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LRB-0307/P2
EHS:kjf:jf
2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Major, BB0057 - Funding allocation for administration of Wisconsin Shares
For 2015-2017 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
health and human services
Wisconsin Works
The Wisconsin Works (W-2) program under current law, which is administered by DCF, provides work experience and benefits for low-income custodial parents who are at least 18 years old. Also, an individual who is the parent of a child under the age of 13 or, if the child is disabled, under the age of 19, who needs child care services to participate in various educational or work activities, and who satisfies other eligibility criteria may receive a child care subsidy for child care services under the W-2 program. This child care subsidy program is known as Wisconsin Shares.
Under current law, in all areas of the state except Milwaukee County, DCF must enter into a contract with a county department or agency to make an initial determination about whether individuals who are in a particular geographic region or who are members of a particular Indian tribal unit are eligible for the child care subsidies under Wisconsin Shares. Also under current law, the same county department or agency must administer Wisconsin Shares for that geographic region or Indian tribal unit. Current law requires DCF, to the extent practicable and with certain restrictions, to allocate funds for the administration of Wisconsin Shares in a geographic region or Indian tribal unit in the same proportion as the geographic region's or Indian tribal unit's proportionate share of all statewide child care subsidy authorizations and eligibility redeterminations in the 12-month period prior to the start of the contract period.
Under this bill, DCF has the option to make child care subsidy eligibility determinations, to contract with a county department or agency to make these determinations, or to contract with a county department or agency to share in making these determinations. The bill clarifies that, if DCF contracts with a county department or agency for the eligibility determination function, DCF must allocate funds for this function under the contract. When allocating these funds, the bill allows DCF to take into consideration trends in applications, a county department's or agency's past eligibility determination expenditures, the respective portions of the eligibility determination function to be performed by DCF and the county department or agency, and any other factor DCF determines.
This bill also changes the funding allocation for the administration of Wisconsin Shares. The bill requires DCF to allocate funds for a county department's or agency's administration of Wisconsin Shares in the same proportion as the geographic region's or Indian tribal unit's proportionate share of all funding allocated for eligibility determination functions. Alternatively, the bill allows DCF to elect to allocate these funds in the same proportion as the geographic region's or Indian tribal unit's proportionate share of all children for whom a child care subsidy was issued in the most recent 12-month period for which applicable statistics are available prior to the start of the contract period.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. 49.155 (1m) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
49.155 (1m) Eligibility. (intro.) Except as provided in s. 49.155 (3g), the department shall determine, contract with a county department or agency to determine, or contract with a county department or agency to share determination of the eligibility of individuals residing in a particular geographic region or who are members of a particular Indian tribal unit for child care subsidies under this section. Under this section, an individual may receive a subsidy for child care for a child who has not attained the age of 13 or, if the child is disabled, who has not attained the age of 19, if the individual meets all of the following conditions:
Section 2. 49.155 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
49.155 (3) Child care local administration. (intro.) Except as provided in sub. (3g), the a county department or agency with which the department contracts under sub. (1m) to determine eligibility in a particular geographic region or for a particular Indian tribal unit shall administer child care assistance in that geographic region or for that tribal unit. For the administration of child care assistance under this section, the department may require the county department or agency to do all of the following:
Section 3. 49.155 (3m) (am) of the statutes is created to read:
49.155 (3m) (am) If the department contracts with a county department or agency under sub. (1m), the department shall allocate funds for the eligibility determination function under the contract. When allocating these funds, the department may consider trends in applications, a county department's or agency's past eligibility determination expenditures, the respective portions of the eligibility determination function to be performed by the department and the county department or agency, and any other factor determined by the department.
Section 4. 49.155 (3m) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
49.155 (3m) (b) 1. Subject to subds. 2. and 3., the department shall, to the extent practicable, allocate funds to a contract entered into under sub. (1m) for the administration of the program under sub. (3) in the same proportion as the geographic region's or Indian tribal unit's proportionate share of all statewide subsidy authorizations and eligibility redeterminations under sub. (3) (e) funding allocated under par. (am) for eligibility determination functions during the contract period or, if the department elects, in the same proportion as the geographic region's or Indian tribal unit's proportionate share of all children for whom a subsidy was provided under this section in the most recent 12-month period for which applicable statistics are available before the start of the contract period.
Section 9306. Initial applicability; Children and Families.
(1) Wisconsin Shares eligibility and funding. The treatment of section 49.155 (1m) (intro.), (3) (intro.), and (3m) (am) and (b) 1. of the statutes first applies to a contract made between the department of children and families and a county department or agency for a contract period beginning on October 1, 2015.
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