AB219: Bill Text

AB219,59,13 108.06 (1) Except as provided in subs. sub. (6) and (7) and ss. 108.141 and 108.142, no claimant may receive total benefits based on employment in a base period greater than 26 times the claimant's weekly benefit rate under s. 108.05 (1) or 40% of the claimant's base period wages, whichever is lower. Except as provided in subs. sub. (6) and (7) and ss. 108.141 and 108.142, if a claimant's base period wages are reduced or canceled under s. 108.04 (5) or (18), or suspended under s. 108.04 (1) (f), (10) (a), or (17), the claimant may not receive total benefits based on employment in a base period greater than 26 times the claimant's weekly benefit rate under s. 108.05 (1) or 40% of the base period wages not reduced, canceled or suspended which were paid or payable to the claimant, whichever is lower.

AB219,77 Section 77. 108.06 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,59,17 108.06 (2) (c) No benefits are payable to a claimant for any week of unemployment not occurring during the claimant's benefit year except under sub. (7) and ss. 108.141 and 108.142.

AB219,78 Section 78. 108.06 (2) (cm) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,59,22 108.06 (2) (cm) If an employee qualifies to receive benefits using the base period described in s. 108.02 (4) (b), the wages used to compute the employee's benefit entitlement are not available for use in any subsequent benefit computation for the same employee, except under sub. (7) and s. 108.141 or 108.142.

AB219,79 Section 79. 108.06 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,60,3 108.06 (3) There shall be payable to an employee, for weeks ending within the employee's benefit year, only those benefits computed for that benefit year based on the wages paid to the employee in the immediately preceding base period. Wages used in a given benefit computation are not available for use in any subsequent benefit computation except under sub. (7) and s. 108.141.

AB219,80 Section 80. 108.06 (6) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,60,14 108.06 (6) (intro.) If a claimant has established a benefit year prior to the effective date of any increase in the maximum weekly benefit rate provided under s. 108.05 (1), the claimant has not exhausted his or her total benefit entitlement under sub. (1) for that benefit year on that effective date, and the claimant was entitled to receive the maximum weekly benefit rate under s. 108.05 (1) that was in effect prior to that effective date, the limitation on the total benefits authorized to be paid to a claimant under sub. (1) does not apply to that claimant in that benefit year. Unless sub. (7) or s. 108.141 or 108.142 applies, the claimant's remaining benefit entitlement in that benefit year for the period beginning on that effective date shall be computed by:

AB219,81 Section 81. 108.06 (7) of the statutes is repealed.

AB219,82 Section 82. 108.07 (8) of the statutes is repealed.

AB219,83 Section 83. 108.10 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,60,22 108.10 Settlement of issues other than benefit claims. (intro.) In Except as provided in s. 108.245 (3), in connection with any issue arising under this chapter as to the status or liability of an employing unit in this state, for which no review is provided under s. 108.09 or 108.227 (5) and whether or not a penalty is provided in s. 108.24, the following procedure shall apply:

AB219,84 Section 84. 108.14 (8n) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,61,12 108.14 (8n) (e) The department shall charge this state's share of any benefits paid under this subsection to the account of each employer by which the employee claiming benefits was employed in the applicable base period, in proportion to the total amount of wages he or she earned from each employer in the base period, except that if s. 108.04 (1) (f), (5), (7) (a), (c), (d), (e), (k), (L), (o), (p), (q), (s), or (t), (7m) or (8) (a) or 108.07 (3), (3r), or (5) (b) or (8) would have applied to employment by such an employer who is subject to the contribution requirements of ss. 108.17 and 108.18, the department shall charge the share of benefits based on employment with that employer to the fund's balancing account, or, if s. 108.04 (1) (f) or (5) or 108.07 (3) would have applied to an employer that is not subject to the contribution requirements of ss. 108.17 and 108.18, the department shall charge the share of benefits based on that employment in accordance with s. 108.07 (5) (a) and (b). The department shall also charge the fund's balancing account with any other state's share of such benefits pending reimbursement by that state.

