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 must conduct at least two direct contacts with potential employers during their work search actions for the third and subsequent weeks 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 at least four potential job opportunities each week to claimants, which may include positions with temporary help companies.

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 associated with reemployment assistance, such as changing references from "unemployment insurance" to "reemployment assistance" in multiple sections of the law. The bill aims to enhance the support provided to individuals seeking employment and to streamline the processes involved in accessing reemployment services.

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