AB255: Bill Text

AB255, s. 34 Section 34. 71.47 (3w) (a) 5d. of the statutes is created to read:

AB255,17,10 71.47 (3w) (a) 5d. "Tier I county or municipality" means a tier I county or municipality, as determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799.

AB255, s. 35 Section 35. 71.47 (3w) (a) 5e. of the statutes is created to read:

AB255,17,13 71.47 (3w) (a) 5e. "Tier II county or municipality" means a tier II county or municipality, as determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799.

AB255, s. 36 Section 36. 71.47 (3w) (b) 1. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,17,21 71.47 (3w) (b) 1. a. The number of full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the enterprise zone in the taxable year, minus the number of full-time employees whose annual wages were greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the area that comprises the enterprise zone in the base year.

AB255, s. 37 Section 37. 71.47 (3w) (b) 1. b. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,18,4 71.47 (3w) (b) 1. b. The number of full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the state in the taxable year, minus the number of full-time employees whose annual wages were greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the state in the base year.

AB255, s. 38 Section 38. 71.47 (3w) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,18,13 71.47 (3w) (b) 2. Determine the claimant's average zone payroll by dividing total wages for full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the enterprise zone in the taxable year by the number of full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county or municipality and who the claimant employed in the enterprise zone in the taxable year.

AB255, s. 39 Section 39. 71.47 (3w) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,18,18 71.47 (3w) (b) 3. Subtract For employees in a tier I county or municipality, subtract $20,000 from the amount determined under subd. 2. and for employees in a tier II county or municipality, subtract $30,000 from the amount determined under subd. 2.

AB255, s. 40 Section 40. 71.47 (3w) (b) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,18,22 71.47 (3w) (b) 5. Multiply the amount determined under subd. 4. by the percentage determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799, not to exceed 7 percent.

AB255, s. 41 Section 41. 71.47 (3w) (bm) of the statutes is renumbered 71.47 (3w) (bm) 1. and amended to read:

AB255,19,10 71.47 (3w) (bm) 1. In addition to the credit credits under par. (b) and subd. 2., and subject to the limitations provided in this subsection and s. 560.799, a claimant may claim as a credit against the tax imposed under s. 71.43 an amount equal to a percentage, as determined by the department of commerce, not to exceed 100 percent, of the amount the claimant paid in the taxable year to upgrade or improve the job-related skills of any of the claimant's full-time employees, to train any of the claimant's full-time employees on the use of job-related new technologies, or to provide job-related training to any full-time employee whose employment with the claimant represents the employee's first full-time job. This subdivision does not apply to employees who do not work in an enterprise zone.

AB255, s. 42 Section 42. 71.47 (3w) (bm) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

AB255,19,24 71.47 (3w) (bm) 2. In addition to the credits under par. (b) and subd. 1., and subject to the limitations provided in this subsection and s. 560.799, a claimant may claim as a credit against the tax imposed under s. 71.43 an amount equal to the percentage, as determined by the department of commerce under s. 560.799, not to exceed 7 percent, of the claimant's zone payroll paid in the taxable year to all of the claimant's full-time employees whose annual wages are greater than $20,000 in a tier I county or municipality, not including the wages paid to the employees determined under par. (b) 1., or greater than $30,000 in a tier II county or municipality, not including the wages paid to the employees determined under par. (b) 1., and who the claimant employed in the enterprise zone in the taxable year, if the total number of such employees is equal to or greater than the total number of such employees in the base year. A claimant may claim a credit under this subdivision for no more than 5 consecutive taxable years.

AB255, s. 43 Section 43. 79.05 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,20,9 79.05 (2) (c) Its municipal budget; exclusive of principal and interest on long-term debt and exclusive of revenue sharing payments under s. 66.0305 and, recycling fee payments under s. 289.645, and expenditures from moneys received pursuant to P.L. 111-5; for the year of the statement under s. 79.015 increased over its municipal budget as adjusted under sub. (6); exclusive of principal and interest on long-term debt and exclusive of revenue sharing payments under s. 66.0305 and, recycling fee payments under s. 289.645, and expenditures from moneys received pursuant to P.L. 111-5; for the year before that year by less than the sum of the inflation factor and the valuation factor, rounded to the nearest 0.10%.