AB219,85 Section 85. 108.14 (19) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,61,19 108.14 (19) On or about February No later than March 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. The department shall include in the report information about audits conducted by the department under sub. (20), including the number and results of audits performed, in the previous year.

AB219,86 Section 86. 108.14 (20) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,61,23 108.14 (20) The department shall conduct random audits on claimants for benefits under this chapter to assess compliance with the work search requirements under s. 108.04 (2) (a) 3.

AB219,87 Section 87. 108.14 (21) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,62,3 108.14 (21) The department shall maintain a portal on the Internet that allows employers to log in and file with the department complaints related to the administration of this chapter.

AB219,88 Section 88. 108.14 (22) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,62,8 108.14 (22) The department shall maintain a searchable, electronic database of significant decisions made by the commission on matters under this chapter for the use of attorneys employed by the department and other individuals employed by the department whose duties necessitate use of the database.

AB219,89 Section 89. 108.14 (23) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,62,12 108.14 (23) (a) The department shall create and keep up-to-date a handbook for the purpose of informing employers that are subject to this chapter about the provisions and requirements of this chapter.

AB219,62,13 (b) The department shall include all of the following in the handbook:

AB219,62,15 1. Information about the function and purpose of unemployment insurance under this chapter.

AB219,62,18 2. A description of the rights and responsibilities of employers under this chapter, including the rights and responsibilities associated with hearings to determine whether claimants are eligible for benefits under this chapter.

AB219,62,20 3. A description of the circumstances under which workers are generally eligible and ineligible for benefits under this chapter.

AB219,62,23 4. Disclaimers explaining that the contents of the handbook may not be relied upon as legally enforceable and that adherence to the content does not guarantee a particular result for a decision under this chapter.

AB219,62,25 5. A line to allow an individual employed by an employer to sign to acknowledge that the individual is aware of the contents of the handbook.

AB219,63,1 (c) The department shall make the handbook available on the Internet.

AB219,63,4 (d) The department shall distribute printed copies of the handbook to persons who request a copy and may charge a fee as provided in s. 20.908 for the costs of printing and distribution.

AB219,90 Section 90. 108.14 (24) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,63,13 108.14 (24) The department shall provide information to employers concerning the financing of the unemployment insurance system, including the computation of reserve percentages and their effect upon the contribution and solvency rates of employers, and shall post this information on the Internet. If the department provided a statement of account to any employer, the department shall include the same information on the statement. In addition, the department shall provide the same information in writing to each employer who becomes newly subject to a requirement to pay contributions or reimbursements under this chapter.

AB219,91 Section 91. 108.14 (25) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,63,16 108.14 (25) (a) In this section, "appeal tribunal" includes appeal tribunals under s. 108.09 (3) (a) 1., 2., and 3.

AB219,63,19 (b) The department shall conduct an initial training for all individuals who serve as appeal tribunals to prepare them to be able to perform the duties of appeal tribunals established under this chapter.

AB219,63,22 (c) The department shall require each individual who serves as an appeal tribunal to satisfy continuing education requirements, as prescribed by the department.

AB219,92 Section 92. 108.14 (26) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,64,5 108.14 (26) The department shall prescribe by rule a standard affidavit form that may be used by parties to appeals under ss. 108.09 and 108.10 and shall make the form available to employers and claimants. The form shall be sufficient to qualify as admissible evidence in a hearing under this chapter if the authentication is sufficient and the information set forth by the affiant is admissible, but its use by a party does not eliminate the right of an opposing party to cross examine the affiant concerning the facts asserted in the affidavit.

AB219,93 Section 93. 108.141 (7) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,64,13 108.141 (7) (a) The department shall charge the state's share of each week of extended benefits to each employer's account in proportion to the employer's share of the total wages of the employee receiving the benefits in the employee's base period, except that if the employer is subject to the contribution requirements of ss. 108.17 and 108.18 the department shall charge the share of extended benefits to which s. 108.04 (1) (f), (5), (7) (a), (c), (d), (e), (k), (L), (o), (p), (q), (s), or (t), (7m) or (8) (a) or 108.07 (3), (3r), or (5) (b) or (8) applies to the fund's balancing account.

