AB965: Bill Text

LRB-4888/1

AJM:cdc/wlj/amn

2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE

2017 Assembly BILL 965

February 16, 2018 - Introduced by Representatives Shankland, Anderson, Barca, Berceau, Billings, Considine, Crowley, Doyle, Fields, Hesselbein, Kolste, Ohnstad, Pope, Sargent, Sinicki, Spreitzer, Subeck, Wachs, Zamarripa and Zepnick, cosponsored by Senators Erpenbach, Hansen, Wirch, Bewley, Carpenter, Johnson, Larson, Ringhand, Risser, Vinehout, Wanggaard and L. Taylor. Referred to Committee on Mental Health.

AB965,1,4 An Act to create 20.485 (2) (c), 20.485 (2) (f), 45.43 (3) and 45.455 of the statutes; relating to: a program to provide outreach, support, and mental health and substance abuse services for veterans, funds for homeless veterans, and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to administer a program to provide outreach, mental health services, and support to certain individuals who are serving or who have served in the armed forces and who have a mental health condition or substance abuse disorder. Under the bill, DVA must provide quarterly reports to the governor and the Joint Committee on Finance that include the number of individuals served by the program, the services provided to individuals, and the types of insurance held by individuals who receive services under the program.

The bill also provides that if DVA receives a notice that it will not receive funds sufficient to provide services for homeless veterans under its current veterans assistance program, DVA is required to submit a request to the Joint Committee on Finance, within 90 days of receiving the notice of insufficient funds, for moneys to supplement the loss of federal funds.

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:

AB965,1 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

AB965,2 Section 2 . 20.485 (2) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB965,2,6 20.485 (2) (c) Veterans outreach and recovery program. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule to provide outreach, mental health services, and support as specified in s. 45.455.

AB965,3 Section 3. 20.485 (2) (f) of the statutes is created to read:

AB965,2,10 20.485 (2) (f) General fund supplement to veterans assistance program. Biennially, subject to s. 45.43 (3), the amounts in the schedule for the veterans assistance program under s. 45.43 (1).

AB965,4 Section 4. 45.43 (3) of the statutes is created to read:

AB965,3,16 45.43 (3) If the department receives a notification that the department will receive an amount of federal funds that is insufficient to continue providing all services for homeless veterans under this section, the department shall submit a request to the joint committee on finance for supplemental funds sufficient to replace the federal funds from the general fund to be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.485 (2) (f) to provide payments under this section. The department shall submit the request to the joint committee on finance within 90 days of receiving notification of the insufficient amount of federal funds. The joint committee on finance may, from the appropriation under s. 20.865 (4) (a), supplement the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (f) in an amount equal to the amount of supplemental funds stated in the request. If the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the department within 14 working days after the date of the department's request that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the request for a supplement, the supplement to the appropriation is approved. If, within 14 working days after the date of the department's notification, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the department that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed supplement, the supplement may occur only upon approval of the committee.

AB965,5 Section 5. 45.455 of the statutes is created to read:

AB965,3,22 45.455 Veterans outreach and recovery program. (1) To be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (c), the department shall administer a program to provide outreach, mental health services, and support to individuals who have a mental health condition or substance abuse disorder, and who meet one of the following conditions:

AB965,3,24 (a) Are serving in the national guard of any state or a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces.

AB965,4,4 (b) Served on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces, a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces, or the national guard of any state and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

AB965,4,6 (2) The eligibility requirements under s. 45.02 do not apply to an individual receiving services under sub. (1).

AB965,4,8 (3) The department may provide payments to facilitate the provision of services under sub. (1).

AB965,4,11 (4) Beginning on June 30, 2018, and quarterly thereafter, the department shall submit a report to the governor and the joint committee on finance that includes all of the following:

AB965,4,13 (a) The number of veterans served and the services provided to veterans under sub. (1).

AB965,4,15 (b) The types of insurance a veteran has at the time the veteran receives a service under sub. (1).

AB965,6 Section 6 . Nonstatutory provisions.

AB965,4,21 (1) Position authority. The authorized FTE positions for the department of veterans affairs are increased by 8.0 GPR FTE positions, to be funded from the appropriation under section 20.485 (2) (c) of the statutes, for the purpose of administering the program to provide outreach, mental health services, and support under section 45.455 of the statutes.

AB965,4,22 (End)