AB437: Bill Text

The bill allows 2 or more counties to administer a joint pilot program. The bill provides that counties applying jointly must submit a written agreement specifying each county department's role in the program, and if a joint pilot program is created, the oversight committee must consist of representatives from each county.

The bill requires pilot program grants to be awarded on a calendar year basis, and grantees must get notice of funding no later than September 1 of the year preceding the year for which the grant will be made.

Under the bill, a county that receives a grant for a pilot program must comply with state audits. In addition, the county, in collaboration with DOC, DHS, and the oversight committee, must conduct a preliminary evaluation of the pilot program as of the conclusion of the first year, and a comprehensive evaluation of the pilot program as of the conclusion of the second year. Both evaluations must provide an assessment of the pilot program's operations, including its success at achieving the goals of the program as outlined in the bill. The preliminary evaluation must be submitted in writing to DOJ and each member of the oversight committee by the February 15 following the conclusion of the first year. The comprehensive evaluation must be submitted in writing to the same recipients by the February 28 following the conclusion of the second year.

Under the bill, by the March 15 following each year in which a pilot program is in operation, DOJ must, in collaboration with DOC and DHS, submit a report to the legislature summarizing the results of all pilot program evaluations and including recommendations regarding how the program should be structured in the future.

The bill specifies that most of its provisions would take effect the day after its publication as an act; however, the requirement that DOJ award grants to counties to administer the pilot program would not take effect until after DOJ receives at least $300,000 in funding for the program.

AB437,1 Section 1. 20.455 (2) (kvm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB437,3,5 20.455 (2) (kvm) County disabled offender recidivism reduction grants. All moneys received under s. 165.945 (2) to provide grants to one or more counties under s. 165.945 (3) for a pilot program to reduce recidivism of eligible offenders who are released from county correctional facilities.

AB437,2 Section 2. 165.945 of the statutes is created to read:

AB437,3,7 165.945 Recidivism reduction; grants. (1) In this section:

AB437,3,9 (a) "Consumer with program eligibility experience" means either of the following:

AB437,3,12 1. An individual who is or who has been eligible for social security disability insurance or supplemental security income, and who is or who has been eligible for medical assistance, including any applicable medical assistance-related program.

AB437,3,16 2. A member of the family of an individual who is or has been eligible for social security disability insurance or supplemental security income, and who is or has been eligible for medical assistance, including any applicable medical assistance-related program.

AB437,4,2 (b) "County correctional facility" means a county jail, a county house of correction, or a rehabilitation facility established under s. 59.53 (8), whether operated by one county or more than one county. A county correctional facility may include a state-local shared correctional facility under s. 302.45.

AB437,4,4 (c) "County department" means a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, 46.23, 51.42, or 51.437.

AB437,4,8 (d) "Eligible offender" means an incarcerated person who has been eligible for or who may, upon release, become eligible for social security disability insurance, supplemental security income, or medical assistance, including any applicable medical assistance-related program.

AB437,4,13 (2) The department of justice shall seek grant moneys from the state, a political subdivision of the state, the federal government, or any other source, public or private, for the administration of a pilot program to reduce recidivism of eligible offenders who are released from county correctional facilities, in accordance with this section.

AB437,4,22 (3) The department of justice shall make grants to up to 4 counties to enable them to establish a pilot program in accordance with this section. The department of justice shall make the grants from the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (kvm). The department of justice shall collaborate with the departments of corrections and health services in establishing this grant program, including in developing criteria and procedures for use in selecting grantees, in determining amounts awarded, and in administering the grant program. Notwithstanding s. 227.10 (1), the criteria and procedures need not be promulgated as rules under ch. 227. The grant that a county receives under this section may not supplant existing local resources.

AB437,4,24 (4) A county shall be eligible for a grant award under sub. (3) if all of the following apply to the county's pilot program:

AB437,5,4 (a) The pilot program will identify eligible offenders within county correctional facilities in the pilot program's geographic area who wish to apply for social security disability insurance, supplemental security income, or medical assistance, including any applicable medical assistance-related programs.

AB437,5,9 (b) The pilot program will provide individualized assistance to offenders identified under par. (a) to ensure that timely application is made for the programs or benefits, prior to the offender's release, in order to allow the maximum number of offenders to participate in or receive the programs or benefits immediately upon the date of the offender's release from the county correctional facility.

AB437,5,14 (c) The pilot program is adequately structured to include coordination among the county or counties involved in the program, law enforcement, the department of corrections, the department of health services, and the social security administration, to reduce application processing times and increase application success rates.

AB437,5,17 (d) The pilot program is designed to operate for at least 2 years and includes performance outcome measurements and data collection to allow for the evaluations described in sub. (5) (b).

AB437,5,20 (e) The county complies with other eligibility requirements, criteria, and procedures established by the office, in collaboration with the departments of corrections and health services, under sub. (3).

AB437,6,4 (5) (a) A county that receives a grant under this section shall create an oversight committee to advise the county in administering and evaluating its pilot program. Each committee shall consist of a representative of the county, the county sheriff or his or her designee, a representative of the county department, one or more representatives from private service organizations, one or more consumers with program eligibility experience, and other members to be determined by the county. The departments of corrections and health services may participate in the activities of and shall provide ongoing consultation services to an oversight committee created under this paragraph.

AB437,6,7 (b) A county that receives a grant under this section shall comply with state audits and shall, in collaboration with the departments of corrections and health services and the oversight committee established under par. (a):

AB437,6,12 1. At the conclusion of the pilot program's first year, conduct a preliminary evaluation of the pilot program's operations, including its success at achieving the goals outlined in sub. (4); and, by February 15 following the conclusion of the first year, provide the results of the preliminary evaluation in writing to the department of justice and each member of the oversight committee established under par. (a).

AB437,6,18 2. At the conclusion of the pilot program's second year, and any subsequent year, conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the pilot program's operations, including its success at achieving the goals outlined in sub. (4); and, by February 28 following the conclusion of that year, provide the results of the comprehensive evaluation in writing to the department of justice and each member of the oversight committee established under par. (a).

AB437,6,25 (c) By the March 15 following any year in which a pilot program under this section is in operation, the department of justice, in collaboration with the departments of corrections and health services, shall submit a report to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3), regarding the status of the grant program. The report shall summarize the results of the evaluation under par. (b) and include recommendations regarding how the program should be structured in the future.

AB437,7,6 (6) Two or more counties may jointly apply for and receive a grant under this section. If counties apply jointly, they shall provide to the department of justice a written agreement specifying each county department's role in developing, administering, and evaluating the program. In the event of a joint pilot program, the oversight committee established under sub. (5) (a) shall include representatives from each county.

AB437,7,11 (7) Grants provided under this section shall be provided on a calendar year basis. If the department of justice decides to make a grant to a county under this section, the department shall notify the county of its decision and the amount of the grant no later than September 1 of the year preceding the year for which the grant will be made.

AB437,3 Section 3. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

AB437,7,16 (1) The treatment of section 165.945 (3) and (4) of the statutes, as created by this act, takes effect on the first day after the department of justice receives at least $300,000 in funding under section 165.945 (2) of the statutes, as created by this act.

AB437,7,17 (End)