State Representative
10th Assembly District
__________________
February 13, 2012
Patrick Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
17 West Main Street, Suite 401
Madison, WI 53703
Dear Patrick:
I am pleased to transmit to you the following reports to the 2011 Legislature on legislation introduced by the Joint Legislative Council as well as activities of this committee:
RL 2011-13 Special Committee on Health Care Access (2011 Senate Bill 450).
I would appreciate your including this letter in the Journal for the information of the membership. Additional copies of these reports are available at the Legislative Council Staff offices, One East Main, Suite 401, or from our web page at
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lc.
Sincerely,
Terry C. Anderson
Joint Legislative Council
Director
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Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health Services
Department of Children and Families
Madison
February 1, 2012
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
In
1997 Act 27, the 1997-99 Biennial Budget, the Legislature established requirements in state law intended to strengthen protections for children and vulnerable adults in organized care settings. The provisions require, among other things, that designated caregivers conduct background checks on all new and existing staff and bar them from employing anyone who has committed certain crimes or acts. Effective July 1, 2008, the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) became the Department of Health Services (DHS) and the DHFS Division of Children and Family Services became the Department of Children and Families (DCF). DHS, DCF and (for certain child care providers) counties and local school boards must perform checks on a provider before issuing a license or other credential. Individuals who have committed prohibited crimes or acts may apply to DHS and/or DCF, counties, or school boards for a waiver of the employment or licensing bans upon evidence of rehabilitation.
Sections
48.685 (5g) and
50.065 (5g) of the Wisconsin Statutes direct DHS and DCF to submit an annual report to the legislature that specifies the number of persons who have sought waivers of employment or licensing bans by requesting to demonstrate that they have been rehabilitated. The report must also specify the number of requests that were approved and the reasons for the success or failure of the requests. DHS has continued to utilize the skills, support and knowledge of its personnel to process all rehabilitation review applications and we are, therefore, submitting a joint report. Attached is the report for 2011.
Questions about this report should be referred to the Department of Health Services, Sandra Rowe, Deputy Chief Legal Counsel, at 608-266-0355.
Sincerely,
Dennis G. Smith
Secretary
Department of Health Services
Eloise Anderson
Secretary
Department of Children and Families
Referred to committee on Health.
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Representative Kramer moved that the Assembly stand adjourned until 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, February 16.
The question was: Shall the Assembly stand adjourned?
Motion carried.
The Assembly stood adjourned.
3:35 P.M.
