AB943: Bill Text

LRB-5453/2

GMM:skg&mkd:jlb

1995 - 1996 LEGISLATURE

1995 Assembly BILL 943

February 26, 1996 - Introduced by Representatives Ladwig, L. Young and Turner, cosponsored by Senators Petak and Welch. Referred to Committee on Children and Families.

AB943,1,2 An Act to create 46.48 (27) of the statutes; relating to: a grant for community programs for a fathers initiative and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the department of health and social services (DHSS), to be renamed the department of health and family services (DHFS) effective on July 1, 1996, distributes grants for community programs to various organizations for various purposes. Currently, DHSS distributes grants for community programs to such organizations as the career youth development center in the city of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee police athletic league and for such purposes as alcohol and other drug abuse treatment, prisoner reintegration and community improvement job training.

This bill requires DHFS to distribute $500,000 in fiscal year 1996-97 as grants to organizations to provide programs to connect fathers with their children (fathers initiative). Under those programs, the organizations must target children, regardless of age, gender or family income, who have no adult male role model available; target fathers who are appropriate for establishing a parent-child relationship and ensure that the custodial parent or guardian agrees to the establishment of that relationship; recruit volunteers to work with fathers and their children to assist them in establishing a parent-child relationship; and coordinate the program with other programs and resources in the community. Under the bill, DHFS may award fathers initiative grants only to organizations that operate in counties that have a high percentage of children living in single-parent households and that have a high rate of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB943, s. 1 Section 1. 46.48 (27) of the statutes is created to read:

AB943,2,5 46.48 (27) Fathers initiative. (a) The department shall distribute $500,000 in fiscal year 1996-97 as grants to organizations to provide programs to connect fathers with their children. Under those programs, the organizations receiving grants shall do all of the following:

AB943,2,7 1. Target children, regardless of age, gender or family income, who have no adult male role model available.

AB943,2,10 2. Target fathers who are appropriate for establishing a parent-child relationship and ensure that the child's custodial parent or guardian agrees to the establishment of that relationship.

AB943,2,13 3. Recruit volunteers to work individually and in groups with fathers and their children to assist those fathers and children in establishing a parent-child relationship.

AB943,2,15 4. Coordinate the program with other programs and resources in the community.

AB943,2,19 (b) The department may award grants under par. (a) only to organizations that operate in counties that have a high percentage of children living in single-parent households and that have a high rate of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect.

AB943,2,25 (c) The department shall provide application procedures and selection criteria for awarding the grants under par. (a) in accordance with the department's request-for-proposal procedures. Before requesting proposals for the grants under par. (a), the department shall obtain the secretary of administration's approval of the department's proposed application procedures and selection criteria for the awarding of those grants.

AB943,3,4 (d) The department shall require all organizations applying for grants under par. (a) to submit as part of their grant applications a plan that describes what other funding sources will be available to support the program when funding under par. (a) is eliminated.

AB943, s. 2 Section 2. Appropriation changes; health and family services.

AB943,3,11 (1) Fathers initiative. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of health and family services under section 20.435 (7) (bc) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1995, the dollar amount is increased by $500,000 for fiscal year 1996-97 to increase funding for grants for community programs for the fathers initiative under section 46.48 (27) of the statutes.

AB943, s. 3 Section 3. Effective date.

AB943,3,14 (1) This act takes effect on July 1, 1996, or on the day after publication, whichever is later.

AB943,3,15 (End)