the beginning of that calendar year.

AB553,50,15 (b) The tribal units shall be jointly and severally liable for any required reimbursements, together with any interest thereon and any penalties or tardy filing fees.

AB553,50,17 (c) The Indian tribe shall designate one or more individuals to act as an agent for all members of the group for all fiscal and reporting purposes under this chapter.

AB553,50,23 (6) Failure to make required payments or file assurance of reimbursement. (a) If an Indian tribe or tribal unit fails to pay required contributions, reimbursements in lieu of contributions, penalties, interest, or fees within 90 days of the time that the department transmits to the tribe a final notice of delinquency, or fails to file or maintain the required assurance of reimbursement as provided in subs. (1) (c) and (3):

AB553,50,25 1. The department shall immediately notify the federal internal revenue service and the federal department of labor of that failure.

AB553,51,4 2. Any valid election of reimbursement financing is terminated as of the end of the current calendar year and any pending election that fails to meet the requirement to file an assurance of reimbursement under sub. (1) (c) is terminated immediately.

AB553,51,7 3. The department may consider the Indian tribe not to be an employer and may consider services performed for the tribe not to be employment for purposes of this chapter.

AB553,51,12 (b) An Indian tribe whose prior election of reimbursement financing has been terminated under par. (a) may not thereafter reelect reimbursement financing unless it has been subject to the contribution requirements of ss. 108.17 and 108.18 for at least one calendar year thereafter and is not delinquent under s. 108.22 at the time that it files a request for reelection.

AB553,51,18 (c) The final notice of delinquency specified in par. (a) shall include information that failure to make full payment within the prescribed time will cause the Indian tribe to be liable for taxes under the federal Unemployment Tax Act (26 USC 3301, et seq.), will cause the tribe to be precluded from electing reimbursement financing, and may cause the department to determine that the tribe is not an employer and that services performed for the tribe are not employment for purposes of this chapter.

AB553, s. 47 Section 47. 108.16 (6) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,51,21 108.16 (6) (g) Any payment received for the balancing account under s. 108.15 or 108.152.

AB553, s. 48 Section 48. 108.16 (6m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,51,25 108.16 (6m) (a) The benefits thus chargeable under s. 108.04 (1) (f), (5), (7) (h), (8) (a), or (13) (c) or (d), 108.07 (3), (3r), (5) (b), (5m), (6), or (8), 108.14 (8n) (e), 108.141 or, 108.151, or 108.152 or sub. (6) (e) or (7) (a) and (b).

AB553, s. 49 Section 49. 108.16 (8) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,52,4 108.16 (8) (b) (intro.) If the business of any employer is transferred to a single transferee, the transferee is deemed a successor for purposes of this chapter, if the department determines that all of the following conditions have been satisfied:

AB553, s. 50 Section 50. 108.16 (8) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,52,9 108.16 (8) (b) 2. The transfer included at least 25% 100% of the transferor's total business as measured by comparing the payroll experience assignable to the portion of the business transferred with the transferor's total payroll experience for the last 4 completed quarters immediately preceding on the date of the transfer.

AB553, s. 51 Section 51. 108.16 (8) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,52,13 108.16 (8) (b) 3. The same financing provisions under s. 108.15, 108.151, 108.152, or 108.18 apply to the transferee as applied to the transferor on the date of the transfer.

AB553, s. 52 Section 52. 108.16 (8) (c) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,52,17 108.16 (8) (c) 3. The same financing provisions under s. 108.15, 108.151, 108.152, or 108.18 apply to the transferee as applied to the transferor on the date of transfer.

AB553, s. 53 Section 53. 108.16 (8) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,52,21 108.16 (8) (c) 4. The transferor transfers 100% of the transferor's total business on the date of the transfer or the transferor's account was overdrawn on the date of the transfer.

AB553, s. 54 Section 54. 108.16 (8) (e) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,52,25 108.16 (8) (e) 3. The same financing provisions under s. 108.15, 108.151, 108.152, or 108.18 apply to the transferee as applied to the transferor on the date of the transfer.

AB553, s. 55 Section 55. 108.16 (8) (e) 4. of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,53,4 108.16 (8) (e) 4. The transferor transfers 100% of the transferor's total business on the date of the transfer or the transferor's account was overdrawn on the date of the transfer.

AB553, s. 56 Section 56. 108.16 (8) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,53,16 108.16 (8) (f) The successor shall take over and continue the transferor's account, including its positive or negative balance and all other aspects of its experience under this chapter,. If the transfer included less than 100% of the transferor's total assets on the date of the transfer, the department shall allocate the transferor's experience to the successor in proportion to the payroll assignable to the transferred business. The and the liability of the successor shall be proportioned to the extent of the transferred business. The transferor and the successor shall be jointly and severally liable for any amounts owed by the transferor to the fund and to the administrative account at the time of the transfer, but a successor under par. (c) is not liable for the debts of the transferor except in the case of fraud or malfeasance.

AB553, s. 57 Section 57. 108.16 (8) (L) of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,53,21 108.16 (8) (L) A professional employer organization is not considered to be the successor to the employer account of its client under this section by virtue of engaging the prior employees of the client to perform services for the client under an employee leasing agreement.

