Assembly Bill 164 proposes significant changes to Wisconsin's unemployment insurance (UI) law, renaming it to "reemployment assistance" and establishing a new Division of Reemployment Assistance within the Department of Workforce Development (DWD). The bill mandates that claimants for reemployment assistance must register for work, be available and able to work, and conduct a minimum of four work search actions weekly, with at least two of those being direct contacts with potential employers for the third week of their benefit year. Additionally, claimants are required to submit a current resume to DWD's job center website and complete a reemployment counseling session if they have less than three weeks of benefits remaining. The bill also stipulates that DWD must provide claimants with at least four potential job opportunities each week.

Furthermore, the bill requires DWD to continue participating in the federal Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program and to provide certain RESEA services to all UI claimants. It includes various amendments to existing statutes to reflect the new terminology and requirements, such as changing references from "unemployment insurance" to "reemployment assistance" and repealing outdated provisions. The overall aim of the bill is to enhance the support and resources available to individuals seeking employment, thereby improving their chances of reentering the workforce.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 40.02(22)(b)3, 40.02, 40.65(5)(b)2, 40.65, 49.147(3)(ac)2, 49.147, 49.163(3)(a)3.c, 49.163, 71.67(7)(title), 71.67, 105.01(1)(b)1, 105.01, 105.115(2)(b), 105.115, 105.115(2)(c), 105.115(3)(a)1, 105.115(4)(b)1, 105.115(4)(b)3, 106.38(3)(c)3, 106.38