AB694: Bill Text

LRB-4484/1

TAY:jlg:lp

1997 - 1998 LEGISLATURE

1997 Assembly BILL 694

January 6, 1998 - Introduced by Representatives Plouff, Bock, Notestein, Boyle, Black, R. Young, Huber, L. Young, Staskunas, Turner, Gronemus, J. Lehman, Cullen, Hanson, Hasenohrl, Morris-Tatum, Baldwin and R. Potter, cosponsored by Senators Jauch, Moen and Moore. Referred to Committee on Wisconsin Works Oversight.

AB694,1,2 An Act to create 49.147 (5m) of the statutes; relating to: technical college for certain Wisconsin works participants.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Currently, under the Wisconsin works (W-2) program, a participant placed in a community service job may be required to work in that job for not more than 30 hours per week and may be required to participate in education and training activities for not more than 10 hours per week. A participant in a transitional placement may be required to participate in work or other activities for not more than 28 hours per week and may be required to participate in education and training activities for not more than 12 hours per week.

Currently, federal law requires states to achieve certain work participation rates for recipients of aid funded under the temporary assistance for needy families block grant, commonly referred to as TANF. In determining whether a state has met the minimum work participation rates, federal law permits states to include a limited percentage of persons who are engaged in vocational educational training (for not more than 12 months) or who are attending secondary school.

This bill permits a participant in a community service job or transitional placement, to the extent permitted under federal law, to elect to participate in a self-initiated technical college education program as part of community service job or transitional placement if the W-2 agency determines, in consultation with a community steering committee and the technical college district board, that the technical college program is likely to lead to employment. The participant must maintain full-time status in the technical college program and must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.0, or the equivalent. Under the bill, the W-2 agency must consider each hour under 16 hours that the participant spends attending classes, including time spent traveling to or from classes, as satisfying the hours of participation requirement.

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:

AB694, s. 1 Section 1. 49.147 (5m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB694,2,5 49.147 (5m) Postsecondary education. (a) To the extent permitted under section 103 of P.L. 104-193, a participant under sub. (4) or (5) may elect to participate in a self-initiated technical college education program as part of a community service job placement or transitional placement if all of the following requirements are met:

AB694,2,9 1. The Wisconsin works agency, in consultation with the community steering committee established under s. 49.143 (2) (a) and the technical college district board, determines that the technical college education program is likely to lead to employment.

AB694,2,12 2. The participant maintains full-time status in the technical college education program, as determined by the technical college that the participant attends, and regularly attends all classes.

AB694,2,14 3. The participant maintains a grade point average of at least a 2.0, or the equivalent as determined by the technical college.

AB694,2,18 (b) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., for the purposes of s. 49.148 (1) (b) and (c), a Wisconsin works agency shall consider each hour that a participant spends attending classes under this subsection, including time spent traveling to and from classes, as satisfying an hour of required participation under sub. (4) or (5).

AB694,3,3 2. A Wisconsin works agency may not consider time in excess of 15 hours per week that the participant spends attending or traveling to or from classes under this subsection as satisfying any hours of required participation under sub. (4) or (5).

AB694,3,7 (c) The Wisconsin works agency shall work with the community steering committee established under s. 49.143 (2) (a) and the technical college district board to monitor the participant's progress in the technical college education program and the effectiveness of the program in leading to employment.

AB694,3,8 (End)