This bill provides instead that claimant who is found guilty of concealment is
subject to a penalty equal to 15 percent of the benefit payments erroneously paid to
the claimant as a result of any acts of concealment. Under the bill, revenues collected
from the penalties are deposited in the unemployment reserve fund, which is used
to pay benefits.
Availability for work
Currently, with certain exceptions, a claimant is eligible for UI benefits for any
week in which the claimant earns no wages only if the claimant is available for work
during that week. This bill provides specifically that a claimant is not considered to
be available for work in any week in which he or she is in a country other than the
United States or Canada for more than 48 hours unless the claimant has
authorization to work in that other country and there is a reciprocal agreement
concerning the payment of benefits between that other country and the United
States.
Interest on delinquent payments
Currently, if an employer does not make a payment required under the UI law
to the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) by the due date, the employer
must pay interest on the amount owed equal to one percent per month or fraction
thereof from the date that the payment became due. This bill changes the interest
rate on delinquent payments to that monthly rate that annualized is equal to 9
percent or to 2 percent more than the prime rate as published in the Wall Street
Journal as of September 30 of the preceding year, whichever is greater, for each
month or fraction thereof that the employer is delinquent.
Composition and authority of appeal tribunals
Currently, DWD is directed by law to appoint appeal tribunals to
administratively hear and decide disputed UI claims and other matters arising
under the UI law. An individual who is appointed to serve as an appeal tribunal must
be a permanent employee of DWD except that DWD may appoint a person to serve
as a temporary appeal tribunal if the individual was formerly appointed to serve as
a tribunal while employed by DWD and retired from state service as a permanent
employee. This bill permits DWD to appoint any attorney who is licensed to practice
in this state to serve as a temporary appeal tribunal. The bill also provides that the
actions of appeal tribunals must be consistent with applicable state and federal law.
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:
SB417, s. 1 1Section 1. 108.04 (2) (ae) of the statutes is created to read:
SB417,3,6
1108.04 (2) (ae) A claimant is not available for work under par. (a) 1. in any week
2in which he or she is located in a country other than the United States, as defined
3in s. 108.02 (15) (do) 2., or Canada for more than 48 hours unless the claimant has
4authorization to work in that other country and there is a reciprocal agreement
5concerning the payment of unemployment insurance benefits between that other
6country and the United States.
SB417, s. 2 7Section 2. 108.04 (11) (bh) of the statutes is created to read:
SB417,3,118 108.04 (11) (bh) In addition to the forfeiture resulting from concealment as
9provided in par. (be), the department shall assess a penalty against the claimant in
10an amount equal to 15 percent of the benefit payments erroneously paid to the
11claimant as a result of one or more acts of concealment described in pars. (a) and (b).
SB417, s. 3 12Section 3. 108.09 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB417,3,1613 108.09 (2) (b) The department shall issue determinations whenever necessary
14to resolve any matters which that may bar, suspend, terminate or otherwise affect
15the employee's eligibility for benefits or to resolve any liability for penalties under
16s. 108.04 (11) (bh)
.
SB417, s. 4 17Section 4. 108.09 (3) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB417,3,2118 108.09 (3) (a) 1. To hear and decide disputed claims or to resolve liabilities
19under sub. (2) (b)
, the department shall establish appeal tribunals. Except as
20authorized in this paragraph, each tribunal shall consist of an individual who is a
21permanent employee of the department.
SB417, s. 5 22Section 5. 108.09 (3) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB417,4,323 108.09 (3) (a) 2. The department may appoint an individual who is not a
24permanent employee of the department to serve as a temporary reserve appeal
25tribunal if the individual formerly served as an appeal tribunal while employed by

1the department and retired from state service as a permanent employee
. An
2individual who is appointed to serve as a temporary reserve appeal tribunal shall be
3an attorney who is licensed to practice in this state.
SB417, s. 6 4Section 6. 108.09 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB417,4,95 108.09 (3) (b) The Consistently with applicable state and federal law, the
6appeal tribunal may affirm, reverse or modify the initial determination of the
7department or set aside the determination and remand the matter to the department
8for further proceedings, or may remand to the department for consideration of any
9issue not previously investigated by the department.
