LRB-2910/2
TAY:jlg:hmh
1997 - 1998 LEGISLATURE
August 14, 1997 - Introduced by Representatives Notestein, Riley, Krug, R.
Young, J. Lehman, Kreuser, La Fave, Bock, L. Young, Plouff, Boyle and
Baldwin, cosponsored by Senators George, Rosenzweig, Decker, Wirch and
Plache. Referred to Committee on Wisconsin Works Oversight.
AB475,1,2
1An Act to amend 49.124 (1m) (a); and
to create 49.124 (1m) (br) of the statutes;
2relating to: federal waivers under the food stamp program.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, the department of workforce development (DWD)
administers the food stamp employment and training program. Currently, with
certain exceptions, DWD may require able individuals who are between the ages of
18 and 60 years to participate in the employment and training program as a
condition of receiving food stamps.
Currently, under federal law, an individual between the ages of 18 and 50 years,
with certain exceptions, is ineligible to participate in the food stamp program if, in
the previous 36-month period, the individual received food stamp benefits for at
least 3 months during which the individual failed to meet minimum work
requirements. Federal law permits a state to request from the secretary of the
federal department of agriculture a waiver from those minimum work requirements
for any group of individuals who reside in an area that has an unemployment rate
of over 10% or that does not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment
for the individuals.
This bill requires DWD to request that waiver from the secretary of the federal
department of agriculture. Under the bill, if the waiver is granted and in effect, DWD
may not require an individual who resides in an area that has an unemployment rate
of over 10% or that does not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment
for the individual to participate in the food stamp employment and training program.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB475, s. 1
1Section
1. 49.124 (1m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB475,2,122
49.124
(1m) (a) The department shall administer an employment and training
3program for recipients under the food stamp program. The department may contract
4with a Wisconsin works agency to administer the employment and training program
5under this section. Except as provided in pars. (b)
and
, (bm)
and (br), the department
6may require able individuals who are 18 to 60 years of age who are not participants
7in a Wisconsin works employment position, as defined in s. 49.141 (1) (r), to
8participate in the employment and training program under this section. To the
9extent permitted by federal law or waiver, and except as provided in par. (cm), the
10department may distribute food stamp benefits on a pay-for-performance basis, as
11determined under par. (c). The maximum number of hours an individual may be
12required to work may not exceed 40 hours per week.
AB475, s. 2
13Section
2. 49.124 (1m) (br) of the statutes is created to read:
AB475,2,1614
49.124
(1m) (br) 1. In this paragraph, "area" means a county or combination
15of counties; a city; a village; a town; a smaller geographic region of a county, city,
16village or town; or a federally recognized American Indian reservation.
AB475,2,2017
2. The department shall request a waiver from the secretary of the federal
18department of agriculture to permit the department to waive the work requirement
19under par. (a) for any group of individuals, to the extent permitted under federal law,
20for whom any of the following is true:
AB475,3,2
1a. The group resides in an area determined by the department to have an
2unemployment rate of over 10%.
AB475,3,43
b. The group resides in an area that the department determines does not have
4a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for that group of individuals.
AB475,3,65
3. If the waiver under subd. 2. is granted and in effect, the department shall
6implement the waiver.
