SB316: Bill Text

LRB-4020/1

ISR:jlg:jf

1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE

1999 Senate BILL 316

January 5, 2000 - Introduced by Senator Moore. Referred to Committee on Human Services and Aging.

SB316,1,7 An Act to renumber and amend 49.179 (1), 49.179 (3) and 49.179 (5); to amend 49.179 (1) (a) and 49.179 (2); and to create 49.179 (1) (a), 49.179 (3) (a) 1. to 7., 49.179 (3) (b), 49.179 (5) (b) and 49.179 (6) of the statutes; relating to: the expenditure of community reinvestment funds by Wisconsin works agencies and requiring the department of workforce development to submit criteria for the use of community reinvestment funds to the joint committee on finance for approval.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under curr ent law, the department of workforce development (DWD) may award a contract to any person to administer the Wisconsin works (W-2) program. These two-year contracts include funding for subsidized employment benefits, W-2 office costs and other program expenses. Any funding not spent by a W-2 agency at the end of the contract period is distributed according to a formula developed by DWD. Under the formula, a portion of the excess funding is designated as community reinvestment funds and distributed to the W-2 agency for reinvestment in community programs that meet certain requirements under the federal temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) block grant program.

Under 1999 Wisconsin Act 9 (the biennial budget act), DWD must establish criteria for use of community reinvestment funds available under W-2 contracts that have a term beginning on January 1, 2000, and ending on December 31, 2001. (The first contract period ends on December 31, 1999.) The biennial budget act also requires DWD to certify that the expenditures of community reinvestment funds for specific community reinvestment projects are permissible under the TANF block grant program before any of the community reinvestment funds may be expended.

This bill expands the biennial budget act provision to require that the criteria established by DWD apply to community reinvestment funds available under W-2 contracts that have a term ending on December 31, 1999. This bill requires that the criteria specify that the funds may be used for transportation assistance programs, education and job training programs, housing assistance programs, alcohol and other drug abuse assessment and treatment programs, domestic violence services and legal advocacy programs. DWD must submit the criteria to the joint committee on finance (JCF) for approval. If, within 14 working days after submission of the criteria, JCF does not schedule a meeting to review the criteria, DWD may implement the criteria.

This bill also requires that before a W-2 agency, other than a county department or tribal governing body (private W-2 agency), may expend any of its community reinvestment funds, DWD must certify that the agency actively solicited public participation in planning for the use of the funds and that the proposed expenditures meet the established criteria.

Finally, this bill requires a private W-2 agency to submit a report to the JCF no later than 12 months after receipt of its community reinvestment funds. The report must outline the purposes for which the community reinvestment funds were used and how those purposes meet the criteria established by DWD.

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:

SB316, s. 1 Section 1. 49.179 (1) of the statutes, as created by 1999 Wisconsin Act 9, is renumbered 49.179 (1) (intro.) and amended to read:

SB316,2,3 49.179 (1) (intro.) In this section,:

SB316,2,4 (b) "Wisconsin works" has the meaning given in s. 49.141 (1) (p).

SB316, s. 2 Section 2. 49.179 (1) (a) of the statutes is created to read:

SB316,2,8 49.179 (1) (a) "Community reinvestment funds" means moneys allocated under s. 49.175 (1) (d) and moneys identified for community reinvestment in contracts negotiated under s. 49.143 that have a term that expires on December 31, 1999.

SB316, s. 3 Section 3. 49.179 (1) (a) of the statutes, as created by 1999 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), is amended to read:

SB316,3,5 49.179 (1) (a) "Community reinvestment funds" means moneys allocated under s. 49.175 (1) (d) and moneys identified for community reinvestment in contracts negotiated under s. 49.143 that have a term that expires on December 31, 1999.

SB316, s. 4 Section 4. 49.179 (2) of the statutes, as created by 1999 Wisconsin Act 9, is amended to read:

SB316,3,10 49.179 (2) Annually, beginning January 1, 2000, the department shall distribute the moneys allocated under s. 49.175 (1) (d) community reinvestment funds to Wisconsin works agencies.

SB316, s. 5 Section 5. 49.179 (3) of the statutes, as created by 1999 Wisconsin Act 9, is renumbered 49.179 (3) (a) (intro.) and amended to read:

SB316,3,17 49.179 (3) (a) (intro.) Funds distributed under sub. (2) Community reinvestment funds may be used only for community reinvestment projects. The department shall establish specify criteria for the use of the community reinvestment funds distributed under sub. (2). The criteria shall provide that the funds may be used for all of the following purposes:

SB316, s. 6 Section 6. 49.179 (3) (a) 1. to 7. of the statutes are created to read:

SB316,3,20 49.179 (3) (a) 1. Improving access to transportation, including vehicle lease programs and car repair assistance programs.

SB316,3,22 2. Providing individuals with assistance so that each individual may possess a valid driver's license.

SB316,3,23 3. Education and job training programs.

SB316,3,24 4. Housing assistance programs.

SB316,3,25 5. Alcohol and other drug abuse assessment and treatment programs.

SB316,4,1 6. Domestic violence services.

SB316,4,2 7. Legal advocacy programs.

SB316, s. 7 Section 7. 49.179 (3) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

SB316,4,12 49.179 (3) (b) The department shall submit any criteria established under par. (a) to the joint committee on finance. If the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance do not notify the secretary of the department within 14 working days after the date of the department's submittal that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed criteria the department may implement the criteria. If, within 14 working days after the date of the department's submittal, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the secretary of the department that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the criteria, the department may implement the criteria only with the approval of the committee.

SB316, s. 8 Section 8. 49.179 (5) of the statutes, as created by 1999 Wisconsin Act 9, is renumbered 49.179 (5) (intro.) and amended to read:

SB316,4,17 49.179 (5) (intro.) No expenditures from the funds distributed under sub. (2) community reinvestment funds may be made expended unless the department first certifies does all of the following:

SB316,4,19 (a) Certifies that the expenditures are allowable under the federal temporary assistance for needy families block grant program under 42 USC 601 et. seq.

SB316, s. 9 Section 9. 49.179 (5) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

SB316,4,25 49.179 (5) (b) In the case of a Wisconsin works agency that is not a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 or a tribal governing body, determines that the agency actively solicited public participation in planning for the use of the community reinvestment funds and certifies that the proposed uses meet the criteria established under sub. (3) (a).

SB316, s. 10 Section 10. 49.179 (6) of the statutes is created to read:

SB316,5,7 49.179 (6) A Wisconsin works agency that is not a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 or tribal governing body shall, no later than 12 months after receipt of any community reinvestment funds, submit a report to the joint committee on finance specifying how the community reinvestment funds were expended and how the expenditures met the criteria established by the department under sub. (3) (a).

SB316, s. 11 Section 11. Initial applicability.

SB316,5,10 (1) This act first applies to community reinvestment funds available for distribution to W-2 agencies on the effective date of this subsection.

SB316, s. 12 Section 12. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

SB316,5,14 (1) The treatment of section 49.179 (2) of the statutes and the amendment of section 49.179 (1) (a) of the statutes take effect on January 1, 2001.

SB316,5,15 (End)