By
Senators
Stepp, Brown, Grothman, Erpenbach and Harsdorf; cosponsored by Representatives Vos, Molepske, Albers, Fields, Musser, Krawczyk, Jeskewitz, Petrowski, Kreibich, J. Fitzgerald, Jensen, Hahn, Gunderson, Moulton, F. Lasee and Nischke.
To committee on Housing and Financial Institutions.
Senate Bill 585
Relating to: operation of the Building Commission, submission of capital budget recommendations, waiver of state construction contracting procedures, supervision of state facilities construction, estimates of state facility costs, and approval of leases that provide for construction of state facilities.
By
Senators
Cowles, Grothman, A. Lasee and Olsen; cosponsored by Representatives Vos, Jeskewitz, Krawczyk and Petrowski.
To committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government Reform.
Senate Bill 586
Relating to: preparing and filing parenting plans, equalizing periods of physical placement to the highest degree possible, using parenting plans to determine periods of physical placement, and modifying physical placement and custody orders.
By
Senators
Plale, Reynolds, A. Lasee and Lazich; cosponsored by Representatives Pridemore, Gronemus, Gunderson, Gundrum, Hahn, Hines, Kestell, Krawczyk, Kreibich, F. Lasee, Musser, Nass, Ott, Van Roy, Wood, Strachota and Vos.
To committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy.
__________________
The committee on Health, Children, Families, Aging and Long Term Care reports and recommends:
Relating to department recoupment of program benefit overpayments from program recipients.
Modifications requested, Ayes 5, Noes 0.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Roessler, Darling, Brown, Erpenbach and Carpenter.
Noes, 0 - None.
Carol Roessler
Chairperson
The committee on Labor and Election Process Reform reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 377
Relating to: absentee balloting by certain military electors.
Concurrence.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Reynolds, Lazich, Kanavas, Hansen and Carpenter.
Noes, 0 - None.
Senate Bill 419
Relating to: mailing and transmittal of absentee ballots.
Passage.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Reynolds, Lazich, Kanavas, Hansen and Carpenter.
Noes, 0 - None.
Senate Bill 474
Relating to: making various changes in the worker's compensation law, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, and making appropriations.
Passage.
Ayes, 5 - Senators
Reynolds, Lazich, Kanavas, Hansen and Carpenter.
Noes, 0 - None.
Thomas Reynolds
Chairperson
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
February 7, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
The following lobbyists have been authorized to act on behalf of the organizations set opposite their names.
Arnold, G Brett Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools
S587
Canuteson, Beth Sprint Nextel Corporation
Hoven, Timothy Cottonwood Financial Ltd.
Taylor, Chad Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin
Welsh, Michael Cottonwood Financial Ltd.
For more detailed information about these lobbyists and organizations and a complete list of organizations and people authorized to lobby the 2005 session of the legislature, visit the Ethics Board's web site at
http://ethics.state.wi.us
Also available from the Wisconsin Ethics Board are reports identifying the amount and value of time state agencies have spent to affect legislative action and reports of expenditures for lobbying activities filed by organizations that employ lobbyists.
Sincerely,
R. Roth Judd
Executive Director
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
February 8, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the Milwaukee County child welfare program, as requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The program, which protects children from abuse and neglect, is administered by the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare in the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS), which contracts for most services. In June 2005, the program served 3,188 children who had been removed from their homes to ensure their safety. An additional 266 families received services without having a child removed from the home. From January 2001 through June 2005, program expenditures totaled $493.7 million. Our review of program expenditure and staffing issues is report 06-2.
DHFS has taken important steps in recent years to improve the welfare of children in Milwaukee County, including significantly reducing the number of children in out-of-home care. However, we identified concerns with the timeliness of investigations of child abuse and neglect, as well as the timeliness with which court-ordered services are provided. Collaboration and coordination among child welfare staff is limited, and problems related to establishing permanent placements were documented in 25 of 48 cases we reviewed. We make a number of recommendations for the Bureau to improve program management.
To assess whether the Bureau adequately ensured the safety of children, we reviewed 73 highrisk cases that were most likely to involve child abuse or neglect. The Bureau and its contractors took reasonable and appropriate action in 69 of these cases, but we believe more could have been done to protect children in the remaining 4 cases.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DHFS and the child welfare contractors. A response from DHFS follows the appendices.
Sincerely,
JANICE MUELLER
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
February 8, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the Milwaukee County child welfare program, as requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The program, which protects children from abuse and neglect, is administered by the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare in the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS). This review is part of a comprehensive evaluation that also addresses program management and performance (report 06-1).
Program expenditures totaled $493.7 million from January 2001 through June 2005, when the Bureau had 153 full-time equivalent employees, including 90 certified social workers. The Bureau provides some program services, but most services are provided through contractors with an estimated 500 full-time equivalent employees in 2004.
We identified concerns with the Bureau's oversight of these contractors. For example, contractors have not reported on the services they provided to families, as required by their contracts. We also reviewed the appropriateness and reasonableness of costs that contractors charged to the program in 2004. We found $677,694 in unallowable and questioned costs charged by six contractors, including payment of a $541,604 duplicate reimbursement request submitted by one contractor.
A significant problem hampering effective program management is staff turnover. In 2004, turnover was 10.9 percent among the Bureau's social workers. Among contract staff, turnover was significantly higher and ranged from 25.5 percent for those serving families whose children remained in the home to 38.6 percent for those serving families whose children were removed from the home. We include a number of recommendations related to improving oversight of contractors and program funds, staff retention, and staff training.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DHFS and the child welfare contractors. DHFS's response follows the appendices.
Sincerely,
JANICE MUELLER
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
February 2, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
In compliance with Wisconsin statute 16.548, please find the Wisconsin Office of Federal/State Relations quarterly report to be submitted to the Legislature for the fourth quarter of 2005. This report provides information on the activities of the office and the status of federal legislation of concern to the state of Wisconsin.
Please contact me if you have any questions about this material.
Sincerely,
STEPHEN E. BABLITCH
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Revenue
