Wisconsin Legislature: 59,960

49.472 (4) (cm) For the purposes of par. (bm), an individual's adjusted earned and unearned monthly income is calculated by subtracting from the individual's earned and unearned monthly income his or her actual out-of-pocket medical and remedial expenses, long-term care costs, and impairment-related work expenses.

59,946 Section 946 . 49.472 (4) (dm) of the statutes is created to read:

49.472 (4) (dm) The department shall temporarily waive an individual's monthly premium under par. (am) and, if applicable, par. (bm) when the department determines that paying the premium would be an undue hardship on the individual.

59,947 Section 947 . 49.472 (4) (em) of the statutes is created to read:

49.472 (4) (em) If the department determines that a state plan amendment or waiver of federal Medicaid law is necessary to implement the premium methodology under this subsection and changes to the income and asset eligibility under sub. (3) and s. 49.47 (4) (c) 1., the department shall submit a state plan amendment or waiver request to the federal department of health and human services requesting those changes. If a state plan amendment or waiver is not necessary or if the federal department of health and human services does not disapprove the state plan amendment or waiver request, the department may implement subs. (3) and (4) and s. 49.47 (4) (c) 1. with any adjustments from the federal department of health and human services. If the federal department of health and human services disapproves the state plan amendment or waiver request in whole or in part, the department may implement the income and asset eligibility requirements and premium methodology under subs. (3) and (4), 2015 stats., and s. 49.47 (4) (c) 1., 2015 stats.

59,948 Section 948 . 49.472 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

49.472 (5) Community options participants. From the appropriation under s. 20.435 (4) (bd), the department may pay all or a portion of the monthly premium calculated under sub. (4) (a) for an individual who is a participant in the community options program under s. 46.27 (11).

59,949 Section 949 . 49.472 (6) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

49.472 (6) (a) Notwithstanding sub. (4) (a) 3., from the appropriation accounts under s. 20.435 (4) (b), (gm), or (w), the department shall, on the part of an individual who is eligible for medical assistance under sub. (3), pay premiums for or purchase individual coverage offered by the individual's employer if the department determines that paying the premiums for or purchasing the coverage will not be more costly than providing medical assistance.

59,950 Section 950 . 49.497 (1m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

49.497 (1m) (a) If, after notice that an incorrect payment was made, a recipient, or parent of a minor recipient, who is liable for repayment of an incorrect payment fails to repay the incorrect payment or enter into, or comply with, an agreement for repayment, the department may bring an action to enforce the liability or may issue an order to compel payment of the liability. The department shall issue the order to compel payment personally or by any type of mail service that requires a signature of acceptance from the recipient at the address of the person who is liable for repayment as it appears on the records of the department. The refusal or failure to accept or receive the order to compel payment by the person who is liable for repayment does not prevent the department from enforcing the order to compel repayment. Any person aggrieved by an order issued by the department under this paragraph may appeal the order as a contested case under ch. 227 by filing with the department a request for a hearing within 30 days after the date of the order. The only issue at the hearing shall be the determination by the department that the person has not repaid the incorrect payment or entered into, or complied with, an agreement for repayment.

59,951 Section 951 . 49.497 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

49.497 (1m) (b) If any recipient, or parent of a minor recipient, named in an order to compel payment issued under par. (a) fails to pay the department any amount due under the terms of the order and no contested case to review the order is pending and the time for filing for a contested case review has expired, the department may present a certified true and accurate copy of the order to the circuit court for any county. The sworn statement of the secretary An affidavit from the collections unit of the department responsible for recoveries under this section shall be evidence of the incorrect payment. The circuit court shall, without notice, render judgment in accordance with the order. A judgment rendered under this paragraph shall have the same effect and shall be entered in the judgment and lien docket and may be enforced in the same manner as if the judgment had been rendered in an action tried and determined by the circuit court.