AB255, s. 44 Section 44. 108.04 (7) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,20,19 108.04 (7) (c) Paragraph (a) does not apply if the department determines that the employee terminated his or her work but had no reasonable alternative because the employee was unable to do his or her work, or that the employee terminated his or her work because of the health verified illness or disability of a member of his or her immediate family and the verified illness or disability reasonably necessitates the care of the family member for a period of time that is longer than the employer is willing to grant leave; but if the department determines that the employee is unable to work or unavailable for work, the employee is ineligible to receive benefits while such inability or unavailability continues.

AB255, s. 45 Section 45. 108.04 (7) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,20,25 108.04 (7) (h) The department shall charge to the fund's balancing account benefits paid to an employee that are otherwise chargeable to the account of an employer that is subject to the contribution requirements of ss. 108.17 and 108.18 if the employee voluntarily terminates employment with that employer and par. (a), (c), (d), (e), (k), (L), (o), (p), (q), or (s), or (t) applies.

AB255, s. 46 Section 46. 108.04 (7) (s) 1. a. and b. of the statutes are amended to read:

AB255,21,7 108.04 (7) (s) 1. a. "Domestic abuse" means physical abuse, including a violation of s. 940.225 (1), (2) or (3), or a threat of physical abuse by an adult family or adult household member against another family or household member; by an adult person against his or her spouse or former spouse; or by an adult person against a person with whom the person has a child in common; or by an adult person against an unrelated adult person with whom the person has had a personal relationship.

AB255,21,9 b. "Family member" means a spouse, parent, child or person related by consanguinity blood or adoption to another person.

AB255, s. 47 Section 47. 108.04 (7) (s) 1. bn., d. and e. of the statutes are created to read:

AB255,21,12 108.04 (7) (s) 1. bn. "Health care professional" has the meaning given in s. 180.1901 (1m).

AB255,21,14 d. "Law enforcement agency" has the meaning given in s. 165.83 (1) (b) and includes a tribal law enforcement agency as defined in s. 165.83 (1) (e).

AB255,21,16 e. "Protective order" means a temporary restraining order or an injunction issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.

AB255, s. 48 Section 48. 108.04 (7) (s) 2. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,21,21 108.04 (7) (s) 2. a. Terminates his or her work due to domestic abuse, concerns about personal safety or harassment, concerns about the safety or harassment of his or her family members who reside with the employee or concerns about the safety or harassment of other household members; and

AB255, s. 49 Section 49. 108.04 (7) (s) 2. b. of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB255,22,2 108.04 (7) (s) 2. b. Provides to the department a protective order relating to the domestic abuse or concerns about personal safety or harassment issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, a report by a law enforcement agency documenting the domestic abuse or concerns, or evidence of the domestic abuse or concerns provided by a health care professional or an employee of a domestic violence shelter.

AB255, s. 50 Section 50. 108.04 (7) (s) 2. c. of the statutes is repealed.

AB255, s. 51 Section 51. 108.04 (7) (t) of the statutes is created to read:

AB255,22,8 108.04 (7) (t) Paragraph (a) does not apply if the department determines that the 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.

AB255, s. 52 Section 52. 108.06 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,22,19 108.06 (1) Except as provided in sub. subs. (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 sub. subs. (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.

AB255, s. 53 Section 53. 108.06 (2) (c) and (cm), (3) and (6) (intro.) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB255,22,24 108.06 (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.

AB255,23,4 (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.

AB255,23,9 (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.

AB255,23,18 (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:

AB255, s. 54 Section 54. 108.06 (7) of the statutes is created to read:

AB255,23,20 108.06 (7) (a) In this subsection:

AB255,23,24 1. "Applicable benefit year" means, with respect to a claimant, the claimant's current benefit year if at the time an initial claim for benefits under this subsection is filed the claimant has an unexpired benefit year or, in any other case, the claimant's most recent benefit year.

