AB140: Bill Text

LRB-1549/1

PJK:cjs:cs

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 Assembly BILL 140

March 27, 2015 - Introduced by Representatives VanderMeer, Kulp, Knudson, Murphy, Kerkman, Edming, E. Brooks, A. Ott, Petryk, Czaja, Skowronski and Thiesfeldt. Referred to Committee on Public Benefit Reform.

AB140,1,3 An Act to renumber and amend 49.83; and to create 16.32 and 49.83 (2) of the statutes; relating to: annual statements showing total public assistance and unemployment insurance benefits received.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) administer a number of programs that are commonly known as public assistance programs. Examples include Wisconsin Works; Medical Assistance; FoodShare; the programs that provide state supplemental payments to persons receiving federal supplemental security income; and the disease aids program that provides assistance in paying the costs of medical treatment for eligible persons with cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, or chronic renal disease. Also under current law, the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) administers the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program, under which eligible individuals who become unemployed or who experience a reduction in work hours may receive UI benefits.

This bill directs the Department of Administration (DOA), with the assistance of DHS, DCF, and DWD, to create a system that: 1) identifies every individual or family in this state who receives any benefits, defined in the bill as public assistance benefits and UI benefits; 2) tabulates the total amount of benefits received in a year by each such individual or family; and 3) generates a detailed statement showing the types and monetary value of all benefits received by the individual or family in a year. By no later than March 31 of each year, DOA must send the detailed statement for the preceding year to each individual or family who received benefits.

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:

AB140,1 Section 1. 16.32 of the statutes is created to read:

AB140,2,2 16.32 Statement of benefits received. (1) In this section:

AB140,2,4 (a) "Benefits" means public assistance benefits and unemployment insurance benefits.

AB140,2,5 (b) "Family" has the meaning given in s. 49.472 (1) (am).

AB140,2,8 (c) "Public assistance benefits" means services, benefits, payments, or other assistance provided under a program administered by the department of health services or the department of children and families under ch. 49.

AB140,2,10 (d) "Unemployment insurance benefits" means any compensation paid under ch. 108.

AB140,2,18 (2) (a) The department of administration shall, with the assistance of the departments of health services, children and families, and workforce development, create a system that identifies each individual or family in this state that receives any benefits during a year; tabulates the total amount of benefits received by each such individual or family during the year; and generates a detailed written financial statement for each such individual or family showing each type of benefit received by the individual or family during the year, the monetary value of each type of benefit received, and the total monetary value of all benefits received.

AB140,3,2 (b) Annually, no later than March 31 of the year following the year in which the benefits were received, the department of administration shall provide each individual or family with the statement showing the benefits received by that individual or family in the preceding year.

AB140,3,7 (3) The department of administration may disclose information received from the departments of health services, children and families, and workforce development under this section only in the administration and operation of the system under this section. The statements generated under the system under this section are not open to public inspection or copying under s. 19.35 (1).

AB140,2 Section 2. 49.83 of the statutes is renumbered 49.83 (1) and amended to read:

AB140,3,22 49.83 (1) Except as provided under sub. (2) and ss. 49.25 and 49.32 (9), (10), and (10m), no person may use or disclose information concerning applicants and recipients of relief funded by a relief block grant, aid to families with dependent children, Wisconsin Works under ss. 49.141 to 49.161, social services, child and spousal support and establishment of paternity and medical support liability services under s. 49.22, or supplemental payments under s. 49.77 for any purpose not connected with the administration of the programs, except that the departments of children and families and health services may disclose, including by transmitting or granting access to electronic data, such information, including social security numbers, to the department of revenue for the sole purposes of administering state taxes, including verifying refundable individual income tax credits, and collecting debts owed to the department of revenue. Any person violating this section may be fined not less than $25 nor more than $500 or imprisoned in the county jail not less than 10 days nor more than one year or both.

AB140,3 Section 3. 49.83 (2) of the statutes is created to read:

AB140,4,4 49.83 (2) The department of children and families or the department of health services may disclose to the department of administration information that it possesses or obtains with respect to recipients and services and benefits under any program that it administers under this chapter that would assist the department of administration in developing and operating the system under s. 16.32 and in providing the statements under s. 16.32 (2) (b).

AB140,4 Section 4. Initial applicability.

AB140,4,7 (1) Providing statements. The treatment of section 16.32 (2) (b) of the statutes first applies with respect to benefits received in 2015.

AB140,4,8 (End)