Senate Bill 500 proposes several amendments to Wisconsin's unemployment insurance law, primarily focusing on the conditions under which claimants are required to accept suitable work and the eligibility criteria for benefits after quitting a job. Notably, the bill extends the period during which claimants are not required to accept less favorable work from six weeks to ten weeks after becoming unemployed. Additionally, it modifies the exemption for claimants who quit unsuitable work, allowing them to remain eligible for benefits if they terminate that work within ten weeks, rather than the previous thirty days.

The bill also expands the eligibility criteria for employees who quit their jobs to relocate with a spouse, broadening the exception to include relocations required by any employer, not just the U.S. armed forces. Other amendments include changes to the definitions of suitable work, with the timeframes adjusted to ten weeks and the criteria for what constitutes suitable work being updated to reflect current labor market conditions. The bill aims to provide greater flexibility and support for unemployed individuals in Wisconsin.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 108.04(7)(e), 108.04, 108.04(7)(t)1, 108.04(7)(t)2, 108.04(8)(d)(intro.), 108.04(8)(dm)