SB582: Bill Text

LRB-4483/1

DAK&CTS:kjf&wlj:rs

2005 - 2006 LEGISLATURE

2005 Senate BILL 582

February 7, 2006 - Introduced by Senators Decker, Taylor, Miller, Erpenbach and Carpenter, cosponsored by Representatives Colon, Pocan, Sinicki, Fields, Hebl, Lehman, Grigsby, Parisi, Pope-Roberts, Cullen, Seidel, Berceau, Molepske and Shilling. Referred to Committee on Health, Children, Families, Aging and Long Term Care.

SB582,1,4 An Act to create 20.505 (1) (dm) of the statutes; relating to: decreasing Medical Assistance reimbursement, transferring moneys from the general fund to the Medical Assistance trust fund, increasing low-income energy assistance, and making appropriations.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, using federal funds, the Department of Administration (department) administers a low-income energy assistance program. Eligible households receive payments to assist with the cost of home energy. Currently, payments are calculated using a benefit schedule created by the department that takes into account household income, family size, and energy costs. Current law specifies which households are eligible for low-income energy assistance, including households with an annual income that is not more than 150 percent of the federal poverty line.

Under this bill, in fiscal year 2005-06, a household with an annual income that is not more than 206.7 percent of the federal poverty line is eligible to receive low-income energy assistance. The bill provides $6,000,000 in general purpose revenue in fiscal year 2005-06 for payments to households that qualify under the one-time expansion of eligibility.

Also under current law, the Department of Health and Family Services administers the Medical Assistance (MA) Program, under which persons with low income and few assets receive health care that is funded jointly by Wisconsin and the federal government.

The bill decreases the appropriation of general purpose revenues for MA by $63,500,000 for fiscal year 2005-06 and by $100,000 for fiscal year 2006-07. Further, the bill transfers from the general fund to the MA trust fund $51,400,000 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $25,300,000 in fiscal year 2006-07.

For further information see the state 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:

SB582, s. 1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

SB582, s. 2 Section 2. 20.505 (1) (dm) of the statutes is created to read:

SB582,2,6 20.505 (1) (dm) Low-income energy assistance. Annually, the amounts in the schedule for low-income energy assistance under 2005 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), section 3 (1).

SB582, s. 3 Section 3 . Nonstatutory provisions; administration.

SB582,2,14 (1) Notwithstanding section 16.27 (5) of the statutes, in fiscal year 2005-06, a household with an annual income that does not exceed 206.7 percent of the federal poverty line is eligible to receive low-income energy assistance under section 16.27 of the statutes. Notwithstanding section 16.27 (2), (3), and (6) of the statutes, the department of administration shall pay low-income energy assistance benefits under this subsection from the appropriation account under section 20.505 (1) (dm) of the statutes, as created by this act.

SB582, s. 4 Section 4. Appropriation changes; health and family services.

SB582,3,7 (1) Medical Assistance reimbursement decrease. Inn the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of health and family services under section 20.435 (4) (b) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 2005, the dollar amount is decreased by $63,500,000 for fiscal year 2005-06 and the dollar amount is decreased by $100,000 for fiscal year 2006-07 to decrease funding for the purposes for which the appropriation is made.

SB582,3,10 (2) Transfer from general fund to Medical Assistance trust fund. There is transferred from the general fund to the Medical Assistance trust fund $51,400,000 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $25,300,000 in fiscal year 2006-07.

SB582,3,12 (3) Exemption from certain legislative rules of proceedings. Section 20.003 (4) of the statutes does not apply to the actions of the legislature in enacting this act.

SB582,3,13 (End)