AB374: Bill Text

LRB-3197/2

PJK:jld:ph

2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE

2009 Assembly BILL 374

August 12, 2009 - Introduced by Representative Grigsby, cosponsored by Senator Jauch. Referred to Committee on Children and Families.

AB374,1,2 An Act to amend 49.138 (1m) (intro.) of the statutes; relating to: emergency assistance grants.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) administers a program of emergency assistance to needy persons in cases of fire, flood, natural disaster, energy crisis, or homelessness or impending homelessness. Except for cases of energy crisis, DCF must establish the maximum amount of aid to be granted per family member, and must publish the maximum amount and any changes to it in the Wisconsin Administrative Register. This bill provides that DCF must establish the maximum amounts of aid to be granted, including in cases of energy crisis, rather than the maximum amount to be granted for each family member, and that DCF must publish the maximum amounts in the Wisconsin Administrative Register if DCF does not establish those amounts by rule.

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:

AB374, s. 1 Section 1. 49.138 (1m) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB374,2,13 49.138 (1m) (intro.) The department shall implement a program of emergency assistance to needy persons in cases of fire, flood, natural disaster, homelessness or impending homelessness, or energy crisis. The department shall establish the maximum amount amounts of aid to be granted, except for cases of energy crisis, per family member based on the funding available under s. 20.437 (2) (dz) and (md). The department need not establish the maximum amount amounts by rule under ch. 227. The department shall publish the maximum amount and annual changes to it amounts in the Wisconsin administrative register if the department does not establish the maximum amounts by rule. Emergency assistance provided to needy persons under this section may only be provided to a needy person once in a 12-month period. Emergency assistance provided to needy persons under this section in cases of homelessness or impending homelessness may be used only to obtain or retain a permanent living accommodation. For the purposes of this section, a family is considered to be homeless, or to be facing impending homelessness, if any of the following applies:

AB374, s. 2 Section 2. Initial applicability.

AB374,2,16 (1) This act first applies to determinations of aid payment amounts that are made on the effective date of this subsection.

AB374,2,17 (End)