AB219,94 Section 94. 108.16 (2) (g) and (h) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB219,65,4 108.16 (2) (g) Whenever the department receives a request of 2 or more partnerships or limited liability companies consisting of the same partners or members to be treated as separate employers prior to October 1 of any year, the department shall apportion the balance in any existing account of the partnerships or limited liability companies among the separate employers on January 1 following the date of receipt of the request in proportion to the payrolls incurred in the businesses operated by each of the employers in the 4 completed calendar quarters ending on the computation date preceding the date of receipt of the request and shall calculate the reserve percentage of each separate employer in accordance with the proportion of the payroll attributable to that employer. Section 108.18 (2) is not made applicable to the separate employers by reason of such treatment. For purposes of s. 108.18 (7), the department shall treat the partnerships or limited liability companies as separate employers on November 1 preceding that January 1. For purposes of s. 108.18 (7) (b) and (c), the department shall treat the separate employers as existing employers on that January 1.

AB219,65,18 (h) Whenever, prior to October 1 of any year, the department receives a written request by all partnerships or limited liability companies consisting of the same partners or members which have elected to be treated as separate employers for the partnerships or limited liability companies to be treated as a single employer, the department shall combine the balances in the existing accounts of the separate employers into a new account on January 1 following the date of receipt of the request and shall calculate the reserve percentage of the single employer in accordance with the combined payroll attributable to each of the separate employers in the 4 completed calendar quarters ending on the computation date preceding that January 1. Section 108.18 (2) is not made applicable to the single employer by reason of such treatment. For purposes of s. 108.18 (7), the department shall treat the partnerships or limited liability companies as a single employer on November 1 preceding that January 1. For purposes of s. 108.18 (7) (b) and (c), the department shall treat the single employer as an existing employer on that January 1.

AB219,95 Section 95. 108.16 (3) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,65,21 108.16 (3) (c) Any nonrecoverable payment made without fault on the part of the intended payee.

AB219,96 Section 96. 108.16 (6) (o) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,65,23 108.16 (6) (o) Any erroneous payment recovered under s. 108.22 (8e).

AB219,97 Section 97. 108.16 (6m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,66,3 108.16 (6m) (a) The benefits thus chargeable under s. 108.04 (1) (f), (5), (5g), (7) (h), (8) (a), (13) (c) or (d) or (16) (e), 108.07 (3), (3r), (5) (b), (5m), or (6), or (8), 108.14 (8n) (e), 108.141, 108.151, or 108.152 or sub. (6) (e) or (7) (a) and (b).

AB219,98 Section 98. 108.16 (6m) (h) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,66,6 108.16 (6m) (h) Any amount paid to correct a payment under s. 108.22 (8e) that is not recovered or recoverable.

AB219,99 Section 99. 108.16 (8) (b) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,66,14 108.16 (8) (b) 4. The department has received a written application from the transferee requesting that it be deemed a successor. Such Unless the transferee satisfies the department that the application was late as a result of excusable neglect, the application must be received by the department on or before the contribution payment due date for the first full quarter following the date of transfer. The department shall not accept a late application under this subdivision more than 90 days after its due date.

AB219,100 Section 100. 108.205 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,66,24 108.205 (1) Each employer shall file with the department, in such form as the department by rule requires, a quarterly report showing the name, social security number and wages paid to each employee who is employed by the employer in employment with the employer during the quarter. The department may also by rule require each employer to include in the report any salary reduction amounts that are not wages and that would have been paid to each such employee by the employer as salary during the quarter but for a salary reduction agreement under a cafeteria plan, within the meaning of 26 USC 125. The employer shall file the report no later than the last day of the month following the completion of each quarter.

