Employment security: other; updates to the employment security act; provide for. Amends secs. 3, 4, 5, 5a, 5b, 6a, 8, 9, 10, and 10a of 1936 (Ex Sess) PA 1 (MCL 421.3 et seq.) & repeals secs. 3a, 4a, 6, and 6b - 7 of 1936 (Ex Sess) PA 1 (MCL 421.3a et seq.).

SB 981 amends the Michigan Employment Security Act to update the rules and definitions governing the state's unemployment insurance agency. The bill clarifies the agency's duties to reduce unemployment and assist in reemployment while establishing specific procedures for creating public work reserves during economic downturns. It also outlines how the agency must create and publish rules, requiring public hearings with at least 20 days' notice before any regulations take effect. Additionally, the legislation details the appointment and compensation of the agency's director and staff, including provisions for hiring law students to help employers and claimants understand the law. By repealing and revising several existing sections, the bill aims to modernize the administrative framework for managing unemployment benefits and related services in Michigan.