Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Relating to: the unemployment insurance waiting period.
Unemployment insurance Unincorporated territory
- Introduced, stopped here
- Passes Senate, not reached
- Passes Assembly, not reached
- Governor signs, not reached
- Law, not reached
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
Currently, a claimant must wait one week after becoming eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits before the claimant may receive benefits for a week of unemployment, except for periods during which the waiting period is suspended. The waiting period does not affect the maximum number of weeks of a claimant’s benefit eligibility.
This bill permanently deletes the one-week waiting period, thus permitting a claimant to receive UI benefits beginning with his or her first week of eligibility.
Sponsors
Introduced by: Dassler-Alfheim (D) , Habush Sinykin (D) , Hesselbein (D) , Keyeski (D) , Larson (D) , Pfaff (D) , Ratcliff (D) , Roys (D) , Smith (D) , Spreitzer (D) , Wall (D) , Wirch (D)
28 cosponsors
Andraca (D) , Arney (D) , Bare (D) , Brown (D) , Clancy (D) , DeSmidt (D) , Emerson (D) , J. Jacobson (D) , Joers (D) , Johnson (D) , Kirsch (D) , Madison (D) , McCarville (D) , Miresse (D) , Moore Omokunde (D) , Neubauer (D) , Ortiz-Velez (D) , Palmeri (D) , Phelps (D) , Roe (D) , Sheehan (D) , Sinicki (D) , Snodgrass (D) , Stroud (D) , Stubbs (D) , Subeck (D) , Tenorio (D) , Udell (D)
Registered lobbying interests · 3
Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record
Full history
- Oct 2, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Smith, Pfaff, Roys, Ratcliff, Wall, Larson, Hesselbein, Spreitzer, Habush Sinykin, Wirch, Dassler-Alfheim and Keyeski; cosponsored by Representatives DeSmidt, Kirsch, Tenorio, Ortiz-Velez, Emerson, Bare, Roe, McCarville, Stroud, Miresse, Stubbs, Arney, Snodgrass, Subeck, Udell, Moore Omokunde, Neubauer, Madison, Clancy, Phelps, Joers, Johnson, Brown, Palmeri, Andraca and Sheehan
- Oct 2, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development
- Nov 12, 2025 · Senate
Representative Sinicki added as a cosponsor
- Jan 9, 2026 · Senate
Representative J. Jacobson added as a cosponsor
- Mar 23, 2026 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1