AB219,101 Section 101. 108.21 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,67,23 108.21 (1) Every employing unit which employs one or more individuals to perform work in this state shall keep an accurate work record for each individual employed by it, including full name, address and social security number, which will permit determination of the weekly wages earned by each such individual, the wages paid within each quarter to that individual and the salary reduction amounts that are not wages and that would have been paid by the employing unit to that individual as salary but for a salary reduction agreement under a cafeteria plan, within the meaning of 26 USC 125. Each such employing unit shall permit any authorized representative of the department to examine, at any reasonable time, the work record and any other records which may show any wages paid by the employing unit, or any salary reduction amounts that are not wages and that would have been paid by the employing unit as salary but for a salary reduction agreement under a cafeteria plan, within the meaning of 26 USC 125, regardless of the format in which such a record is maintained. If such a record is maintained by an employing unit in machine-readable format, the employing unit shall provide the department with information necessary to retrieve the record. If the department determines that the employing unit is unable to provide access to such a record or that the retrieval capability at the site where the record is maintained is not adequate for efficient examination, the employing unit shall provide a copy of the record to the department and shall allow the department to remove the copy from that site for such period as will permit examination at another location. Each such employing unit shall furnish to the department upon demand a sworn statement of the information contained in any such record.

AB219,102 Section 102. 108.22 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,68,17 108.22 (1) (a) If Except as provided in par. (cm), if any employer, other than an employer which has ceased business and has not paid or incurred a liability to pay wages in any quarter following the cessation of business, is delinquent in making by the assigned due date any payment to the department required of it under this chapter, the employer shall pay interest on the delinquent payment at that monthly rate that annualized is equal to 9 percent or to 2 percent more than the prime rate as published in the Wall Street Journal as of September 30 of the preceding year, whichever is greater, for each month or fraction thereof that the employer is delinquent from the date such payment became due. If any such employer is delinquent in making filing any quarterly report under s. 108.205 (1) by the assigned due date, the employer shall pay department may assess a tardy filing fee of $50 to the employer for each delinquent quarterly report in the amount of $100 or $20 per employee, as reported on the employer's most recent quarterly report, whichever is greater, or, if the report is filed within 30 days of its due date, in the amount of $50. If the department cannot determine the number of the employer's employees from the employer's most recent quarterly report, the department may reasonably estimate the number of the employer's employees for purposes of this paragraph.

AB219,103 Section 103. 108.22 (1) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,68,21 108.22 (1) (cm) In limited circumstances as prescribed by rule of the department, the department may waive or decrease the interest charged under par. (a).

AB219,104 Section 104. 108.22 (8) (c) 1. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,68,24 108.22 (8) (c) 1. a. The overpayment was the result of a departmental error and was not the fault of any employer under s. 108.04 (13) (f); and

AB219,105 Section 105. 108.22 (8e) of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,69,5 108.22 (8e) If the department determines a payment has been made to an unintended recipient erroneously without fault on the part of the intended payee, the department may issue the correct payment to the intended payee if necessary, and may recover the amount of the erroneous payment from the recipient under this section or s. 108.225 or 108.245.

AB219,106 Section 106. 108.223 of the statutes is created to read:

AB219,69,8 108.223 Financial record matching program. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB219,69,11 (a) "Account" means a demand deposit account, checking account, negotiable withdrawal order account, savings account, time deposit account, or money market mutual fund account.

AB219,69,12 (b) "Debtor" has the meaning given in s. 108.225 (1) (c).

AB219,69,13 (c) "Financial institution" has the meaning given in 12 USC 3401 (1).

AB219,69,16 (2) Matching program and agreements. (a) The department shall operate a financial record matching program under this section for the purpose of identifying the assets of debtors.

AB219,69,25 (b) The department shall enter into agreements with financial institutions doing business in this state to operate the financial record matching program under this section. An agreement shall require the financial institution to participate in the financial record matching program by electing either the financial institution matching option under sub. (3) or the state matching option under sub. (4). The financial institution and the department may by mutual agreement make changes to the agreement. A financial institution that wishes to choose a different matching option shall provide the department with at least 60 days notice. The department shall furnish the financial institution with a signed copy of the agreement.

