LRB-4330/1
MM/KRP/AG/MED:cdc
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
October 23, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Bradley and Marklein, cosponsored by
Representatives Dallman, Brooks, Dittrich, Drake, Ortiz-Velez,
Rettinger, Rozar, Snyder, Tittl, Wichgers and Wittke. Referred to
Committee on Utilities and Technology.
SB559,1,8 1An Act to amend 102.07 (8) (a) and 108.02 (12) (a); and to create 102.01 (2) (ae),
2102.01 (2) (an), 102.01 (2) (ann), 102.01 (2) (anp), 102.01 (2) (dc), 102.01 (2) (ds),
3102.01 (2) (gh), 102.07 (8) (bs), 103.08, 104.01 (2) (b) 6., 108.02 (12) (ds), 224.55
4and 632.985 of the statutes; relating to: delivery network couriers and
5transportation network drivers, Department of Financial Institutions'
6approval to offer portable benefit accounts, providing for insurance coverage,
7modifying administrative rules related to accident and sickness insurance, and
8granting rule-making authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Delivery and transportation network companies
General
This bill provides that under specific circumstances, delivery network couriers
and drivers for transportation network companies (application-based drivers) are
not employees of the delivery network companies and transportation network
companies (network companies) for the purposes of worker's compensation
insurance, minimum wage laws, and unemployment insurance. In the bill,
“application-based driver” is defined as a delivery network courier or participating

driver who provides services through the online-enabled application, software, or
system of a network company.
Under the bill, if a network company does not engage in all of the following
practices, an application-based driver is not an employee of the company: 1)
prescribe specific dates, times of day, or a minimum number of hours during which
the driver must be logged into the network company's online-enabled application,
software, or system; 2) terminate the contract of the driver for not accepting a specific
request for transportation or delivery service request; 3) restrict the driver from
performing services through other network companies except while performing
services through that network company; and 4) restrict the driver from working in
any other lawful occupation or business.
Portable benefit accounts
Under the bill, if certain conditions are satisfied, a financial institution or other
person may obtain approval from the Department of Financial Institutions to offer
portable benefit accounts. A “portable benefit account” is an account administered
by such an approved financial institution or other person (portable benefit account
provider) from which an individual may receive distributions for the purposes
described below. A network company may contribute to a portable benefit account
of an application-based driver who meets certain eligibility requirements (eligible
driver) a percentage of the driver's earnings, and the driver may also contribute to
the portable benefit account. An eligible driver may receive a distribution from a
portable benefit account for the following purposes: 1) to compensate for lost income
due to an illness or accident or loss of work due to certain other events; 2) to transfer
the money to an individual retirement account; or 3) to pay health insurance
premiums. A portable benefit account provider may include an income replacement
benefit to be made available to eligible drivers upon the occurrence of an event under
1) above.
Insurance coverage
The bill provides that a network company may carry, provide, or otherwise
make available group or blanket accident and sickness insurance for its
application-based drivers. A network company that purchases such a policy must
provide a copy of the policy to the Department of Safety and Professional Services no
later than 30 days after the commencement of the policy. In addition, the network
company must notify DSPS at least five days prior to the effective date of the policy's
cancellation or nonrenewal, and DSPS is treated as a certificate holder for purposes
of receiving the notice. The bill specifies that the state's worker's compensation laws
do not apply to such a policy.
The bill also provides that a network company may carry, provide, or otherwise
make available group or blanket occupational accident insurance to cover the
medical expenses and lost income resulting from an injury suffered by an
application-based driver while engaged on the network company's online-enabled
application, software, or system. The bill requires that the policy provide, in
aggregate, at least $1,000,000 of coverage for the medical expenses, short-term
disability, long-term disability, and survivor benefits. The bill allows the policy to
prohibit stacking the coverage limit under the policy with coverage limits under

