SB515: Bill Text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE

LRB-4662/1

MED:cdc

2025 SENATE BILL 515

October 9, 2025 - Introduced by Senators L. Johnson, Dassler-Alfheim, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, Keyeski, Larson, Ratcliff, Roys and Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives McCarville, Anderson, Arney, Bare, Brown, Clancy, DeSmidt, Fitzgerald, Hong, Hysell, Joers, Kirsch, Madison, Miresse, Moore Omokunde, Ortiz-Velez, Roe, Stubbs, Subeck, Tenorio, Udell and Johnson. Referred to Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development.

SB515,1,3 An Act to renumber and amend 108.05 (1) (r) and 108.05 (3) (dm); to amend 227.01 (13) (n); to create 108.05 (1) (cm), 108.05 (2) and 108.05 (3) (dm) 2. of the statutes; relating to: unemployment insurance benefits.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

EMPLOYMENT

This bill makes changes regarding the amount of unemployment insurance benefits that a claimant may receive in a given week, as follows:

Increasing maximum weekly unemployment benefits

Under current law, a person who qualifies for unemployment insurance receives a weekly benefit rate equal to a percentage of that person’s past earnings, but the weekly benefit rate is capped at $370. This bill changes the maximum weekly benefit rate in the following ways:

1. For benefits paid for weeks of unemployment beginning on or after January 4, 2026, but before January 3, 2027, the maximum weekly benefit rate is capped at $497.

2. For benefits paid for weeks of unemployment beginning on or after January 3, 2027, the maximum weekly benefit rate is increased based upon the change in the consumer price index and is then increased on the same basis annually thereafter.

Increasing unemployment insurance benefit wage cap

Under current law, a person who qualifies for unemployment insurance is ineligible to receive any UI benefits for a week if the person receives or will receive wages or certain other earnings totalling more than $500 (wage cap). This bill changes the wage cap in the following ways:

1. For weeks of unemployment beginning on or after January 4, 2026, but before January 3, 2027, the wage cap is increased to $672.

2. For weeks of unemployment beginning on or after January 3, 2027, the wage cap is increased based upon the change in the consumer price index and is then increased on the same basis annually thereafter.

For further information see the state and local 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:

SB515,1 Section 1. 108.05 (1) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:

SB515,2,3 108.05 (1) (cm) For purposes of par. (r), the department shall set the maximum weekly benefit amount as follows:

SB515,2,5 1. For benefits paid for a week of total unemployment that commences on or after January 5, 2014, but before January 4, 2026, $370.

SB515,2,7 2. For benefits paid for a week of total unemployment that commences on or after January 4, 2026, but before January 3, 2027, $497.

SB515,2,10 3. For benefits paid for a week of total unemployment that commences on or after January 3, 2027, the department shall set the maximum weekly benefit amount as provided under sub. (2).

SB515,2 Section 2. 108.05 (1) (r) of the statutes is renumbered 108.05 (1) (r) (intro.) and amended to read:

SB515,3,6 108.05 (1) (r) (intro.) Except as provided in s. 108.062 (6) (a), each eligible employee shall be paid benefits for each week of total unemployment that commences on or after January 5, 2014, at the a weekly benefit rate specified in this paragraph. Unless sub. (1m) applies, the weekly benefit rate shall equal to 4 percent of the employee’s base period wages that were paid during that quarter of the employee’s base period in which the employee was paid the highest total wages, rounded down to the nearest whole dollar, except that, if that amount as provided under sub. (1m) and except as follows:

SB515,3,8 1. If the employee’s weekly benefit rate calculated under this paragraph is less than $54, no benefits are payable to the employee and, if that amount.

SB515,3,12 2. If the employee’s weekly benefit rate is more than $370 the maximum weekly benefit amount specified in par. (cm), the employee’s weekly benefit rate shall be $370 and except that, if the maximum weekly benefit amount specified in par. (cm).

SB515,3,15 3. If the employee’s benefits are exhausted during any week under s. 108.06 (1), the employee shall be paid the remaining amount of benefits payable to the employee under s. 108.06 (1).

SB515,3,18 (s) The department shall publish on its Internet site website a weekly benefit rate schedule of quarterly wages and the corresponding weekly benefit rates as calculated in accordance with this paragraph subsection.

SB515,3 Section 3. 108.05 (2) of the statutes is created to read:

SB515,3,23 108.05 (2) Indexing. (a) For benefits paid or payable for a week that commences on or after January 3, 2027, the department shall set the maximum weekly benefit amount under sub. (1) (cm) 3. and the wage limitation under sub. (3) (dm) 2. c. by doing the following:

SB515,4,5 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., calculating the percentage difference between the consumer price index for the 12-month period ending on July 31 of the prior year and the consumer price index for the 12-month period ending on July 31 of the year before the prior year, adjusting the prior year’s amount or limitation by that percentage difference, and rounding that result to the nearest whole dollar.

SB515,4,9 2. If the consumer price index for the 12-month period ending on July 31 of the prior year has not increased over the consumer price index for the 12-month period ending on July 31 of the year before the prior year, setting the amount or limitation at the same amount or limitation that was in effect in the previous year.

SB515,4,12 (b) An adjustment under this subsection of the maximum weekly benefit amount under sub. (1) (cm) 3. and the wage limitation under sub. (3) (dm) 2. c. shall take effect on the first Sunday in January of each calendar year.

SB515,4 Section 4. 108.05 (3) (dm) of the statutes is renumbered 108.05 (3) (dm) 1. and amended to read:

SB515,4,21 108.05 (3) (dm) 1. Except when otherwise authorized in an approved work- share program under s. 108.062, a claimant is ineligible to receive any benefits for a week if the claimant receives or will receive from one or more employers wages earned for work performed in that week, amounts treated as wages under s. 108.04 (1) (bm) for that week, sick pay, holiday pay, vacation pay, termination pay, bonus pay, back pay, or payments treated as wages under s. 108.04 (12) (e), or any combination thereof, totalling more than $500 the amount specified in subd. 2.

SB515,5 Section 5. 108.05 (3) (dm) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

SB515,4,24 108.05 (3) (dm) 2. The department shall set the wage limitation under subd. 1. as follows:

SB515,5,1 a. For a week of unemployment that commences before January 4, 2026, $500.

SB515,5,3 b. For a week of unemployment that commences on or after January 4, 2026, but before January 3, 2027, $672.

SB515,5,5 c. For a week of unemployment that commences on or after January 3, 2027, the department shall set the wage limitation as provided under sub. (2).

SB515,6 Section 6. 227.01 (13) (n) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB515,5,9 227.01 (13) (n) Fixes or approves rates, prices or charges, including a maximum weekly benefit amount or wage limitation under s. 108.05 (2), unless a statute specifically requires them to be fixed or approved by rule.

SB515,5,10 (end)