SB417, s. 7 10Section 7. 108.09 (8) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB417,4,1811 108.09 (8) (b) Any party in a dispute concerning benefit eligibility or liability
12for overpayment of benefits or a penalty imposed under s. 108.04 (11) (bh), or in any
13administrative proceeding under this chapter concerning such a dispute, may be
14represented by counsel or another agent; but no such counsel or agent may together
15charge or receive from an employee for all such representation in connection with
16such a dispute a fee which, in the aggregate, exceeds 10% of the maximum benefits
17at issue unless the department has first approved a specified higher fee. This
18paragraph does not apply to any fee charged for representation before a court of law.
SB417, s. 8 19Section 8. 108.16 (6) (n) of the statutes is created to read:
SB417,4,2020 108.16 (6) (n) Any penalty collected under s. 108.04 (11) (bh).
SB417, s. 9 21Section 9. 108.22 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB417,5,822 108.22 (1) (a) If any employer, other than an employer which has ceased
23business and has not paid or incurred a liability to pay wages in any quarter
24following the cessation of business, is delinquent in making by the assigned due date
25any payment to the department required of it under this chapter, the employer shall

1pay interest on the delinquent payment at the rate of one percent per that monthly
2rate that annualized is equal to 9 percent or to 2 percent more than the prime rate
3as published in the Wall Street Journal as of September 30 of the preceding year,
4whichever is greater, for each
month or fraction thereof that the employer is
5delinquent
from the date such payment became due. If any such employer is
6delinquent in making any quarterly report under s. 108.205 (1) by the assigned due
7date, the employer shall pay a tardy filing fee of $50 for each delinquent quarterly
8report.
SB417, s. 10 9Section 10. 108.22 (8) (bh) of the statutes is created to read:
SB417,5,1310 108.22 (8) (bh) To recover any penalty under s. 108.04 (11) (bh), the department
11may recoup the amount of the penalty by filing a warrant against a liable individual
12in the same manner as is provided in this section for collecting delinquent payments
13from employers.
SB417, s. 11 14Section 11. 108.225 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB417,5,1915 108.225 (1) (b) "Debt" means a delinquent contribution or repayment of a
16benefit overpayment, an assessment under s. 108.04 (11) (cm) or 108.19 (1m), a
17liability incurred under s. 108.04 (11) (bh)
, or any liability of a 3rd party for failure
18to surrender to the department property or rights to property subject to levy after
19proceedings under sub. (4) (b) and s. 108.10 to determine that liability.
SB417, s. 12 20Section 12. 108.225 (16) (am) 1. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB417,5,2321 108.225 (16) (am) 1. (intro.) In the case of benefit overpayments or a penalty
22imposed under s. 108.04 (11) (bh)
, an individual debtor is entitled to an exemption
23from levy of 80% of the debtor's disposable earnings, except that:
SB417, s. 13 24Section 13. 108.225 (17) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB417,6,4
1108.225 (17) Exemptions. The first $1,000 of an account in a depository
2institution is exempt from any levy to recover a benefit overpayment or penalty
3imposed under s. 108.04 (11) (bh)
. No other property is exempt from levy except as
4provided in sub. (16).
SB417, s. 14 5Section 14. 108.24 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB417,6,116 108.24 (1) Any person who knowingly makes a false statement or
7representation to obtain any benefit payment under this chapter, either for himself
8or herself or for any other person, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than
9$500 or imprisoned not more than 90 days, or both; and each such false statement
10or representation constitutes a separate offense. This penalty is in addition to any
11penalty imposed under s. 108.04 (11) (bh).
SB417, s. 15 12Section 15. Initial applicability.
SB417,6,1713 (1) The treatment of sections 108.04 (11) (bh), 108.09 (2) (b), (3) (a) 1., and (8)
14(b), 108.16 (6) (n), 108.22 (8) (bh), 108.225 (1) (b) (with respect to liabilities incurred
15under section 108.04 (11) (bh) of the statutes), (16) (am) 1. (intro.), and (17) and
16108.24 (1) of the statutes first applies with respect to overpayments established by
17the department of workforce development after October 21, 2013.
SB417,6,1918 (2) The treatment of section 108.04 (2) (ae) of the statutes first applies with
19respect to weeks of unemployment beginning on the effective date of this subsection.
SB417,6,2220 (3) The treatment of section 108.22 (1) (a) of the statutes first applies with
21respect to accrual of interest for the first quarter beginning after the effective date
22of this subsection.
SB417, s. 16 23Section 16. Effective date.
SB417,6,2424 (1) This act takes effect on the first Sunday after publication.
SB417,6,2525 (End)
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