AB255,23,25 2. "Training program" means any program of a type specified in s. 108.04 (16).

AB255,24,4 (b) Except as provided in pars. (f) and (g), a claimant who is otherwise eligible for benefits and who is currently enrolled in a training program is eligible, while enrolled in that training program, for additional benefits under this subsection provided that the claimant:

AB255,24,9 1. Has exhausted all rights to regular benefits, Wisconsin supplemental benefits, federal emergency compensation benefits under P.L. 110-252 and P.L. 110-449, as amended, extended benefits under s. 108.141, and the federal trade act of 1974 (P.L. 93-618), or any other similar state or federal program of additional benefits;

AB255,24,12 2. 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 benefits under this subsection;

AB255,24,14 3. Except as provided in par. (e), is first enrolled in a training program within the claimant's applicable benefit year;

AB255,24,16 4. Is not receiving similar stipends or other training allowances for nontraining costs;

AB255,24,20 5. Was 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 employing unit, if the separation occurred no earlier than the beginning of the base period for the claimant's applicable benefit year; and

AB255,24,21 6. Is being trained for entry into a high-demand occupation.

AB255,24,24 (c) The weekly benefit rate payable to a claimant under this subsection for a week of total unemployment is an amount equal to the most recent weekly benefit rate in the claimant's applicable benefit year as determined under s. 108.05 (1).

AB255,25,3 (d) No claimant may receive total benefits under this subsection greater than 26 times the claimant's weekly benefit rate that applied to the claimant's applicable benefit year.

AB255,25,9 (e) A claimant who is otherwise eligible for benefits under par. (b) and whose applicable benefit year ends in a week in which benefits are payable in this state under s. 108.141 or 108.142, or P.L. 110-252 or P.L. 110-449, as amended, or another similar state or federal program of additional benefits, is also eligible for benefits under this subsection if the claimant is first enrolled in a training program within 52 weeks after the end of the claimant's applicable benefit year.

AB255,25,12 (f) No benefits may be paid to a claimant under this subsection for weeks beginning more than 52 weeks after the first week for which the claimant received benefits under this subsection.

AB255,25,16 (g) Except when the result would be inconsistent with the other provisions of this subsection, the provisions of this chapter that apply to claims for, or the payment of, regular benefits apply to claims for, and the payment of, benefits under this subsection.

AB255,25,18 (h) The occupations that qualify as declining or high-demand for purposes of this subsection shall be determined by the department.

AB255,25,21 (i) The restrictions on benefit reductions and disqualifications in s. 108.04 (16) apply to a claimant in a training program who is entitled to receive benefits under this subsection.

AB255,25,23 (j) The department shall charge benefits paid under this subsection in the same manner as benefits are charged under s. 108.04 (16).

AB255, s. 55 Section 55. 108.14 (8n) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB255,26,14 108.14 (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) or, (q), (s), or (t), (7m) or (8) (a) or 108.07 (3), (3r), (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.

AB255, s. 56 Section 56. 108.141 (1) (a) and (b) 2. of the statutes are amended to read:

AB255,27,3 108.141 (1) (a) "Eligibility period" of an individual means the period consisting of the weeks each week in the individual's benefit year which begin begins in an extended benefit period and, if the individual's benefit year ends within such that extended benefit period, any weeks each week thereafter which begin begins in such a period. For weeks of unemployment beginning on or after February 17, 2009, and ending before June 1, 2010, or the last week for which federal sharing is authorized by section 2005 (a) of P.L. 111-5 and any amendments thereto, whichever is later, "eligibility period" also means the period consisting of each week during which an individual is eligible for emergency unemployment compensation under P.L. 110-252 and P.L. 110-449, or any amendments thereto, and if that week begins in an extended benefit period or if an individual's eligibility for benefits under P.L. 110-252 and P.L. 110-449, or any amendment thereto, ends within an extended benefit period, each week thereafter which begins in that extended benefit period.

