SB 138

Under federal law, the extended benefits program provides for additional weeks

of unemployment insurance benefits, which are usually funded 50 percent by the

federal government and 50 percent by the particular state. The extended benefits

program is activated, and deactivated, in a state when the state's insured

unemployment rate or total unemployment rate reaches certain thresholds, except

that federal and state laws also require an “off” period of 13 weeks before an extended

benefits period may be activated following a prior extended benefits period for the

state. However, the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020

provides that states may opt out of the mandatory 13-week off period between

November 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021. The bill provides that DWD may waive

this requirement for the 13-week off period under state law if permitted by federal

law.