DHS 149.08(4)(a)(a) Only the authorized vendor may use the vendor stamp to validate a WIC check.
DHS 149.08(4)(b)
(b) The authorized vendor shall keep the vendor stamp in a safe place and shall report loss of the vendor stamp to the state WIC office within 2 days of the loss.
DHS 149.08 Note
Note: Report the loss of a WIC vendor stamp to the State WIC Office, Vendor Management, at 608-266-6912.
DHS 149.08(4)(d)
(d) The authorized vendor shall return the vendor stamp to the state WIC office within 15 days following a change of ownership, upon closing the store, or upon disqualification of authorization under
ss. DHS 149.10 and
149.11.
DHS 149.08 Note
Note: Return the vendor stamp to the State WIC Office, Vendor Management, Division of Public Health, P.O. Box 2659, Madison, WI 53701-2659.
DHS 149.08(5)(a)(a) A vendor may use the acronym “WIC" or the WIC logo to identify the vendor as an authorized vendor and to identify authorized foods in the store.
DHS 149.08(5)(b)
(b) No vendor may include the acronym “WIC" in the name under which the vendor is registered in the WIC program or in the name under which the vendor does business.
DHS 149.08(5)(c)
(c) No vendor may include the WIC logo, or close facsimiles of the WIC logo, in total or in part, in the name under which the vendor is registered in the WIC program or in the name under which the vendor does business.
DHS 149.08(6)(a)(a) At least 15 days before a change of location, name, address, management, corporate officers or majority stockholders the vendor shall report the change in writing to the state WIC office or its designee on a form provided by that office.
DHS 149.08(6)(b)
(b) A new location within a 5-mile radius of the vendor's previous authorized location with the previous location being closed, will not require a new application for authorization. If the new location is more than a 5 mile radius of the vendor's previous location and the previous location is not being closed, a new application for authorization will be required.
DHS 149.08(7)
(7) Services to participants. The authorized vendor shall offer a participant or the participant's proxy the same courtesies offered to other customers, and treat a participant and the participant's proxy in accordance with non-discrimination requirements under
7 CFR 15, subpart A.
DHS 149.08(8)
(8) Training. The vendor or least one designee from each authorized location shall satisfactorily complete any training sessions required by the state WIC office or the state WIC office designee. The authorized vendor shall ensure that all employees who process WIC checks are trained in check processing procedures.
DHS 149.08(9)
(9) Vendor responsibility for operations. An authorized vendor or vendor applicant is responsible for violations of this chapter committed by its owners, officers, managers, employees, agents, representatives or other individuals who directly or indirectly participate in the vendor's operations.
DHS 149.08(10)
(10) Reporting of participant noncompliance. A vendor shall report to the state WIC office or its designee on a form provided by the office any instance in which a participant fails to comply with WIC requirements.
DHS 149.08 History
History: CR 07-115: cr.
Register June 2008 No. 630, eff. 7-1-08;
correction in (1) (a) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register July 2011 No. 667. DHS 149.09(1)
(1) The state WIC office or the state WIC office designee may monitor a vendor at any time during a contract period including compliance buys, inventory audits, or routine on-site inspections.
DHS 149.09(2)
(2) When, during the course of a single monitoring, the state WIC office determines an authorized vendor has committed multiple violations, the state WIC office shall impose the sanction corresponding to the most serious violation under
s. DHS 149.10 or
149.11.
DHS 149.09 History
History: CR 07-115: cr.
Register June 2008 No. 630, eff. 7-1-08.
DHS 149.10
DHS 149.10 Mandatory vendor disqualification. DHS 149.10(1)(a)1.1. The state WIC office shall permanently disqualify a vendor from participation in the WIC program if the vendor is convicted of providing cash in exchange for a WIC check or of selling a firearm, ammunition, explosive or controlled substance in exchange for a WIC check. Disqualification of a vendor shall be effective upon the postmark date of the notice of administrative action by the state WIC office to the vendor's address of record.
DHS 149.10(1)(a)2.
2. A civil money penalty may not be imposed in lieu of a disqualification under this subsection.
DHS 149.10(1)(b)
(b) A vendor may not receive compensation from the WIC program for revenues lost as a result of a disqualification under
par. (a).
