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A new bill authored by State Sen. Cabral-Guevara in the Wisconsin Senate seeks to update unemployment insurance laws by improving employer reporting and claimant eligibility verification processes, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "various changes to the unemployment insurance law. (FE)".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill makes various changes to the unemployment insurance law, requiring employers to report when a claimant declines or fails to attend a job interview or offer, affecting their eligibility for benefits. It mandates the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to consider these reports in assessing claimants' labor market attachment. The claimant must verify weekly job search efforts, and failure to conduct a reasonable search results in ineligibility for that week, without affecting total benefits. The bill also mandates recovery of overpaid benefits if obtained through misrepresentation. DWD is to include employer reports in its annual fraud report to the legislature and must maintain systems for reporting work refusals. These changes apply to unemployment weeks from the act's effective date, which is the Sunday after publication, except for some provisions taking effect 180 days later.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Daniel Knodl (Republican-24th District), Senator Chris Kapenga (Republican-33rd District), Senator Howard L. Marklein (Republican-17th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), and Representative Cindi Duchow (Republican-97th District), along five other co-sponsors.

Rachael Cabral-Guevara has authored or co-authored another 57 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Cabral-Guevara graduated from Mount Mary University in 2000 with a BS and again in 2004 from the University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh with a BS.

Cabral-Guevara, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2023 to represent the state's 19th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Roger Roth.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB196	04/14/2025	Various changes to the unemployment insurance law. (FE)
SB195	04/14/2025	Serving maple syrup in a public eating place
SB190	04/14/2025	Ratification of the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact. (FE)
SB189	04/14/2025	An optional final hearing by affidavit for the dissolution of a marriage
SB170	04/03/2025	Rehired annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System. (FE)
SB165	03/27/2025	Eliminating daylight saving time in Wisconsin
SB164	03/27/2025	Use of certified seed potatoes in planting potatoes and providing a penalty. (FE)
SB154	03/21/2025	Requiring the Department of Health Services to seek any necessary waiver to prohibit the purchase of candy or soft drinks with FoodShare benefits. (FE)
SB152	03/21/2025	Financial eligibility for the Alzheimer’s family and caregiver support program. (FE)
SB147	03/21/2025	Interpreter action by telephone or live audiovisual means in civil or criminal proceedings
SB139	03/21/2025	Transfer of nursing home beds
SB137	03/14/2025	The duty of a pharmacist to dispense lawfully prescribed drugs and devices. (FE)
SB129	03/14/2025	The right to repair motor vehicles and providing a penalty. (FE)
SB128	03/14/2025	Programs and requirements to address PFAS
SB127	03/14/2025	Exempting certain persons from PFAS enforcement actions under the spills law. (FE)
SB94	03/07/2025	Civil action for injury or damages resulting from riot or vandalism, participation in a riot, prohibiting certain limitations or restrictions on law enforcement responses to riot or vandalism activity, and providing a penalty
SB83	02/26/2025	Utilization management controls for antipsychotic prescription drugs under the Medical Assistance program. (FE)
SB74	02/26/2025	Ratification of the Social Work Licensure Compact. (FE)
SB70	02/26/2025	A minor’s authority to consent to health care
SB58	02/21/2025	Referendum questions for certain referenda that affect property taxes. (FE)
SB51	02/21/2025	Flags flown at state and local government buildings and eliminating a related administrative rule
SB44	02/12/2025	Local regulation of fowl
SB43	02/12/2025	Allowing advanced practice nurse prescribers to pronounce the date, time, and place of a patient’s death for purposes of the preparation of death records
SB42	02/12/2025	Permitting pharmacists to prescribe certain contraceptives, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty. (FE)
SB31	02/12/2025	State agency status for certain physician assistants and advanced practice nurses who provide services without compensation for local health departments or school districts. (FE)
SB30	02/12/2025	Required instruction in civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation requirements, and private school educational program criteria. (FE)
SB29	02/12/2025	Requiring school boards to adopt policies to prohibit the use of wireless communication devices during instructional time
SB27	02/07/2025	Requiring state employees to perform their work at the offices of their employer. (FE)
SB19	02/05/2025	Fee waivers for state park vehicle admission receipts to pupils with Every Kid Outdoors passes. (FE)
SB13	02/03/2025	Incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades. (FE)
SB12	02/03/2025	A sales and use tax exemption for the sale of gun safes. (FE)
SB11	02/03/2025	Allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property
SB10	02/03/2025	Access to public high schools for military recruiters
SB7	01/24/2025	Prohibiting a foreign adversary from acquiring agricultural or forestry land in this state
SB4	01/24/2025	Agreements for direct primary care