AB493: Bill Text

AB493,1,3 An Act to create 15.197 (3), 20.435 (3) (fr) and 46.505 of the statutes; relating to: creating a prevention coordination council and a prevention planning grant program and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the joint legislative council in the bill.

For further information see the state 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:

Prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the joint legislative council's special committee on programs for prevention services. The bill creates a prevention coordination council in the department of health and family services (DHFS). The bill also creates a pilot prevention planning grant program for counties, other political subdivisions and nonprofit agencies, to be administered by DHFS with assistance from the department of public instruction (DPI).

More detailed descriptions of the provisions of the bill are contained in the Notes following each Section of the bill.

AB493, s. 1 Section 1. 15.197 (3) of the statutes is created to read:

AB493,2,3 15.197 (3) Prevention coordination council. (a) There is created in the department of health and family services a prevention coordination council. The council shall consist of the following members:

AB493,2,4 1. The secretary of health and family services or his or her designee.

AB493,2,5 2. The state superintendent of public instruction or his or her designee.

AB493,2,6 3. The secretary of workforce development or his or her designee.

AB493,2,7 4. The secretary of corrections or his or her designee.

AB493,2,8 5. The attorney general or his or her designee.

AB493,2,10 6. One majority party representative of the assembly appointed as are the members of assembly standing committees.

AB493,2,12 7. One minority party representative of the assembly appointed as are the members of assembly standing committees.

AB493,2,14 8. One majority party senator appointed as are the members of senate standing committees.

AB493,2,16 9. One minority party senator appointed as are the members of senate standing committees.

AB493,2,19 10. One employe of the University of Wisconsin System or the University of Wisconsin-Extension with expertise in the area of prevention services for children, youth and families appointed by the president of the University of Wisconsin System.

AB493,2,21 11. One employe of the office of justice assistance appointed by the secretary of administration.

AB493,2,22 12. One member appointed by the child abuse and neglect prevention board.

AB493,2,24 13. One member appointed by the adolescent pregnancy prevention and pregnancy services board.

AB493,3,3 14. Four other members representing diverse geographical areas of the state, at least one of whom is a provider of medical services, and one of whom is a member of a taxpayers' association, appointed by the governor.

AB493,3,5 (b) The members appointed under par. (a) 10. to 14. shall be appointed for 3-year terms.

Note: Creates a prevention coordination council in DHFS and specifies the membership and terms of certain members of the council.

AB493, s. 2 Section 2. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

AB493, s. 3 Section 3. 20.435 (3) (fr) of the statutes is created to read:

AB493,3,10 20.435 (3) (fr) Prevention planning grants. The amounts in the schedule for prevention planning grants under s. 46.505.

Note: Makes an appropriation to DHFS for prevention planning grants.

AB493, s. 4 Section 4. 46.505 of the statutes is created to read:

AB493,3,13 46.505 Prevention coordination council and prevention planning grants. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB493,3,17 (a) "Prevention services" means services or programs whose primary purpose is to provide children, youth and families with the knowledge, skills and other resources necessary to address stressful conditions and avoid harmful behaviors in order to prevent the onset or worsening of social, behavioral or health problems.

AB493,4,1 (b) "Rural area" means an area that is not an urban area.

AB493,4,4 (c) "Urban area" means an area that includes a federal metropolitan statistical area or a primary metropolitan statistical area, as designated by the federal office of management and budget.

AB493,4,6 (2) Duties of prevention coordination council. The prevention coordination council shall do all of the following:

AB493,4,8 (a) Promote the coordination and evaluation of prevention services that achieve the following:

AB493,4,9 1. Children who are healthy.

AB493,4,10 2. Children who are ready for and who succeed in school.

AB493,4,11 3. Youth who engage in positive behaviors and avoid risky behaviors.

AB493,4,12 4. Families that are economically self-sufficient and in which children are safe.

AB493,4,13 5. Communities that promote healthy and safe children and families.

AB493,4,15 (b) Develop statewide goals for prevention services and identify measures of progress of prevention services toward meeting those goals.

AB493,4,20 (c) Identify duplication in the provision of prevention services; develop recommendations, state budget proposals and proposed legislation to consolidate funding for prevention services and to coordinate the provision of prevention services; and develop strategies to eliminate duplication in the provision of prevention services.

AB493,4,23 (d) Determine whether any federal funding restrictions or other restrictions under federal law or regulation impede the effectiveness or coordination of any prevention services and, if so, develop requests for waivers of those restrictions.

AB493,5,2 (e) Identify sources of data and methods for collection of data relating to prevention services and make recommendations to the department of health and family services and the department of public instruction for a uniform statewide system of data collection.

AB493,5,5 (f) Review the evaluation of the planning grant program under sub. (3) (a) 3. and advise the department of health and family services and the department of public instruction on the eventual statewide implementation of the program.

AB493,5,19 (g) Submit to the governor, the secretary, the superintendent of public instruction and the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3), the initial statewide goals and measures of progress towards meeting those goals developed and identified under par. (b) and the initial recommendations, state budget proposals and proposed legislation developed under par. (c) by no later than July 1, 2000. Upon establishing benchmarks under par. (h), adopting any change to the statewide goals or benchmarks or developing any additional recommendations, state budget proposals or proposed legislation, the prevention coordination council shall prepare a report summarizing the benchmarks, changes, recommendations, state budget proposals or proposed legislation for submission to the governor, the secretary, the superintendent of public instruction and the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3).

AB493,5,24 (h) Establish benchmarks that set forth the expected level of progress of prevention services toward meeting the statewide goals developed under par. (b), when sufficient data are available on the appropriateness of the measures identified under par. (b) for measuring the progress of prevention services toward meeting those goals.

AB493,6,3 (3) Prevention planning. (a) Duties of departments. The department of health and family services, with the assistance of the department of public instruction, shall do all of the following:

AB493,6,5 1. Notify counties by April 1, 2000, of the opportunity to apply for a prevention planning grant under this subsection.

AB493,6,15 2. Develop and distribute by July 1, 2000, a request for proposals from counties, other political subdivisions and nonprofit agencies to apply for a prevention planning grant. The request for proposals shall require the applicant to specify the county or multicounty area, or another area approved by the department of health and family services and the department of public instruction, to which a prevention plan developed under sub. (4) (b) will apply. Applications for prevention planning grants shall be submitted to the department of health and family services by November 1, 2000. In the 1999-2001 state fiscal biennium, no more than 4 applicants from rural areas and 4 applicants from urban areas may be selected to receive prevention planning grants.

AB493,6,20 3. Annually, evaluate and report to the prevention coordination council on the progress of recipients of prevention planning grants under par. (b) in developing and implementing prevention plans, developing uniform systems of data collection and establishing systems for evaluating prevention services in the areas specified by those recipients under subd. 2.

AB493,6,24 4. Serve as or identify another entity to serve as a state clearinghouse to make available information about prevention programs and approaches that have been proven to be effective and information about methods for evaluating prevention programs.

AB493,7,4 5. Determine whether the waiver of any federal funding restriction or other restriction under federal law or regulation is necessary for the implementation of the prevention planning grant under this subsection and subs. (4) to (6) and, if so, seek a waiver of that restriction.

AB493,7,8 (b) Administration of grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.435 (3) (fr), the department of health and family services, beginning on January 1, 2001, shall, with assistance from the department of public instruction, provide 2-year prevention planning grants for the purposes specified in sub. (4).

AB493,7,10 (c) Staff. The secretary and the superintendent of public instruction each shall designate a staff person to carry out the duties under this subsection.

AB493,7,16 (4) Purpose and use of grant funds. The purpose of a grant awarded under sub. (3) (b) is to develop and implement a plan for the coordination of local prevention services and funding in the area specified by the applicant under sub. (3) (a) 2., develop a uniform system of data collection among providers of prevention services in that area and establish a system for evaluating prevention services in that area. The grants awarded under this section shall be used for all of the following purposes:

AB493,7,18 (a) To establish and maintain the local prevention consortium under sub. (5) (a), including the cost of the designated staff person under sub. (5) (b).

AB493,7,22 (b) To pay expenses incurred in the development and implementation of a prevention plan for the area specified by the applicant under sub. (3) (a) 2. under which comprehensive prevention services are provided in the area using the available prevention resources in the area.

AB493,7,25 (c) To pay expenses incurred in developing a uniform system of data collection by the county or counties, other appropriate political subdivisions and prevention service providers in the area specified by the applicant under sub. (3) (a) 2.

AB493,8,3 (d) To pay expenses incurred in developing a system for evaluating prevention services in the area specified by the applicant under sub. (3) (a) 2., which shall be used to improve the delivery of those prevention services.

AB493,8,7 (5) Criteria for awarding grants. In addition to any other criteria developed by the department of health and family services and the department of public instruction, an applicant shall meet all of the following criteria in order to receive a planning grant under sub. (3) (b):

AB493,8,14 (a) The applicant shall demonstrate in the grant application that it has established or has plans to establish a local prevention consortium consisting of members who reside or provide services in the area specified by the applicant under sub. (3) (a) 2. To the extent possible, the consortium shall consolidate existing prevention councils or committees in the area specified by the applicant under sub. (3) (a) 2. To the extent possible, the consortium shall consist of the following members:

AB493,8,16 1. A representative of one or more county departments under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23.

AB493,8,17 2. A representative of a county department under s. 51.42 (3).

AB493,8,18 3. A representative of one or more public school districts.

AB493,8,20 4. A representative of one or more local health departments, as defined in s. 250.01 (4).

AB493,8,21 5. A member of one or more county boards of supervisors.

AB493,8,22 6. A representative of a health care provider.

AB493,8,23 7. A representative of a law enforcement agency.

AB493,8,24 8. A representative of the United Way.

AB493,9,4 9. Any other members whom the applicant identifies as having a demonstrated interest in prevention services, including private citizens and representatives of city, town or village government, private prevention service agencies, local businesses, agencies that provide funding for prevention services and religious organizations.

AB493,9,7 (b) The applicant shall demonstrate in the grant application that it has designated or has plans to designate a staff person to facilitate the activities of the local prevention consortium.

AB493,9,9 (c) The applicant shall provide an explanation of its plan to use the grant funds received for the purposes specified in sub. (4).

AB493,9,12 (6) Duties of local prevention consortium. A recipient of a planning grant under sub. (3) (b) shall ensure that the local prevention consortium established under sub. (5) (a) does all of the following:

AB493,9,13 (a) Designates the leadership for the local prevention consortium.

AB493,9,14 (b) Convenes at least quarterly.

AB493,9,18 (c) Develops goals specific to the area specified by the applicant under sub. (3) (a) 2. that are consistent with the statewide goals developed under sub. (2) (b) and, to the extent possible, uses measures identified under sub. (2) (b) to measure the progress of prevention services toward meeting those goals.

AB493,9,21 (d) Identifies prevention services available in the area specified by the applicant under sub. (3) (a) 2. and sources of funding available for prevention services.

AB493,9,24 (e) Develops a plan for the coordination of those identified prevention services and sources of funding with the goal of providing comprehensive prevention services in the area specified by the applicant under sub. (3) (a) 2.

Note: The newly created s. 46.505 does the following:

1. Defines "prevention services", "rural area" and "urban area".

2. Sets forth the duties of the prevention coordination council.

3. Requires DHFS, with the assistance of DPI, to do the following:

a. Develop a request-for-proposals for prevention planning grants and notify counties of the opportunity to apply.

b. Serve as or identify another entity to serve as a state prevention clearinghouse.