SB238: Bill Text

July 31, 2013 - Introduced by Senators Cowles, Lasee, Olsen, Schultz and Hansen, cosponsored by Representatives Weininger, Jacque, Genrich, Nygren, Tittl, Bies, Kolste, Kaufert, Berceau, Brooks, Schraa, LeMahieu, Murphy, A. Ott, Pridemore, Ripp, Kahl, Vruwink and Endsley. Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB238,1,5 An Act to amend 20.435 (4) (bm), 20.435 (4) (L), 20.435 (4) (nn), 20.435 (4) (pa), 20.437 (2) (dz), 20.437 (2) (L) and 49.793 (2) (a); and to create 49.846 of the statutes; relating to: an optional incentive program for counties and tribes that identify fraudulent activity in certain public assistance programs, granting rule-making authority, and making appropriations.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, a county or elected governing body of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band (county or tribe) may retain a portion of incorrect overpayments in public assistance programs administered by the Department of Health Services (DHS), including Medical Assistance and the supplemental nutrition assistance program (known as FoodShare in Wisconsin), that are recovered as a result of the efforts of an employee or officer of the county or tribe. Currently, DHS establishes by rule the portion of FoodShare overpayment recoveries that a county or tribe may retain. Under the bill, a county or tribe may retain the full amount of FoodShare overpayment recoveries that the state is permitted to retain under federal law. Current law also allows a county or tribe to retain a portion of incorrect overpayments that are recovered in Wisconsin Works as a result of the efforts of an employee or officer of the county or tribe. Under current law, Milwaukee County may not retain a portion of incorrect payments that are recovered as a result of the efforts of an employee or officer of the county.

Under the bill, DHS is required to establish an optional incentive program, by rule, under which a county with a population of less than 750,000 or tribe receives a reward payment if an employee or officer of the county or tribe identifies fraudulent activity in Medical Assistance or FoodShare. Under the bill, the amount of the reward payment under the program is 20 percent of the amount that DHS determines will be saved in the program over a 12-month period as the result of eliminating the identified fraudulent activity. The bill also provides that, if a county or tribe receives a reward payment under the optional incentive program, the county or tribe may not retain overpayments that are recovered as the result of identifying the fraudulent activity. Under the bill, the Department of Children and Families is required to establish a similar incentive program, by rule, that applies to fraudulent activity in Wisconsin Works that is identified by an employee or officer of a county or tribe.

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:

SB238,1 Section 1. 20.435 (4) (bm) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,3,5 20.435 (4) (bm) Medical Assistance, food stamps, and Badger Care administration; contract costs, insurer reports, and resource centers. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule to provide a portion of the state share of administrative contract costs for the Medical Assistance program under subch. IV of ch. 49 and the Badger Care health care program under s. 49.665 and to provide the state share of administrative costs for the food stamp program under s. 49.79, other than payments under s. 49.78 (8), for reward payments under s. 49.846 (2), to develop and implement a registry of recipient immunizations, to reimburse 3rd parties for their costs under s. 49.475, for costs associated with outreach activities, for state administration of state supplemental grants to supplemental security income recipients under s. 49.77, to administer the pharmacy benefits purchasing pool under s. 146.45, and for services of resource centers under s. 46.283. No state positions may be funded in the department of health services from this appropriation, except positions for the performance of duties under a contract in effect before January 1, 1987, related to the administration of the Medical Assistance program between the subunit of the department primarily responsible for administering the Medical Assistance program and another subunit of the department. Total administrative funding authorized for the program under s. 49.665 may not exceed 10% of the amounts budgeted under pars. (p) and (x).

SB238,2 Section 2. 20.435 (4) (L) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,3,16 20.435 (4) (L) Fraud and error reduction. All moneys received as the state's share of the recovery of overpayments and incorrect payments under ss. 49.497 (1) and (1m), 49.793 (2) (a), and 49.847, all moneys received from counties and tribal governing bodies as a result of any error reduction activities under ss. 49.197 and 49.845, and all moneys credited to this appropriation account under ss. 49.497 (2) (b), 49.793 (2) (b), and 49.847 (3) (b), for any contracts under s. 49.197 (5), for any activities to reduce error and fraud under s. 49.845, to pay federal sanctions under the food stamp program, for reward payments under 49.846 (2), and for food stamp reinvestment activities under reinvestment agreements with the federal department of agriculture that are designed to improve the food stamp program.

SB238,3 Section 3. 20.435 (4) (nn) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,3,23 20.435 (4) (nn) Federal aid; income maintenance. All moneys received from the federal government for the costs of contracting for the administration of the Medical Assistance program under subch. IV of ch. 49 and the Badger Care health care program under s. 49.665 and the food stamp program, other than moneys received under par. (pa), for costs to administer income maintenance programs, as defined in s. 49.78 (1) (b), and for reward payments under 49.846 (2).

SB238,4 Section 4. 20.435 (4) (pa) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,4,7 20.435 (4) (pa) Federal aid; Medical Assistance and food stamp contracts administration. All federal moneys received for the federal share of the cost of contracting for payment and services administration and reporting, other than moneys received under par. (nn), to reimburse 3rd parties for their costs under s. 49.475, for administrative contract costs for the food stamp program under s. 49.79, for reward payments under s. 49.846 (2), and for services of resource centers under s. 46.283.

SB238,5 Section 5. 20.437 (2) (dz) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,5,2 20.437 (2) (dz) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs; maintenance of effort. The amounts in the schedule, less the amounts withheld under s. 49.143 (3), for administration and benefit payments under Wisconsin Works under ss. 49.141 to 49.161, the learnfare program under s. 49.26, and the work experience program for noncustodial parents under s. 49.36; for payments to local governments, organizations, tribal governing bodies, and Wisconsin Works agencies; for reward payments under s. 49.846 (3); and for emergency assistance for families with needy children under s. 49.138. Payments may be made from this appropriation account for any contracts under s. 49.845 (4) and for any fraud investigation and error reduction activities under s. 49.197 (1m). Moneys appropriated under this paragraph may be used to match federal funds received under par. (md). Notwithstanding ss. 20.001 (3) (a) and 20.002 (1), the department may transfer funds between fiscal years under this paragraph. Notwithstanding ss. 20.001 (3) and 20.002 (1), the department of health services shall credit to this appropriation account funds for the purposes of this appropriation that the department transfers from the appropriation account under s. 20.435 (5) (bc). All funds allocated by the department but not encumbered by December 31 of each year lapse to the general fund on the next January 1 unless transferred to the next calendar year by the joint committee on finance.

SB238,6 Section 6. 20.437 (2) (L) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,5,12 20.437 (2) (L) Public assistance overpayment recovery, fraud investigation, and error reduction. All moneys received as the state's share of the recovery of overpayments and incorrect payments under s. 49.191 (3) (c), 1997 stats., and s. 49.195, 1997 stats., for any contracts under s. 49.845 (4), for any activities under s. 49.197 (1m) to investigate fraud relating to the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program and the Wisconsin Works program, for any activities under s. 49.197 (3) to reduce payment errors in the Wisconsin Works program, for reward payments under s. 49.849 (3), and for costs associated with collection of public assistance overpayments.

SB238,7 Section 7. 49.793 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB238,5,22 49.793 (2) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), a county, multicounty consortium, as defined in s. 49.78 (1) (br), or governing body of a federally recognized American Indian tribe may retain a portion of the full amount of an overpayment the state is authorized to retain under 7 USC 2025 that is recovered under sub. (1) due to the efforts of an employee or officer of the county, multicounty consortium, or tribe. The department shall promulgate a rule establishing the portion of the amount of the overpayment that the county, multicounty consortium, or governing body may retain. This paragraph does not apply to recovery of an overpayment that was made as a result of state, county, multicounty consortium, or tribal governing body error.

SB238,8 Section 8. 49.846 of the statutes is created to read:

SB238,6,3 49.846 Optional incentive program for counties and tribes that identify fraud in certain public assistance programs. (1) Definitions. In this section:

SB238,6,5 (a) "County or tribe" means a county having a population of less than 750,000 or a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state.

SB238,6,7 (b) "Food stamp program" means the federal food stamp program under 7 USC 2011 to 2036a.

SB238,6,8 (c) "Medical Assistance program" means the program under subch. IV.

SB238,6,9 (d) "Wisconsin Works" has the meaning given in s. 49.141 (1) (p).

SB238,6,18 (2) Public assistance programs administered by the department of health services. (a) Medical Assistance program. The department of health services shall establish an optional incentive program, by rule, under which the department will provide a reward payment to a county or tribe if an employee or officer of the county or tribe identifies fraudulent activity in the Medical Assistance program. The department of health services may make reward payments under the optional incentive program from the appropriations under s. 20.435 (4) (bm), (L), (nn), and (pa). The department of health services shall establish the optional incentive program to include all of the following:

SB238,6,21 1. That a county or tribe shall choose to receive a reward payment in the amount determined under subd. 2. or to retain funds under s. 49.49 (5) or 49.497 (2) (a).

SB238,7,4 2. That the amount of a reward payment to a county or tribe under the program is equal to 20 percent of the amount that the department determines will be saved in the Medical Assistance program as the result of eliminating the identified fraudulent activity during the 12-month period after the fraudulent activity is eliminated. Notwithstanding ss. 49.49 (5) and 49.497 (2) (a), a county or tribe that receives a reward payment may not retain any funds that are incorrectly paid as the result of the identified fraudulent activity and recovered due to the efforts of an employee or officer of the county or tribe.

SB238,7,11 (b) Food stamp program. The department of health services shall establish an optional incentive program, by rule, under which the department will provide a reward payment to a county or tribe if an employee or officer of the county or tribe identifies fraudulent activity in the food stamp program. The department of health services may make reward payments under the optional incentive program from the appropriations under s. 20.435 (4) (bm), (L), (nn), and (pa). The department shall establish the optional incentive program to include all of the following:

SB238,7,13 1. That a county or tribe shall choose to receive a reward payment in the amount determined under subd. 2. or to retain funds under s. 49.793 (2) (a).

SB238,7,20 2. That the amount of a reward payment to a county or tribe is equal to 20 percent of the amount that the department determines will be saved in the food stamp program as the result of eliminating the identified fraudulent activity during the 12-month period after the fraudulent activity is eliminated. Notwithstanding s. 49.793 (2) (a), a county or tribe that receives a reward payment may not retain any funds that are incorrectly paid as the result of the identified fraudulent activity and recovered due to the efforts of an employee or officer of the county or tribe.

SB238,8,4 (3) Public assistance program administered by the department of children and families; Wisconsin Works. The department of children and families shall establish an optional incentive program, by rule, under which the department will provide a reward payment to a county or tribe if an employee or officer of the county or tribe identifies fraudulent activity in Wisconsin Works. The department of children and families may make reward payments under the optional incentive program from the appropriation under s. 20.437 (2) (dz), (L), and (mc). The department of children and families shall establish the optional incentive program to include all of the following:

SB238,8,7 (a) That a county or tribe shall choose to receive a reward payment in the amount determined under par. (b), to receive a reward under the incentive program under s. 49.197 (2), or to retain funds under s. 49.195 (4).

SB238,8,16 (b) That the amount of a reward payment paid to a county or tribe is equal to 20 percent of the amount that the department determines will be saved in Wisconsin Works as the result of eliminating the identified fraudulent activity during the 12-month period after the identified fraudulent activity is eliminated. Notwithstanding ss. 49.195 (4) and 49.197 (2), a county or tribe that receives a reward payment may not retain any funds that are incorrectly paid as the result of the identified fraudulent activity and recovered due to the efforts of an employee or officer of the county or tribe and may not receive a reward payment under s. 49.197 (2).

SB238,8,18 (4) Use of reward payment. A county or tribe may use a reward payment received under this section for any purpose.

SB238,8,25 (5) Waivers. (a) If the department of health services determines that it needs a waiver to allow reward payments under sub. (2) (a) to qualify as administrative costs for the Medical Assistance program or to allow a county and tribe to use any federal funds received under sub. (2) (a) for any purpose, the department shall request the necessary waiver from the secretary of the federal department of health and human services and may not implement the incentive program under sub. (2) (a) unless the waiver is granted.

SB238,9,7 (b) If the department of health services determines that it needs a waiver to allow reward payments under sub. (2) (b) to qualify as administrative costs involved in the operation of the food stamp program or to allow a county and tribe to use any federal funds received under sub. (2) (b) for any purpose, the department shall request the necessary waiver from the secretary of the federal department of agriculture and may not implement the incentive program under sub. (2) (b) unless the waiver is granted.

SB238,9,15 (c) If the department of children and families determines that it needs a waiver to allow reward payments under sub. (3) to qualify as state expenditures for purposes of determining whether the state is maintaining a certain level of historic support under the temporary assistance for needy families program under 42 USC 601 to 619 or to allow a county and tribe to use any federal funds received under sub. (3) for any purpose, the department shall request the necessary waiver from the secretary of the federal health and human services and may not implement the incentive program under sub. (3) unless the waiver is granted.

SB238,9,16 (End)