59,952 Section 952 . 49.497 (1r) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

49.497 (1r) (a) The department may recover any penalty assessment not paid under s. 49.471 (9) (c) from the employer against which the penalty was assessed. If, after notice that payment of a penalty is overdue, the employer who is liable fails to pay the penalty amount, or enter into or comply with an agreement for payment, the department may bring an action to enforce the liability or may issue an order to compel payment of the liability. The department shall issue the order to compel payment personally or by any type of mail service that requires a signature of acceptance from the recipient at the address of the employer who is liable for repayment as it appears on the records of the department. The refusal or failure to accept or receive the order to compel payment by the employer who is liable for repayment does not prevent the department from enforcing the order to compel repayment. Any person aggrieved by an order issued by the department under this paragraph may appeal the order as a contested case under ch. 227 by filing with the department a request for a hearing within 30 days after the date of the order. The only issue at the hearing shall be the determination by the department that the person has not paid the penalty or entered into, or complied with, an agreement for payment.

59,953 Section 953 . 49.497 (1r) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

49.497 (1r) (b) If any employer named in an order to compel payment issued under par. (a) fails to pay the department any amount due under the terms of the order and no contested case to review the order is pending and the time for filing for a contested case review has expired, the department may present a certified true and accurate copy of the order to the circuit court for any county. The sworn statement of the secretary An affidavit from the collections unit of the department responsible for recoveries under this section shall be evidence of the failure to pay the penalty. The circuit court shall, without notice, render judgment in accordance with the order. A judgment rendered under this paragraph shall have the same effect and shall be entered in the judgment and lien docket and may be enforced in the same manner as if the judgment had been rendered in an action tried and determined by the circuit court.

59,954 Section 954 . 49.79 (1) (am) 4. of the statutes is renumbered 49.79 (1) (ap) 4.

59,955 Section 955 . 49.79 (1) (am) 5. of the statutes is renumbered 49.79 (1) (ap) 5.

59,957 Section 957 . 49.79 (1) (ap) (intro.) of the statutes is created to read:

49.79 (1) (ap) (intro.) “Able-bodied adult without dependents” means an able-bodied adult who is not any of the following:

59,958 Section 958 . 49.79 (1) (bg) of the statutes is created to read:

49.79 (1) (bg) “Custodial parent" has the meaning given in s. 49.141 (1) (b).

59,959 Section 959 . 49.79 (1) (em) of the statutes is created to read:

49.79 (1) (em) “Noncustodial parent" has the meaning given in s. 49.141 (1) (h).

59,960 Section 960 . 49.79 (1r) of the statutes is created to read:

49.79 (1r) Eligibility; asset limit. (a) In this subsection:

1. “Elderly, blind, or disabled individual” has the meaning given for “elderly or disabled member” in 7 USC 2012 (j).

2. “Household” has the meaning given in 7 USC 2012 (m).

3. “Liquid assets” means an individual's financial resources that are cash or can be converted to cash without incurring penalties, excluding the equity value of vehicles or of a home serving as the individual's primary residence. “Liquid assets” does not include any financial resources designated by the department by rule as excluded for the purposes of this subsection.

(b) Subject to par. (c), an individual who is not an elderly, blind, or disabled individual is ineligible to participate in the food stamp program in a month in which the household of which the individual is a member has liquid assets of more than $25,000.

(c) If necessary, the department shall request a waiver from the U.S. department of agriculture to implement this subsection. If the U.S. department of agriculture disapproves the waiver request, the department may not implement this subsection.

59,960c Section 960c. 49.79 (1t) of the statutes is created to read:

49.79 (1t) Financial record matching program. (a) Definitions. In this subsection:

1. “Account" means a demand deposit account, checking account, negotiable withdrawal order account, savings account, time deposit account, or money market mutual fund account.

2. “Financial institution" has the meaning given in s. 49.45 (4m) (a) 3.

3. “Other individual" means an individual whose resources are required by law to be disclosed to determine the eligibility of an applicant for or recipient of food stamp program benefits.

(b) Matching program and agreements. 1. The department shall operate a financial record matching program under this subsection for the purpose of verifying the assets of applicants for and recipients of food stamp program benefits and other individuals.

2. The department shall enter into agreements with financial institutions doing business in this state to operate the financial record matching program under this subsection. An agreement shall require the financial institution to participate in the financial record matching program by electing either the financial institution matching option under par. (c) or the state matching option under par. (d). Any changes to the conditions of the agreement shall be submitted by the financial institution or the department at least 60 days before the effective date of the change. The department shall furnish the financial institution with a signed copy of the agreement.