AB219,70,4 (c) The department may reimburse a financial institution up to $125 per calendar quarter for participating in the financial record matching program under this section. The department shall make reimbursements under this paragraph from the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (n).

AB219,70,7 (d) To the extent feasible, the information to be exchanged under the matching program shall be provided by electronic data exchange as prescribed by the department in the agreement under par. (b).

AB219,70,10 (3) Financial institution matching option. If a financial institution with which the department has an agreement under sub. (2) elects the financial institution matching option under this subsection, all of the following apply:

AB219,70,14 (a) At least once each calendar quarter, the department shall provide to the financial institution, in the manner specified in the agreement under sub. (2) (b), information regarding debtors. The information shall include names and social security or other taxpayer identification numbers.

AB219,71,2 (b) Based on the information received under par. (a), the financial institution shall take actions necessary to determine whether any debtor has an ownership interest in an account maintained at the financial institution. If the financial institution determines that a debtor has an ownership interest in an account at the financial institution, the financial institution shall provide the department with a notice containing the debtor's name, address of record, social security number or other taxpayer identification number, and account information. The account information shall include the account number, the account type, the nature of the ownership interest in the account, and the balance of the account at the time that the record match is made. The notice under this paragraph shall be provided in the manner specified in the agreement under sub. (2) (b) and, to the extent feasible, by an electronic data exchange.

AB219,71,5 (4) State matching option. If a financial institution with which the department has an agreement under sub. (2) elects the state matching option under this subsection, all of the following apply:

AB219,71,14 (a) At least once each calendar quarter, the financial institution shall provide the department with information concerning all accounts maintained at the financial institution. For each account maintained at the financial institution, the financial institution shall notify the department of the name and social security number or other tax identification number of each person having an ownership interest in the account, together with a description of each person's interest. The information required under this paragraph shall be provided in the manner specified in the agreement under sub. (2) (b) and, to the extent feasible, by an electronic data exchange.

AB219,71,21 (b) The department shall take actions necessary to determine whether any debtor has an ownership interest in an account maintained at the financial institution providing information under par. (a). Upon the request of the department, the financial institution shall provide to the department, for each debtor who matches information provided by the financial institution under par. (a), the address of record, the account number and account type, and the balance of the account.

AB219,72,7 (5) Use of information by financial institution; penalty. A financial institution participating in the financial record matching program under this section, and the employees, agents, officers, and directors of the financial institution, may use information received from the department under sub. (3) only for the purpose of matching records and may use information provided by the department in requesting additional information under sub. (4) only for the purpose of providing the additional information. Neither the financial institution nor any employee, agent, officer, or director of the financial institution may disclose or retain information received from the department concerning debtors. Any person who violates this subsection may be fined not less than $50 nor more than $1,000 or imprisoned in the county jail for not less than 10 days or more than one year or both.

AB219,72,13 (6) Use of information by department. The department may use information provided by a financial institution under this section only for matching records under sub. (4), for administering the financial record matching program under this section, and for pursuing the collection of amounts owed to the department by debtors. The department may not disclose or retain information received from a financial institution under this section concerning account holders who are not debtors.

AB219,72,17 (7) Financial institution liability. A financial institution is not liable to any person for disclosing information to the department in accordance with an agreement under this section or for any other action that the financial institution takes in good faith to comply with this section.

AB219,107 Section 107. 108.225 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB219,72,24 108.225 (1) (b) "Debt" means a delinquent contribution or repayment of a benefit overpayment, a delinquent assessment under s. 108.04 (11) (cm) or 108.19 (1m), a liability incurred under s. 108.04 (11) (bh), an erroneous payment from the fund recovered under s. 108.245, or any liability of a 3rd party for failure to surrender to the department property or rights to property subject to levy after proceedings under sub. (4) (b) and s. 108.10 to determine that liability.

AB219,108 Section 108. 108.227 of the statutes is created to read: