The ARRA provides specific benefits for certain people who are eligible for
continuation coverage under federal law or under state law. Under this bill, for those
terminated employees who became eligible for state continuation coverage on or
after September 1, 2008, but before the effective date of this bill, the employer has
ten days after the effective date of the bill to send an additional notice that contains
the information required under the ARRA, and the terminated employee has 60 days
to elect continuation coverage instead of 30 days. For those terminated employees
who become eligible for state continuation coverage on or after the effective date of
this bill but before January 1, 2010, the employer must send the notice as required
under current law, but the notice must contain the information as required under the
ARRA.
local government
Under current law, a municipality (a city, village, or town) is authorized to
impose a special charge against real property for current services rendered by
allocating all or part of the cost of the service to the property served. A "service"
under current law includes snow and ice removal, weed elimination, sidewalks or
curb and gutter repair, garbage and refuse disposal, recycling, storm water
management, tree care, and other similar services that are not specified in the
definition. Special charges are not payable in installments. If a special charge is not

paid within the time specified by the municipality, the special charge is delinquent
and becomes a lien on the property against which it is imposed.
This bill authorizes a political subdivision (a municipality or county) to make
a loan to a resident of the political subdivision for making or installing an energy
efficiency improvement or a renewable resource application to the resident's
residential property. The bill also authorizes the political subdivision to collect the
loan repayment as a special charge. A special charge that is imposed for such a loan
repayment may be collected in installments and may be included as a charge on the
resident's property tax bill even if the special charge is not delinquent.
shared revenue
Under current law, for purposes of determining a municipality's eligibility to
receive expenditure restraint payments, a comparison of a municipality's current
budget with its previous budget excludes principal and interest on long-term debt,
certain revenue sharing payments, and recycling fee payments. Under this bill,
expenditures from moneys received under the ARRA are also excluded from
municipal budget comparisons for purposes of determining a municipality's
eligibility to receive expenditure restraint payments.
State Government
Under current law, DOA administers programs for providing energy and
weatherization assistance to low-income households. Under the programs,
"low-income household" is defined, in part, as a household with income that is not
more than 150 percent of income poverty guidelines or a poverty line determined
under federal law. This bill defines "low-income household" for the programs as, in
part, not more than 60 percent of the statewide median household income.
unemployment insurance
This bill expands eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits and changes
the duration of federal/state extended benefits.
Benefit eligibility
Voluntary termination of employment. Currently, if an employee
voluntarily terminates his or her work for an employer, the employee is generally
ineligible to receive benefits until four weeks have elapsed since the end of the week
in which the termination occurs and the employee earns wages after the week in
which the termination occurs equal to at least four times the employee's weekly
benefit rate in employment covered by the unemployment insurance law of any state
or the federal government. However, an employee may terminate his or her work and
receive benefits without requalifying under this provision, among other reasons, if
the employee: 1) terminates his or her work due to domestic abuse or concerns about
the personal safety or harassment of the employee's family or household members;
or 2) was unable to work due to the health of a family member. This bill expands the
domestic abuse exception to include abuse or threat of abuse by an unrelated
individual with whom the employee had a personal relationship, includes an adopted
relative in the definition of family member, and permits the domestic abuse or
concerns to be verified either by a protective order, by a report of a law enforcement
agency, or evidence provided by a licensed health care professional or an employee

of a domestic violence shelter. The bill broadens the exception concerning the health
of a family member to apply to any verified illness or disability that necessitates the
care of a family member for a period of time that is longer than the employee's
employer is willing to grant leave. The bill also provides that requalification is not
required if an employee's spouse changed his or her place of employment to a place
to which it is impractical to commute and the employee terminated his or her work
to accompany the spouse to that place.
Approved training in high-demand occupations. Currently, benefits may
not be denied to an otherwise eligible claimant because the claimant is enrolled in
a vocational training course or a basic education course that is a prerequisite to such
training ("approved training") under certain conditions. Currently, unless a
claimant qualifies for federal/state extended benefits, Wisconsin supplemental
benefits, or federal emergency compensation and unless certain other exceptions
apply, no claimant may receive total benefits based on employment in a base period
(period preceding a claim during which benefit rights accrue) greater than 26 times
the claimant's weekly benefit rate or 40 percent of the claimant' s base period wages,
whichever is lower. This bill provides additional benefits to certain claimants. The
bill provides, with certain exceptions, that if a claimant has exhausted all other
rights to benefits, is currently enrolled in an approved training program under
current law and was so enrolled prior to the end of the claimant's benefit year (period
during which benefits are payable) that qualified the claimant for benefits, if not in
a current benefit year, has a benefit year that ended no earlier than 52 weeks prior
to the week for which the claimant first claims additional benefits, and is not
receiving any similar stipends or other training allowances for nontraining costs is
entitled to additional benefits of up to 26 times the same benefit rate that applied to
the claimant during his or her most recent benefit year if the claimant: 1) has been
separated from employment in a declining occupation or involuntarily separated
from employment as a result of a permanent reduction in operations by his or her
employer; and 2) is being trained for entry into a high-demand occupation. In
addition, the bill provides that if the benefit year of such a claimant expires in a week
in which extended or other additional federal or state benefits are payable generally
(see below), the claimant is also eligible for the additional benefits while enrolled in
a training program as provided under the bill if the claimant first enrolled in the
program within 52 weeks after the end of the claimant's benefit year that qualified
the claimant for benefits.
Payment of extended benefits
Currently, the maximum number of weeks of benefits that an eligible claimant
may qualify to receive is normally 26 weeks. However, during certain periods of high
unemployment in this state, as defined by law, claimants who have exhausted all
their rights to receive benefits in a given benefit year may potentially qualify to
receive up to an additional 13 weeks of "extended benefits," the costs of which, with
certain exceptions, are shared between the federal government and employers in this
state. Under recent federal legislation, the employer share is also paid in most cases
by the federal government beginning with weeks of unemployment that begin on or
after February 17, 2009, and ending with the last week beginning in 2009, and, for

claimants who begin an extended benefit claim before that date, ending with the last
week ending before June 1, 2010. In addition, under the federal legislation, during
periods of exceptionally high unemployment in this state, claimants who qualify for
extended benefits may qualify to receive an additional seven weeks of extended
benefits that are financed in the same manner. This bill changes state law to conform
with the recent federal legislation so as to enable claimants in this state to qualify
for these additional extended benefits and to enable full participation by this state
in federal cost sharing for these benefits.
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:
AB255, s. 1 1Section 1. 16.27 (5) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,8,52 16.27 (5) (b) A household with income which is not more than 150% of the
3income poverty guidelines for the nonfarm population of the United States as
4prescribed by the federal office of management and budget under 42 USC 9902 (2)
560 percent of the statewide median household income.
AB255, s. 2 6Section 2. 16.957 (1) (m) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,8,127 16.957 (1) (m) "Low-income household" means any individual or group of
8individuals in this state who are living together as one economic unit and for whom
9residential electricity is customarily purchased in common or who make
10undesignated payments for electricity in the form of rent, and whose household
11income is not more than 150% of the poverty line as determined under 42 USC 9902
12(2)
60 percent of the statewide median household income.
AB255, s. 3 13Section 3. 20.505 (6) (n) of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,8,1614 20.505 (6) (n) Federal aid; criminal justice. All moneys received from the
15federal government pursuant to P.L. 111-5 for criminal justice programs to carry out
16the purpose for which received.
AB255, s. 4
1Section 4. 49.265 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,9,42 49.265 (1) (b) "Poor person" means a resident of a community served by a
3community action agency, whose income is at or below 125% 200 percent of the
4poverty line.
AB255, s. 5 5Section 5. 49.265 (1) (b) of the statutes, as affected by 2009 Wisconsin Act ....
6(this act), is repealed and recreated to read:
AB255,9,87 49.265 (1) (b) "Poor person" means a resident of a community served by a
8community action agency whose income is at or below 125 percent of the poverty line.
AB255, s. 6 9Section 6. 66.0627 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,9,11 1066.0627 (title) Special charges for current services and energy
11efficiency improvement loans
.
AB255, s. 7 12Section 7. 66.0627 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 66.0627 (1) (intro.) and
13amended to read:
AB255,9,1414 66.0627 (1) (intro.) In this section, "service":
AB255,9,20 15(c) "Service" includes snow and ice removal, weed elimination, street
16sprinkling, oiling and tarring, repair of sidewalks or curb and gutter, garbage and
17refuse disposal, recycling, storm water management, including construction of storm
18water management facilities, tree care, removal and disposition of dead animals
19under s. 60.23 (20), loan repayment under s. 70.57 (4) (b), soil conservation work
20under s. 92.115, and snow removal under s. 86.105.
AB255, s. 8 21Section 8. 66.0627 (1) (a) of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,9,2422 66.0627 (1) (a) "Energy efficiency improvement" means an improvement to a
23residential premises that reduces the usage of energy, or increases the efficiency of
24energy usage, at the premises.
AB255, s. 9 25Section 9. 66.0627 (1) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,10,1
166.0627 (1) (b) "Political subdivision" means a city, village, town, or county.
AB255, s. 10 2Section 10. 66.0627 (7) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,10,73 66.0627 (7) (intro.) Notwithstanding sub. (2), no city, village, town, or county
4political subdivision may enact an ordinance, or enforce an existing ordinance, that
5imposes a fee on the owner or occupant of property for a call for assistance that is
6made by the owner or occupant requesting law enforcement services that relate to
7any of the following:
AB255, s. 11 8Section 11. 66.0627 (8) of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,10,169 66.0627 (8) A political subdivision may make a loan to a resident of the political
10subdivision for making or installing an energy efficiency improvement or a
11renewable resource application to the resident's residential property. If a political
12subdivision makes such a loan, the political subdivision may collect the loan
13repayment as a special charge under this section. Notwithstanding the provisions
14of sub. (4), a special charge imposed under this subsection may be collected in
15installments and may be included in the current or next tax roll for collection and
16settlement under ch. 74 even if the special charge is not delinquent.
AB255, s. 12 17Section 12. 70.57 (4) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,11,918 70.57 (4) (b) (intro.) A taxation district receiving payments under par. (a) shall
19use the payments to make loans to persons who own property located in the taxation
20district and who are paying more property taxes than they should be as a result of
21the error. A person may receive a loan by applying, in the manner prescribed by the
22department, to the taxation district in which the person's property is located no later
23than June 15 of the year following the error. The state shall collect the amount of
24any loan issued under this paragraph as a state special charge against the taxation
25district for the year after the year in which the error occurred and the special charge

1shall not be included in the taxation district's levy. The taxation district shall assess
2the loan amount as a special charge against the property for which the loan was made
3on the property tax bill succeeding the loan, as provided under ch. 74 and s. 66.0627
4(1) (c). Except for interest and penalties, as provided under s. 74.47, that apply to
5any delinquent special charge based on the loan amount, neither the department nor
6the taxation district may charge interest on any loan issued under this paragraph.
7The maximum loan amount that a person may receive under this paragraph shall
8be calculated by multiplying the assessed value of the person's property by a decimal
9determined by the department as follows:
AB255, s. 13 10Section 13. 71.07 (3w) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,11,1411 71.07 (3w) (a) 3. "Full-time employee" means an individual who is employed
12in a regular, nonseasonal job and who, as a condition of employment, is required to
13work at least 2,080 hours per year, including paid leave and holidays
a full-time
14employee, as defined in s. 560.799 (1) (am)
.
AB255, s. 14 15Section 14. 71.07 (3w) (a) 5d. of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,11,1716 71.07 (3w) (a) 5d. "Tier I county or municipality" means a tier I county or
17municipality, as determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799.
AB255, s. 15 18Section 15. 71.07 (3w) (a) 5e. of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,11,2019 71.07 (3w) (a) 5e. "Tier II county or municipality" means a tier II county or
20municipality, as determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799.
AB255, s. 16 21Section 16. 71.07 (3w) (b) 1. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,12,322 71.07 (3w) (b) 1. a. The number of full-time employees whose annual wages
23are greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000
24in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the enterprise
25zone in the taxable year, minus the number of full-time employees whose annual

1wages were greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than
2$30,000 in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the area
3that comprises the enterprise zone in the base year.
AB255, s. 17 4Section 17. 71.07 (3w) (b) 1. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,12,115 71.07 (3w) (b) 1. b. The number of full-time employees whose annual wages
6are greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000
7in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the state in the
8taxable year, minus the number of full-time employees whose annual wages were
9greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000 in a
10tier II county or municipality
and who the claimant employed in the state in the base
11year.
AB255, s. 18 12Section 18. 71.07 (3w) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,12,2013 71.07 (3w) (b) 2. Determine the claimant's average zone payroll by dividing
14total wages for full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than $20,000
15in a tier I county or municipality or greater than
$30,000 in a tier II county or
16municipality
and who the claimant employed in the enterprise zone in the taxable
17year by the number of full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than
18$20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county
19or municipality
and who the claimant employed in the enterprise zone in the taxable
20year.
AB255, s. 19 21Section 19. 71.07 (3w) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,12,2522 71.07 (3w) (b) 3. Subtract For employees in a tier I county or municipality,
23subtract $20,000 from the amount determined under subd. 2. and for employees in
24a tier II county or municipality, subtract
$30,000 from the amount determined under
25subd. 2.
AB255, s. 20
1Section 20. 71.07 (3w) (b) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,13,42 71.07 (3w) (b) 5. Multiply the amount determined under subd. 4. by the
3percentage determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799, not to
4exceed
7 percent.
AB255, s. 21 5Section 21. 71.07 (3w) (bm) of the statutes is renumbered 71.07 (3w) (bm) 1.
6and amended to read:
AB255,13,167 71.07 (3w) (bm) 1. In addition to the credit credits under par. (b) and subd. 2.,
8and subject to the limitations provided in this subsection and s. 560.799, a claimant
9may claim as a credit against the tax imposed under s. 71.02 or 71.08 an amount
10equal to a percentage, as determined by the department of commerce, not to exceed
11100 percent, of the amount the claimant paid in the taxable year to upgrade or
12improve the job-related skills of any of the claimant's full-time employees, to train
13any of the claimant's full-time employees on the use of job-related new technologies,
14or to provide job-related training to any full-time employee whose employment with
15the claimant represents the employee's first full-time job. This subdivision does not
16apply to employees who do not work in an enterprise zone.
AB255, s. 22 17Section 22. 71.07 (3w) (bm) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,14,518 71.07 (3w) (bm) 2. In addition to the credits under par. (b) and subd. 1., and
19subject to the limitations provided in this subsection and s. 560.799, a claimant may
20claim as a credit against the tax imposed under s. 71.02 or 71.08 an amount equal
21to the percentage, as determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799,
22not to exceed 7 percent, of the claimant's zone payroll paid in the taxable year to all
23of the claimant's full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than $20,000
24in a tier I county or municipality, not including the wages paid to the employees
25determined under par. (b) 1., or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county or

1municipality, not including the wages paid to the employees determined under par.
2(b) 1., and who the claimant employed in the enterprise zone in the taxable year, if
3the total number of such employees is equal to or greater than the total number of
4such employees in the base year. A claimant may claim a credit under this
5subdivision for no more than 5 consecutive taxable years.
AB255, s. 23 6Section 23. 71.28 (3w) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,14,107 71.28 (3w) (a) 3. "Full-time employee" means an individual who is employed
8in a regular, nonseasonal job and who, as a condition of employment, is required to
9work at least 2,080 hours per year, including paid leave and holidays
a full-time
10employee, as defined in s. 560.799 (1) (am)
.
AB255, s. 24 11Section 24. 71.28 (3w) (a) 5d. of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,14,1312 71.28 (3w) (a) 5d. "Tier I county or municipality" means a tier I county or
13municipality, as determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799.
AB255, s. 25 14Section 25. 71.28 (3w) (a) 5e. of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,14,1615 71.28 (3w) (a) 5e. "Tier II county or municipality" means a tier II county or
16municipality, as determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799.
AB255, s. 26 17Section 26. 71.28 (3w) (b) 1. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,14,2418 71.28 (3w) (b) 1. a. The number of full-time employees whose annual wages
19are greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000
20in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the enterprise
21zone in the taxable year, minus the number of full-time employees whose annual
22wages were greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than
23$30,000 in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the area
24that comprises the enterprise zone in the base year.
AB255, s. 27 25Section 27. 71.28 (3w) (b) 1. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,15,7
171.28 (3w) (b) 1. b. The number of full-time employees whose annual wages
2are greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000
3in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the state in the
4taxable year, minus the number of full-time employees whose annual wages were
5greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000 in a
6tier II county or municipality
and who the claimant employed in the state in the base
7year.
AB255, s. 28 8Section 28. 71.28 (3w) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,15,169 71.28 (3w) (b) 2. Determine the claimant's average zone payroll by dividing
10total wages for full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than $20,000
11in a tier I county or municipality or greater than
$30,000 in a tier II county or
12municipality
and who the claimant employed in the enterprise zone in the taxable
13year by the number of full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than
14$20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county
15or municipality
and who the claimant employed in the enterprise zone in the taxable
16year.
AB255, s. 29 17Section 29. 71.28 (3w) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,15,2118 71.28 (3w) (b) 3. Subtract For employees in a tier I county or municipality,
19subtract $20,000 from the amount determined under subd. 2. and for employees in
20a tier II county or municipality, subtract
$30,000 from the amount determined under
21subd. 2.
AB255, s. 30 22Section 30. 71.28 (3w) (b) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,15,2523 71.28 (3w) (b) 5. Multiply the amount determined under subd. 4. by the
24percentage determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799, not to
25exceed
7 percent.
AB255, s. 31
1Section 31. 71.28 (3w) (bm) of the statutes is renumbered 71.28 (3w) (bm) 1.
2and amended to read:
AB255,16,123 71.28 (3w) (bm) 1. In addition to the credit credits under par. (b) and subd. 2.,
4and subject to the limitations provided in this subsection and s. 560.799, a claimant
5may claim as a credit against the tax imposed under s. 71.23 an amount equal to a
6percentage, as determined by the department of commerce, not to exceed 100
7percent, of the amount the claimant paid in the taxable year to upgrade or improve
8the job-related skills of any of the claimant's full-time employees, to train any of the
9claimant's full-time employees on the use of job-related new technologies, or to
10provide job-related training to any full-time employee whose employment with the
11claimant represents the employee's first full-time job. This subdivision does not
12apply to employees who do not work in an enterprise zone.
AB255, s. 32 13Section 32. 71.28 (3w) (bm) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,17,214 71.28 (3w) (bm) 2. In addition to the credits under par. (b) and subd. 1., and
15subject to the limitations provided in this subsection and s. 560.799, a claimant may
16claim as a credit against the tax imposed under s. 71.23 an amount equal to the
17percentage, as determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799, not to
18exceed 7 percent, of the claimant's zone payroll paid in the taxable year to all of the
19claimant's full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than $20,000 in a
20tier I county or municipality, not including the wages paid to the employees
21determined under par. (b) 1., or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county or
22municipality, not including the wages paid to the employees determined under par.
23(b) 1., and who the claimant employed in the enterprise zone in the taxable year, if
24the total number of such employees is equal to or greater than the total number of

1such employees in the base year. A claimant may claim a credit under this
2subdivision for no more than 5 consecutive taxable years.
AB255, s. 33 3Section 33. 71.47 (3w) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB255,17,74 71.47 (3w) (a) 3. "Full-time employee" means an individual who is employed
5in a regular, nonseasonal job and who, as a condition of employment, is required to
6work at least 2,080 hours per year, including paid leave and holidays
a full-time
7employee, as defined in s. 560.799 (1) (am)
.
AB255, s. 34 8Section 34. 71.47 (3w) (a) 5d. of the statutes is created to read:
AB255,17,109 71.47 (3w) (a) 5d. "Tier I county or municipality" means a tier I county or
10municipality, as determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799.
AB255, s. 35 11Section 35. 71.47 (3w) (a) 5e. of the statutes is created to read:
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