Committee on Senate Organization
January 17, 1996
The Honorable, The Senate:
Pursuant to Senate Rule
20, I have made the following appointment to Committee:
To the Council on Information Technology, Senator Gwendolynne Moore.
With regards to members of the minority party, the appointment reflects recommendations of that caucus.
Sincerely,
Michael Ellis
Chair
Legislative Audit Bureau
January 23, 1996
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed our review of the Preadmission Screening and Annual Resident Review (PASARR) process, which is administered by the Department of Health and Social Services. The process, which is federally required for all states participating in the Medical Assistance (MA) program, is used to screen nursing home applicants and residents for serious mental illness and developmental disabilities. PASARR screening requirements apply to both MA and privately paying individuals. The Department expended a total of $5.1 million on the program in 1994, $3.9 million of which was paid to five contractors.
Although some of the federal requirements, such as requiring every nursing home resident to be screened annually for developmental disability, appear to be unnecessary, it appears the Department has little latitude in implementing the program. It is evident, however, that the Department should have exercised more control over the establishment of reimbursement rates for the provision of second-level screening. Because control was limited, three of the five contractors were apparently overcompensated by more that $1.5 million in 1994. Of this amount, more than $1.2 million was paid to one contractor. According to an audit filed with the Department by the contractor, its sole officer was compensated more than $1 million in 1994, with additional payments made for payroll taxes and retirement benefits.
The Department is currently seeking to recoup the overpayments. However, two of the three contractors, including the contractor from which the Department is seeking to recoup more than $1.2 million, have challenged the Department's authority to recoup any of the funds. According to department staff, the third contractor, from which the Department is seeking $200, 514, is working cooperatively to reach a settlement. It is expected that the Department will undertake a similar recoupment effort for the 1995 contract year because identical contracts were in place.
Finally, although the Department has developed a data base designed to provide information about the outcomes of the PASARR program, the information generated is inconsistent. Therefore, it is not possible to provide definitive information about the outcomes of the screening process, such as how many individuals were removed or diverted from nursing homes as a result of it.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by staff of the Department of Health and Social Services during the course of this review.
Sincerely,
Dale Cattanach
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Department of Corrections
January 22, 1996
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As required under Section
301.03 (6r) of the Wisconsin Statutes, I am submitting information relative to the number of prisoners the Department of Corrections considers violent and the total number of prisoners.
On December 31, 1995, the Department had 11,410 adult
inmates assigned to Type "1" prisons. Out of the 11,410 inmates, 8,827 or 77.3% had assaultive offenses.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Sullivan
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Social Services
January 19, 1996
The Honorable, The Senate:
1993 Wisconsin Act 16, Section
9126 (15d) provided funds to establish a pilot program for family preservation intensive in-home services for the purpose of preventing out-of-home placements of children who have been abused and/or neglected. Act 16 also directed the Department of Health and Social Services to evaluate the pilot and to submit an interim report of the evaluation to the governor and to the appropriate committees by July 1, 1996 and a final report by January 1, 1998.
Beginning January 1, 1996, the funding for this pilot was incorporated into the Community Aids allocation for the ten pilot counties. The pilot status ended and, therefore, the evaluation ended. Staff from the Office of Policy and Budget and the Bureau for Children, Youth and Families have agreed to submit a final report of the pilot at this time. The attached report fulfills that agreement.
Sincerely,
Joe Leean
Secretary
Referred to committee on Health, Human Services and Aging.
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
January 23, 1995
To the Honorable the Senate:
At the direction of s.
13.685(7), Wisconsin Statutes, I am notifying you of changes in the Ethics Board's records of licensed lobbyists and their employers.
Organization's authorization of additional lobbyists:
The following organizations previously registered with the Ethics Board as employers of lobbyists have authorized to act on their behalf these additional licensed lobbyists:
Aurora Health Care, Inc
Bartels, Peggy
Automobile Manufacturers Assn, American
Stitt, Donald
Hagerup, Christopher
Elliott, Brian
Farmers Union, Wisconsin
Nispel, David
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
Hanson, Thomas
Jablonski, Ann
Paper Council, Wisconsin
Rice, Scott
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin
Jablonski, Ann
Vagts, Amalia
S549
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Inc
Vagts, Amalia
Railway Progress Institute
Bergersen, Gunnar
Sanifill of Wisconsin (formerly Land Reclamation)
Essie, Patrick
Strong Capital Management, Inc.
Elliott, Brian
Termination of lobbying authorizations:
The following individuals are no longer authorized to lobby on behalf of the organizations listed below, as of the dates indicated.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin
Kelley, Helen 1/12/96
Sandve, Allison 1/12/96
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Inc
Kelley, Helen 1/1/96
Sandve, Allison 1/1/96
Schreiber Foods, Inc.
Burns, Kathleen 1/18/96
Organization's cessation of lobbying activity:
The following organization previously registered with the Ethics Board as an employer of a lobbyist has indicated a cessation of all lobbying activity effective on the date shown.
Plastic Container Recovery, National Assn for 1/23/96
Mitchell, Brian 1/16/96
Organization's modification or amendment of records:
The registered organization listed below has indicated the following modification to its records:
Land Reclamation Co (old name) changed its name to