AB553, s. 58 Section 58. 108.17 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,54,4 108.17 (2) Every employer that is subject to a contribution requirement shall file quarterly reports of contributions required under this chapter with the department, and pay contributions to the department, for such periods and in such manner as the department prescribes. Each contribution report and payment is due at the close of the month next following the end of the applicable reporting period calendar quarter, except as authorized in sub. (2c) or as the department may assign a later due date pursuant to sub. (1m) or general department rules.

AB553, s. 59 Section 59. 108.17 (2c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,54,9 108.17 (2c) (a) Except as provided in pars. (d) and (e), an employer that has a first quarter contribution liability of $5,000 or more may defer payment to later due dates beyond the due date established under sub. (1m) or (2) of not more than 60% of its first quarter contribution liability, without payment of interest, as follows:

AB553,54,11 1. The employer shall pay at least 30% of the first quarter contribution liability on or before July 31 of the year in which the liability accrues.

AB553,54,13 2. The employer shall pay at least an additional 20% of the first quarter contribution liability on or before October 31 of the year in which the liability accrues.

AB553,54,16 3. The employer shall pay any remaining balance of the first quarter contribution liability on or before January 31 of the year after the year in which the liability accrues.

AB553,54,19 (b) An employer that elects to defer a payment under par. (a) may pay more than the specified minimum deferred amount or all of the deferred amount at any time before the due date under par. (a).

AB553,54,24 (c) If an employer fails to pay at least the specified minimum deferred amount for the first quarter, together with the full amount of contributions payable for any subsequent quarter, by a specified due date, then all unpaid contribution liability of that employer for the first quarter is delinquent under s. 108.22 and interest thereon is payable from April 30 of the year in which the liability accrues.

AB553,55,3 (d) If an employer fails to pay at least 40% of its first quarter contribution liability on or before April 30 of the year in which the liability accrues, the employer is not permitted to defer the balance of the liability under this subsection.

AB553,55,7 (e) An employer is not permitted to defer its first quarter contribution liability under this subsection for any year unless the employer pays all delinquent contributions, together with any interest, penalties, and fees assessed under this chapter, prior to April 30 of the year in which the liability accrues.

AB553, s. 60 Section 60. 108.17 (2g) of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,55,17 108.17 (2g) An employer agent that files reports under sub. (2) on behalf of 25 or more employers shall file those reports using an electronic medium and format approved by the department. An employer agent that becomes subject to the reporting requirement under this subsection shall file its initial reports under this subsection for the 4th quarter beginning after the quarter in which the employer agent becomes subject to the reporting requirement. Once an employer agent becomes subject to the reporting requirement under this subsection, the employer agent shall continue to file its reports under this subsection unless that requirement is waived by the department.

AB553, s. 61 Section 61. 108.19 (1e) (a) and (d) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB553,55,25 108.19 (1e) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), each employer, other than an employer which that finances benefits by reimbursement in lieu of contributions under s. 108.15 or, 108.151, or 108.152 shall, in addition to other contributions payable under s. 108.18 and this section, pay an assessment to the administrative account for each year prior to the year 2002 2004 equal to the lesser of 0.01% of its payroll for that year or the solvency contribution that would otherwise be payable by the employer under s. 108.18 (9) for that year.

AB553,56,5 (d) The department may expend the moneys received from assessments levied under this subsection for the renovation and modernization of the unemployment insurance information technology systems, including the tax and accounting system, and specifically including development and implementation of a new system and reengineering of automated processes and manual business functions.

AB553, s. 62 Section 62. 108.19 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,56,22 108.19 (1m) Each employer subject to this chapter as of the date a rate is established under this subsection shall pay an assessment to the administrative account at a rate established by the department sufficient to pay interest due on advances from the federal unemployment account under title XII of the social security act (42 USC 1321 to 1324). The rate established by the department for employers who finance benefits under s. 108.15 (2) or , 108.151 (2), or 108.152 (1) shall be 75% 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 contribution reports filed by the employer or, in the absence of the filing of such reports, estimates made by the department. Each assessment made under this subsection is due on the 30th day commencing after the date on which notice of the assessment is mailed by the department. If the amounts collected under this subsection are in excess of the amounts needed to pay interest due, the amounts shall be retained in the administrative account and utilized for the purposes specified in s. 108.20 (2m).

AB553, s. 63 Section 63. 108.20 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,57,2 108.20 (3) There shall be included in the moneys governed by sub. (2m) any amounts collected by the department under ss. 108.04 (11) (c) and (cm) and 108.22 (1) (a) and, (ac), and (ad) as tardy filing fees, forfeitures, interest on delinquent payments, or other penalties and any excess moneys collected under s. 108.19 (1m).

AB553, s. 64 Section 64. 108.22 (1) (ad) of the statutes is created to read:

AB553,57,8 108.22 (1) (ad) An employer agent that is subject to the reporting requirements under s. 108.17 (2g) and that fails to file a contribution report in accordance with s. 108.17 (2g) may be assessed a penalty by the department in the amount of $25 for each employer whose report is not filed using an electronic format and medium approved by the department.

AB553, s. 65 Section 65. 108.22 (1) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB553,57,12 108.22 (1) (am) The interest, penalties, and the tardy filing fees levied under par. pars. (a), (ac), and (ad) shall be paid to the department and credited to the administrative account.