AB255,27,6 (b) 2. His or her benefit year having expired in the extended benefit period and prior to such week, lacks base period wages on the basis of which he or she could establish a benefit year under s. 108.06; and or

AB255, s. 57 Section 57. 108.141 (1) (b) 2m. of the statutes is created to read:

AB255,27,14 108.141 (1) (b) 2m. For weeks of unemployment beginning after February 17, 2009, and ending before June 1, 2010, or with the last week for which federal sharing is authorized by section 2005 (a) of P.L. 111-5 and any amendments thereto, whichever is later, has exhausted federal emergency unemployment compensation under P.L. 110-252 and P.L. 110-449, and any amendments thereto, within an extended benefit period that began in a week during or before which the individual has exhausted that emergency unemployment compensation; and

AB255, s. 58 Section 58. 108.141 (1) (dm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB255,27,18 108.141 (1) (dm) "High unemployment period" means a period during which an extended benefit period would be in effect if par. (f) 3. a. were applied by substituting an average rate of total unemployment that equals or exceeds 8 percent.

AB255, s. 59 Section 59. 108.141 (1) (e) of the statutes, as affected by 2009 Wisconsin Act 1, is repealed and recreated to read:

AB255,27,23 108.141 (1) (e) There is a Wisconsin "off" indicator for a week if, for the period consisting of that week and the immediately preceding 12 weeks, there is not a Wisconsin "on" indicator.

AB255, s. 60 Section 60. 108.141 (1) (f) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB255,27,25 108.141 (1) (f) There is a Wisconsin "on" indicator for a week if:

AB255,28,4 1. The rate of insured unemployment for the period consisting of that week and the immediately preceding 12 weeks equaled or exceeded 120 percent of the average of such rates for the corresponding 13-week period ending in each of the preceding 2 calendar years, and equaled or exceeded 5 percent; or

AB255,28,7 2. The rate of insured unemployment for the period consisting of that week and the immediately preceding 12 weeks equaled or exceeded 6 percent, regardless of the rate of insured unemployment in the 2 preceding calendar years; or

AB255,28,11 3. With respect to weeks of unemployment beginning on or after February 17, 2009, and ending with the week ending 3 weeks prior to the last week in which federal sharing is authorized by section 2005 (a) of P.L. 111-5 and any amendments thereto:

AB255,28,15 a. The average rate of total unemployment, seasonally adjusted, as determined by the U.S. secretary of labor, for the period consisting of the most recent 3 months for which data for all states are published before the close of that week equals or exceeds 6.5 percent; and

AB255,28,20 b. The average rate of total unemployment in this state, seasonally adjusted, as determined by the U.S. secretary of labor for the period consisting of the most recent 3 months for which data for all states are published before the close of that week equals or exceeds 110 percent of the average for either or both of the corresponding 3-month periods ending in the 2 preceding calendar years.

AB255, s. 61 Section 61. 108.141 (5) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB255,28,24 108.141 (5) Total extended benefit amount. (a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (c), the total extended benefit amount payable to an eligible individual in his or her benefit year is the least of the following amounts:

AB255,29,3 1. Fifty percent of the total amount of regular benefits that were payable to the individual in the individual's most recent benefit year rounded down to the nearest dollar, including benefits canceled under s. 108.04 (5); or

AB255,29,4 2. Thirteen times the individual's weekly benefit amount.

AB255,29,9 (b) The total extended benefit amount payable to an individual in his or her benefit year shall be reduced by the total amount of additional benefits paid or treated as paid under s. 108.142 for weeks of unemployment in the individual's benefit year that began prior to the beginning of the extended benefit period that is in effect in the week in which the individual first claims extended benefits.

AB255,29,12 (c) Except as provided in par. (b), effective with respect to weeks beginning in a high unemployment period, the total extended benefit amount payable to an individual in his or her benefit year is the least of the following amounts:

AB255,29,15 1. Eighty percent of the total amount of regular benefits that were payable to the individual in the individual's most recent benefit year rounded down to the nearest dollar, including benefits canceled under s. 108.04 (5); or