DHS 149.10(2)
(2) Mandatory six year disqualification. Unless a determination is made under
s. DHS 149.12 (1) that disqualification would result in inadequate participant access, the state WIC office shall disqualify a vendor from participation in the WIC program for 6 years for any one of the following:
DHS 149.10(2)(b)
(b) One incident of selling in exchange for a WIC check a firearm, ammunition, an explosive, or a controlled substance as defined in
21 USC 802.
DHS 149.10(3)
(3) Mandatory three year disqualification. Unless a determination is made under
s. DHS 149.12 (1) that disqualification would result in inadequate participant access, the state WIC office shall disqualify a vendor from participation in the WIC program for 3 years for any one of the following:
DHS 149.10(3)(a)
(a) One incident of selling in exchange for a WIC check, alcohol, an alcoholic beverage or a tobacco product.
DHS 149.10(3)(b)1.
1. Claiming reimbursement for the sale of a specific authorized food in an amount that exceeds the vendor's documented inventory of that food for the same period of time.
DHS 149.10(3)(b)2.
2. Intentionally or unintentionally charging a participant or the participant's proxy more for authorized food than non-participants are charged for authorized food.
DHS 149.10(3)(b)3.
3. Charging a participant or the participant's proxy more than the current shelf price for an authorized food.
DHS 149.10(3)(b)4.
4. Receiving or redeeming a WIC check outside of authorized channels, including receiving or redeeming a WIC check for a vendor that is not an authorized vendor; redeeming a WIC check for food purchased at an address other than the store address that appears on the authorized vendor's application; or depositing a WIC check into a bank account other than the authorized vendor's bank account.
DHS 149.10(3)(b)5.
5. Charging for authorized food not received by a WIC participant or the participant's proxy.
DHS 149.10(3)(b)6.
6. Providing in exchange for a WIC check, credit or non-food items other than alcohol, an alcoholic beverage, a tobacco product, cash, a firearm, ammunition, explosive, or controlled substance as defined in
21 USC 802.
DHS 149.10(4)
(4) Mandatory one year disqualification. Unless a determination is made under
s. DHS 149.12 (1) that disqualification would result in inadequate participant access, the state WIC office shall disqualify a vendor from participation in the WIC program for one year for any one of the following:
DHS 149.10(4)(a)
(a) Three or more incidents of providing unauthorized food in exchange for a WIC check.
DHS 149.10(4)(b)
(b) Three or more incidents of charging for authorized food provided in excess of the amount of food listed on the WIC check.
DHS 149.10(5)
(5) Second mandatory disqualification. When a vendor who previously has received a mandatory disqualification receives a second subsequent mandatory disqualification, the state WIC office shall impose a double period of disqualification.
DHS 149.10(6)
(6) Third or subsequent mandatory disqualification. When a vendor who has received 2 or more mandatory disqualifications receives another subsequent mandatory disqualification, the state WIC office shall double the third period of disqualification and all subsequent periods of disqualification.
DHS 149.10(7)
(7) Prior notification. For violations listed in
subs. (3) (b) and
(4), the state WIC office shall notify the authorized vendor of the initial violation prior to documenting another violation, unless the state WIC office determines that notifying the authorized vendor would compromise an investigation.
DHS 149.10 History
History: CR 07-115: cr.
Register June 2008 No. 630, eff. 7-1-08.
DHS 149.11
DHS 149.11 Discretionary vendor sanctions. DHS 149.11(1)
(1)
Up to one year disqualification. The state WIC office may send a warning letter to the vendor, require training for designated vendor personnel, require implementation of a corrective action plan, require payment of a forfeiture, require recoupment, disqualify the vendor for no more than one year, or impose any combination of sanctions for any one of the following violations:
DHS 149.11(1)(b)
(b) Failing to implement a corrective action plan imposed by the state WIC office.
DHS 149.11(2)
(2) Up to 6 month disqualification. The state WIC office may send a warning letter to the vendor, require training for designated vendor personnel, require implementation of a corrective action plan, require payment of a forfeiture, require recoupment, disqualify the vendor for no more than 6 months, or impose any combination of sanctions for any one of the following violations:
DHS 149.11(2)(a)
(a) Failing to comply with WIC check processing and redemption procedures described in the agreement.
DHS 149.11(2)(b)
(b) Failing to mark or affix the prices of authorized food directly on food containers, on the shelves in close proximity to the food, or in the immediate area where the foods are kept in the customer area of the store.
DHS 149.11(2)(c)
(c) Stocking or selling foods that are not fresh and have expired dates or codes of freshness use-by date in the customer area.
DHS 149.11(2)(d)
(d) Failing to complete training as required by the state WIC office or the state WIC office designee.
DHS 149.11(2)(e)
(e) Failing to maintain the grocery store or pharmacy in a clean, orderly and safe condition.
DHS 149.11(2)(f)
(f) Failing to provide all information requested during the application process and contract period by the state WIC office or the state WIC office designee within the timeframes specified in the request for information.
DHS 149.11(2)(h)
(h) Failing to provide to a WIC participant or the participant's proxy the same courtesies as offered to other customers based on the person's status as a WIC participant.
DHS 149.11 History
History: CR 07-115: cr.
Register June 2008 No. 630, eff. 7-1-08.
DHS 149.12
DHS 149.12 Civil money penalty in lieu of disqualification. DHS 149.12(1)(1) Under
s. DHS 149.10 (2) to
(4), if the state WIC office determines that disqualification of the authorized vendor would result in inadequate participant access, the state WIC office shall impose a civil money penalty in lieu of disqualification. A civil money penalty may not be imposed in lieu of a disqualification under
s. DHS 149.10 (1).
DHS 149.12(2)
(2) The state WIC office shall use the formula under
7 CFR 246.12 to calculate a civil money penalty imposed in lieu of disqualification for violations in
s. DHS 149.10 (2) to
(4). The civil money penalty may not exceed $10,000 for each violation. When during the course of a single investigation the state WIC office determines a vendor has committed multiple violations, the state WIC office shall impose a civil money penalty for each of the violations, not to exceed $40,000 for a single investigation.
DHS 149.12(3)
(3) If a vendor does not pay, only partially pays, or fails to timely pay a civil money penalty, the state WIC office shall disqualify the vendor for the length of the disqualification corresponding to the most serious violation for which the civil money penalty was assessed.
DHS 149.12(4)
(4) The state WIC office may use installment plans for the collection of civil money penalties.
DHS 149.12(5)
(5) The state WIC office may double civil money penalties up to the limits allowed under
sub. (2).
DHS 149.12(6)
(6) The state WIC office may not impose a civil money penalty in lieu of disqualification for third or subsequent violations that mandate disqualification.
DHS 149.12 History
History: CR 07-115: cr.
Register June 2008 No. 630, eff. 7-1-08.
DHS 149.13
DHS 149.13 Recoupment. The state WIC office may recoup excess payments made to the vendor, as verified by the state WIC office, resulting from the vendor's violation of
s. DHS 149.10. If a recoupment is imposed, the state WIC office shall also impose an enforcement assessment of 50 percent of the amount of the recoupment imposed.
DHS 149.13 History
History: CR 07-115: cr.
Register June 2008 No. 630, eff. 7-1-08.
DHS 149.14
DHS 149.14 Reciprocal food stamp program actions. DHS 149.14(1)(1) The state WIC office shall disqualify from the WIC program a vendor who is disqualified from the food stamp program.
DHS 149.14(2)
(2) The state WIC office shall impose a civil money penalty in lieu of a disqualification for a food stamp disqualification if the state WIC office determines that WIC disqualification would result in inadequate participant access.
DHS 149.14(3)
(3) The state WIC office may disqualify a vendor who has had a civil money penalty imposed by the food stamp program in lieu of disqualification.
DHS 149.14 History
History: CR 07-115: cr.
Register June 2008 No. 630, eff. 7-1-08.
DHS 149.15
DHS 149.15 Written notice. The state WIC office shall begin an adverse action, including disqualification, denial, or imposition of a civil money penalty, forfeiture, recoupment or enforcement assessment by serving upon the vendor a written notice of the action which shall include applicable appeal rights. With the exception of actions under
s. DHS 149.10 (1), the service shall be made by certified mail or personal delivery at least 15 days in advance of the effective date of the action described in the notice.
DHS 149.15 History
History: CR 07-115: cr.
Register June 2008 No. 630, eff. 7-1-08.
DHS 149.16
DHS 149.16 Voluntary withdrawal or non-renewal of agreement. Except as provided in the discretionary sanctions listed in
s. DHS 149.11, the state WIC office may not accept an authorized vendor's voluntary withdrawal from the WIC program, or use non-renewal of the vendor contract as an alternative to disqualification.
DHS 149.16 History
History: CR 07-115: cr.
Register June 2008 No. 630, eff. 7-1-08.
DHS 149.17
DHS 149.17 Summary suspension. If the department finds that public health, safety or welfare imperatively requires emergency action and incorporates a finding to that effect in its order, summary suspension of WIC authorization may be ordered pending proceedings for revocation or other action. Such proceedings shall be promptly instituted and determined.
DHS 149.17 History
History: CR 07-115: cr.
Register June 2008 No. 630, eff. 7-1-08.