3. The department shall reimburse a financial institution up to $125 per calendar quarter for participating in the financial record matching program under this subsection, except that a financial institution that is also participating in the financial record matching program under s. 49.45 (4m) is eligible for reimbursement under only the program under s. 49.45 (4m).

4. To the extent feasible, the information to be exchanged under the matching program shall be provided by electronic data exchange as prescribed by the department in the agreement under subd. 2.

(c) Financial institution matching option. If a financial institution with which the department has an agreement under par. (b) elects the financial institution matching option under this paragraph, all of the following apply:

1. At least once each calendar quarter, the department shall provide to the financial institution, in the manner specified in the agreement under par. (b) 2., information regarding applicants for and recipients of food stamp program benefits and other individuals. The information shall include names and social security or other taxpayer identification numbers.

2. Based on the information received under subd. 1., the financial institution shall take actions necessary to determine whether any applicant for or recipient of food stamp program benefits or other individual has an ownership interest in an account maintained at the financial institution. If the financial institution determines that an applicant, recipient, or other individual has an ownership interest in an account at the financial institution, the financial institution shall provide the department with a notice containing the applicant's, recipient's, or other individual's name, address of record, social security number or other taxpayer identification number, and account information. The account information shall include the account number, the account type, the nature of the ownership interest in the account, and the balance of the account at the time that the record match is made. The notice under this subdivision shall be provided in the manner specified in the agreement under par. (b) 2. and, to the extent feasible, by an electronic data exchange.

(d) State matching option. If a financial institution with which the department has an agreement under par. (b) elects the state matching option under this paragraph, all of the following apply:

1. At least once each calendar quarter, the financial institution shall provide the department with information concerning all accounts maintained at the financial institution. For each account maintained at the financial institution, the financial institution shall notify the department of the name and social security number or other tax identification number of each person having an ownership interest in the account, together with a description of each person's interest. The information required under this subdivision shall be provided in the manner specified in the agreement under par. (b) 2. and, to the extent feasible, by an electronic data exchange.

2. The department shall take actions necessary to determine whether any applicant for or recipient of food stamp program benefits or other individual has an ownership interest in an account maintained at the financial institution providing information under subd. 1. Upon the request of the department, the financial institution shall provide to the department, for each applicant, recipient, or other individual who matches information provided by the financial institution under subd. 1., the address of record, the account number and account type, and the balance of the account.

(e) Use of information by financial institution; penalty. A financial institution participating in the financial record matching program under this subsection, and the employees, agents, officers, and directors of the financial institution, may use information received from the department under par. (c) only for the purpose of matching records and may use information provided by the department in requesting additional information under par. (d) only for the purpose of providing the additional information. Neither the financial institution nor any employee, agent, officer, or director of the financial institution may disclose or retain information received from the department concerning applicants for or recipients of food stamp program benefits or other individuals. Any person who violates this paragraph may be fined not less than $50 nor more than $1,000 or imprisoned in the county jail for not less than 10 days or more than one year or both.

(f) Use of information by department. The department may use information provided by a financial institution under this subsection only for matching records under par. (d), for administering the financial record matching program under this subsection, and for determining eligibility or continued eligibility under this subchapter. The department may not disclose or retain information received from a financial institution under this subsection concerning account holders who are not applicants for or recipients of food stamp program benefits or other individuals.

(g) Financial institution liability. A financial institution is not liable to any person for disclosing information to the department under this subsection or for any other action that the financial institution takes in good faith to comply with this subsection.

59,961 Section 961 . 49.79 (6m) of the statutes is created to read:

49.79 (6m) Eligibility denial; child support noncompliance. (a) In this subsection, what constitutes a refusal to cooperate is determined by the department in accordance with 7 USC 2015 (l) and (m) and any federal regulations promulgated under 7 USC 2015 (l) and (m).

(b) An individual is ineligible to participate in the food stamp program in a month in which any of the following is true:

1. The individual satisfies all of the following:

a. The individual is a custodial parent of or lives with and exercises parental control over a child who is under the age of 18 and who has an absent parent.

b. The individual refuses to cooperate fully, in good faith, with efforts directed at establishing or enforcing any support order or obtaining any other payments or property to which that individual or the child may have rights.

c. The individual does not have good cause for refusing to cooperate, as determined by the department in accordance with 7 USC 2015 (l) (2) and any federal regulations promulgated under 7 USC 2015 (l) (2).

