SB737: Bill Text

LRB-1388/1

EHS:wlj

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 Senate BILL 737

February 11, 2016 - Introduced by Senators Lassa and L. Taylor, cosponsored by Representatives Milroy, Kahl, Berceau, Subeck, Shankland, Ohnstad, Kessler, Barca, Zepnick, Bowen and C. Taylor. Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB737,1,4 An Act to amend 49.265 (3) (b) 11. of the statutes; relating to: increasing funding for grants to provide skills enhancement services, modifying eligibility requirements for receiving services funded by those grants, and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill increases funding for skills enhancement grants for community action agencies and changes the eligibility requirement for the services provided under those grants.

Under current law, a community action agency approved by the secretary of children and families and by the legislative body of the local governmental unit serviced by the community action agency is required to develop and implement programs designed to serve persons whose income is at or below 125 percent of the poverty line. Those programs may include provisions that will help those persons secure and retain employment, improve their education, and secure needed transportation, among other things. Current law also appropriates money to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and requires DCF to distribute grants to community action agencies to provide, to individuals who work at least 20 hours per week and whose earned income is at or below 150 percent of the poverty line, a program of skills enhancement that must include access to transportation, child care, career counseling, job placement assistance, and financial support for education and training (skills enhancement grants).

This bill increases the funding during the 2015-17 biennium for skills enhancement grants. The bill also requires a community action agency that receives a skills enhancement grant to provide skills enhancement services to individuals who work at least 15 hours per week and whose earned income would make the individuals eligible for any other program operated by the community action agency.

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:

SB737,1 Section 1. 49.265 (3) (b) 11. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB737,2,7 49.265 (3) (b) 11. Provide, to individuals who work at least 20 15 hours per week and whose earned income is at or below 150 percent of the poverty line would make the individuals eligible for any other program operated by the community action agency, a program of skills enhancement that shall include access to transportation, child care, career counseling, job placement assistance, and financial support for education and training.

SB737,2 Section 2. Fiscal changes.

SB737,3,2 (1) Community action agencies; skills enhancement grants. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of children and families under section 20.437 (2) (fr) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 2015, the dollar amount is increased by $250,000 for the first fiscal year of the fiscal biennium in which this subsection takes effect to provide funding for skills enhancement grants under section 49.265 (4) (cm) of the statutes. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of children and families under section 20.437 (2) (fr) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 2015, the dollar amount is increased by $250,000 for the second fiscal year of the fiscal biennium in which this subsection takes effect to provide funding for skills enhancement grants under section 49.265 (4) (cm) of the statutes.

SB737,3 Section 3. Effective date.

SB737,3,4 (1) This act takes effect retroactively to July 1, 2015.

SB737,3,5 (End)