policies provided by other network companies to increase the coverage limit
available for a particular injury. The bill provides that if a claim is covered by
occupational accident insurance maintained by more than one network company, the
insurer of the network company against whom a claim is filed is entitled to a
contribution for the pro rata share of coverage attributable to one or more other
network companies.
Under the bill, any benefit provided to an application-based driver under an
occupational accident insurance policy is treated as amounts payable under a
worker's compensation law or disability benefit for the purpose of determining
amounts payable under uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
For further information see the state 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:
SB559,1 1Section 1. 102.01 (2) (ae) of the statutes is created to read:
SB559,3,42 102.01 (2) (ae) “Application-based driver” means a delivery network courier
3or participating driver who provides services through the online-enabled
4application, software, or system of a network company.
SB559,2 5Section 2. 102.01 (2) (an) of the statutes is created to read:
SB559,3,86 102.01 (2) (an) “Delivery network company” means a business that maintains
7an online-enabled application, software, or system to facilitate delivery services
8within this state.
SB559,3 9Section 3. 102.01 (2) (ann) of the statutes is created to read:
SB559,3,1210 102.01 (2) (ann) “Delivery network courier” means an individual who provides
11delivery services through a delivery network company's online-enabled application,
12software, or system.
SB559,4 13Section 4. 102.01 (2) (anp) of the statutes is created to read:
SB559,4,514 102.01 (2) (anp) “Delivery services” means the fulfillment of a delivery request
15by picking up from any location any item and delivering the item, by using a

1passenger vehicle, a bicycle, a scooter, public transportation, or other similar means
2of transportation or by walking, to a location selected by the customer that is
3typically located within 50 miles of the pickup location. “Delivery services” includes
4the selection, collection, or purchase of items by a delivery network courier, as well
5as other tasks incidental to the delivery.
SB559,5 6Section 5. 102.01 (2) (dc) of the statutes is created to read:
SB559,4,87 102.01 (2) (dc) “Network company” means a delivery network company or a
8transportation network company.
SB559,6 9Section 6. 102.01 (2) (ds) of the statutes is created to read:
SB559,4,1010 102.01 (2) (ds) “Participating driver” has the meaning given in s. 440.40 (3).
SB559,7 11Section 7. 102.01 (2) (gh) of the statutes is created to read:
SB559,4,1312 102.01 (2) (gh) “Transportation network company” has the meaning given in
13s. 440.40 (6).
SB559,8 14Section 8. 102.07 (8) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB559,4,1915 102.07 (8) (a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and, (bm), and (bs), every
16independent contractor is, for the purpose of this chapter, an employee of any
17employer under this chapter for whom he or she is performing service in the course
18of the trade, business, profession or occupation of such employer at the time of the
19injury.
SB559,9 20Section 9. 102.07 (8) (bs) of the statutes is created to read:
SB559,4,2221 102.07 (8) (bs) An application-based driver is not an employee of a network
22company if the company refrains from doing all of the following:
SB559,4,2523 1. Prescribing specific dates, times of day, or a minimum number of hours
24during which the application-based driver must be logged into the network
25company's online-enabled application, software, or system.
SB559,5,3
12. Terminating the contract of the application-based driver for not accepting
2a specific delivery service request or request for transportation, except as prohibited
3by s. 440.45 (2).
SB559,5,64 3. Restricting the application-based driver from performing services through
5other network companies except while performing services through that network
6company.
SB559,5,87 4. Restricting the application-based driver from working in any other lawful
8occupation or business.
SB559,10 9Section 10. 103.08 of the statutes is created to read:
SB559,5,11 10103.08 Application-based drivers; portable benefits accounts. (1)
11Definitions. In this section:
SB559,5,1212 (a) “Application-based driver” has the meaning given in s. 102.01 (2) (ae).
SB559,5,1313 (b) “Delivery network company” has the meaning given in s. 102.01 (2) (an).
SB559,5,1914 (c) “Earnings” means all moneys paid directly to an application-based driver,
15including incentives and bonuses, by a delivery network company or a transportation
16network company, or remitted to the application-based driver from a payment
17facilitated by a delivery network company or transportation network company, but
18not including amounts charged for fees, taxes, or other similar charges. “ Earnings”
19does not include any payments for gratuities.
SB559,5,2320 (d) “Eligible driver” means an application-based driver whose earnings from
21an individual delivery network company or transportation network company totaled
22at least $750, without combining earnings from delivery and rideshare services
23provided through the same company, during a calendar quarter.
SB559,5,2524 (e) “Network company” means a delivery network company or a transportation
25network company.
Loading...
Loading...