Relating to: various changes to the unemployment insurance law. (FE)
AB 622 amends Wisconsin's unemployment insurance law to extend the period during which job seekers may refuse work without losing benefits from 6 to 10 weeks after becoming unemployed. It clarifies that workers who quit jobs they could have refused (e.g., due to unsafe conditions) may still qualify for benefits within this 10-week window, regardless of their stated reason for leaving. The bill also updates the definition for "suitable work" in the 7th-11th week of unemployment to require wages above the lowest wage quartile for similar jobs in the area. These changes directly affect unemployed workers applying for benefits and the Department of Workforce Development’s eligibility determinations.
Bill status
failed
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Nov 7, 2025
Last action Mar 23, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
5
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Nov 7, 2025
Introduced
Introduced by Representatives Arney, Anderson, Bare, Brown, Clancy, DeSmidt, Goodwin, Hong, Joers, Kirsch, Mayadev, McCarville, Miresse, Moore Omokunde, Ortiz-Velez, Palmeri, Phelps, Roe, Snodgrass, Stubbs, Subeck, Taylor, Tenorio and Udell;
cosponsored by Senators Carpenter, Dassler-Alfheim, Habush Sinykin, Larson, Ratcliff, Smith and Spreitzer
lower
24 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Alex Joers
DDemocratic
P
Angelito Tenorio
DDemocratic
P
Ann Roe
DDemocratic
P
Ben DeSmidt
DDemocratic
P
Brienne Brown
DDemocratic
P
Christian Phelps
DDemocratic
P
Clint Anderson
DDemocratic
P
Francesca Hong
DDemocratic
P
Karen Kirsch
DDemocratic
P
Lee Snodgrass
DDemocratic
P
Lisa Subeck
DDemocratic
P
Lori Palmeri
DDemocratic
P
Margaret Arney
DDemocratic
P
Maureen McCarville
DDemocratic
P
Mike Bare
DDemocratic
P
Randy Udell
DDemocratic
P
Renuka Mayadev
DDemocratic
P
Russell Goodwin
DDemocratic
P
Ryan Clancy
DDemocratic
P
Sequanna Taylor
DDemocratic
P
Shelia Stubbs
DDemocratic
P
Supreme Moore Omokunde
DDemocratic
P
Sylvia Ortiz-Velez
DDemocratic
P
Vinnie Miresse
DDemocratic
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