| Governor approves bills strengthening worker’s compensation benefits for workers injured on the job and safeguarding state’s unemployment insurance system |
| MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today, at the Wisconsin State Council of Machinists Annual Conference and surrounded by labor leaders and union members, signed Assembly Bill (AB) 651, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 145, which makes several improvements to Wisconsin’s worker’s compensation system. Gov. Evers also exercised a partial line-item veto on AB 650 relating to unemployment insurance administration. The bill enacted by Gov. Evers today bolsters support for Wisconsin workers across the state, including increasing certain permanent disability benefit rates, modifying the statutes of limitation, expanding coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for emergency service personnel, strengthening penalties and enforcement tools related to worker’s compensation insurance fraud and noncompliance, and more. The bill reflects a negotiated, agreed-upon package developed through the Workers Compensation Advisory Council, representing compromises between labor and management. Gov. Evers signed similar legislation in 2024, and together, these efforts represent bipartisan, good-faith efforts to bolster protections for Wisconsin’s best-in-class workforce.
“Here in Wisconsin, we’re working hard to build the brighter future that working folks and families deserve, which is why I’m glad to be taking action on two bills today to continue our work to support workers and ensure they get the benefits they deserve and that our systems work and work well for the folks they serve,” said Gov. Evers. “Our workforce is the backbone of our state, and Wisconsin has a proud history of making sure workers are treated with dignity and respect. Today, we’re proving that we’re more committed to that legacy than ever, and I want to thank all the bipartisan partners for their support and advocacy to come to good faith agreements and get this done.” Assembly Bill 651, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 145:
In addition to taking action on AB 651, today, Gov. Evers also partially vetoed AB 650, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 144, which makes modifications to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s (DWD) existing appropriation related to unemployment insurance administration. The governor’s partial veto will ensure DWD has new flexibility to access state funding in the department’s existing appropriation when the federal government fails to support state unemployment administration sufficiently, ensuring claimants can access the benefits they need in times of economic hardship. ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON EVERS ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORTS TO MODERNIZE THE STATE’S UI SYSTEM TO PREVENT FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE To help respond to these challenges and finally fix Wisconsin’s unemployment system after decades of inaction, Gov. Evers called a special session of the Wisconsin State Legislature and, in February 2021, signed 2021 Act 4, which began the process of modernizing these critical systems to prevent a future emergency from causing a similar crisis. Since then, DWD has advanced swiftly and successfully toward this goal, protecting the integrity of the claims processing system with cutting-edge technology designed to help crack down on fraud and abuse in benefit claims while increasing virtual customer service options. Importantly, for example, since undertaking modernization efforts under the leadership of Gov. Evers, Wisconsin’s UI program at DWD has been audited nine times between the years of 2020 and 2023. All told, the Legislative Audit Bureau was unable to identify any previously undiscovered fraud within the program. However, last year—inexplicably and with no notice—the Trump Administration chose to terminate approximately $29 million for Wisconsin’s modernization efforts, part of the Trump Administration terminating $675 million in grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to UI programs across over 30 states and territories. The U.S. DOL decision to terminate funding halts work on some of the most critical unemployment insurance modernization and anti-fraud prevention projects. The $29 million in terminated funds included:
According to the Trump Administration, the U.S. DOL terminated the investments Wisconsin was using for modernization efforts to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse because it “does not effectuate agency priorities.” Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration have repeatedly appealed to the Trump Administration, asking them to reconsider their decision, but to date, those attempts have been met with inaction. Most recently, Gov. Evers sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump, urging the president to restore the federal grant funding Wisconsin needs to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse and complete the Evers Administration’s years-long efforts to modernize the state’s UI system. In both his letter to the president and previous letter to the U.S. DOL secretary, the governor reiterated the critical need to continue Wisconsin’s work to modernize its UI systems and protect the integrity of the state’s claims process. More information on DWD’s efforts to date to support UI modernization is available on the department’s website. |
| An online version of this release is available here. |
Gov. Evers Approves Bipartisan Bills Supporting Wisconsin Workers
Mar 30, 2026 | 11:34 AM

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