Payment of extended unemployment insurance benefits during certain periods in this state

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Currently, the maximum number of weeks of unemployment insurance 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, a claimant who has exhausted all of his or her rights to receive benefits in a given benefit year (period during which benefits are payable to a claimant) may potentially qualify to receive up to 13 weeks of "extended benefits," the cost of which, with certain exceptions, is normally shared between the federal government and employers in this state. Under recent federal legislation, the employer share is also paid by the federal government for private employers, including nonprofit organization employers but not including Indian tribal employers, during certain periods. For extended benefits to be paid in this state, there must be a Wisconsin "on" indicator, which is currently determined by calculating the rates of total or insured unemployment for various periods under one of three methods.

This bill adds a fourth method of determining a Wisconsin "on" indicator, which applies only for so long as the method is permitted under federal law and full federal funding is provided (currently, for claims filed before January 4, 2012). Under this method, 1) the rate of insured unemployment for the period consisting of the week in which the determination is made and the 12 preceding weeks must equal or exceed 120 percent of the average of such rates for the corresponding 13-week periods ending in each of the preceding 3 calendar years and must equal or exceed 5 percent;

Who's behind it

2 lawmakers are its authors⁠. All 2 are Republicans.

2 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From DWD

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

• Amendment AA1-AB197