2. The individual is a noncustodial parent of a child under the age of 18 and the individual refuses to cooperate in providing or obtaining support for the child.

59,962 Section 962 . 49.79 (6q) of the statutes is created to read:

49.79 (6q) Eligibility denial; paternity. (a) In this subsection, the department shall determine what constitutes a refusal to cooperate in accordance with 7 USC 2015 (l) and (m) and any federal regulations promulgated under 7 USC 2015 (l) and (m).

(b) An individual is ineligible to participate in the food stamp program in a month in which any of the following is true:

1. The individual satisfies all of the following:

a. The individual is a custodial parent of or lives with and exercises parental control over a child who is under the age of 18 and who has an absent parent.

b. The individual refuses to cooperate fully, in good faith, with applicable efforts directed at establishing the paternity of the child.

2. The individual is one of the following and refuses to cooperate fully, in good faith, with efforts directed at establishing the paternity of the child:

a. Alleged to be the father under s. 767.80 of a child under the age of 18.

b. A noncustodial parent of a child under the age of 18 for whom paternity has not been established.

59,963 Section 963 . 49.79 (6t) of the statutes is created to read:

49.79 (6t) Eligibility denial; delinquent support. An individual is ineligible to participate in the food stamp program in a month in which the individual is obligated by court order to provide support payments and is delinquent in making those court-ordered payments, unless any of the following is true:

(a) The delinquency balance equals less than 3 months of the court-ordered support payment amount.

(b) A court or a county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) is allowing the individual to delay the child support payments.

(c) The individual is complying with a payment plan approved by a county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) to provide support for the child of the individual.

(d) The individual is participating in an employment and training program, as determined by the department.

59,963b Section 963b. 49.79 (6u) of the statutes is created to read:

49.79 (6u) Implementation of paternity and child support requirements. (a) The department may not implement sub. (6m), (6q), or (6t) unless all of the following are satisfied with respect to that subsection:

1. The department of children and families determines that the requirement of the subsection as it pertains to child support and paternity order establishment and compliance is able to be implemented in a way that is substantially state budget neutral in regard to child support fees.

2. The department of health services or the department of children and families has obtained any necessary approval from the federal government to implement the subsection in a budget-neutral manner in regard to child support fees.

3. The department of health services and the department of children and families have notified the governor and the joint committee on finance that the subsection may be implemented in a budget-neutral manner in regard to child support fees and that all necessary federal approval is obtained.

(b) If the criteria under par. (a) for sub. (6m), (6q), or (6t) are satisfied to be implemented, the applicable subsection takes effect on the first day of the 6th month beginning after the date that the department of children and families has made the notification to the governor and the joint committee on finance under par. (a) 3.

59,964 Section 964 . 49.79 (9) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

49.79 (9) (a) 1. The department shall administer an employment and training program for recipients under the food stamp program and may contract with county departments under ss. 46.215, 46.22, and 46.23, multicounty consortia, local workforce development boards established under 29 USC 2832, tribal governing bodies, or other organizations to carry out the administrative functions. A county department, multicounty consortium, local workforce development board, tribal governing body, or other organization may subcontract with a Wisconsin Works agency or another provider to administer the employment and training program under this subsection. Except as provided in subds. 2. and 3., the department may require able individuals who are 18 to 60 years of age, or a subset of those individuals to the extent allowed by the federal government, who are not participants in a Wisconsin Works employment position to participate in the employment and training program under this subsection.

59,964d Section 964d. 49.79 (9) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

49.79 (9) (e) The department shall ensure that all applicants for and recipients of the food stamp program are provided information about the employment and training program under this subsection at least once every 6 months and that all able-bodied adults without dependents are referred to the employment and training program under this subsection regardless of whether they are required to comply with a work requirement.

59,965 Section 965 . 49.79 (10) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

49.79 (10) (title) Eligibility and work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents .

59,966 Section 966 . 49.79 (10) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

49.79 (10) (a) 1. The department shall require an able-bodied adult without dependents who is participating in the food stamp program to fulfill the work requirement defined under 7 CFR 273.24 (a) (1).

59,967 Section 967 . 49.79 (10) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read: