SB356: Bill Text

LRB-3302/1

PJK&EHS:klm

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 Senate BILL 356

October 29, 2015 - Introduced by Senators Harris Dodd, Carpenter, Lassa, Ringhand and L. Taylor, cosponsored by Representatives Riemer, Barnes, Johnson, Goyke, Berceau, Mason, Sinicki, Subeck, Zamarripa, Pope, Spreitzer, Bowen, Wachs and Ohnstad. Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB356,1,4 An Act to amend 49.163 (2) (am) 2.; and to create 20.437 (2) (dm) and 49.163 (2) (d) of the statutes; relating to: providing additional funding for the Transform Milwaukee Jobs program and the Transitional Jobs program and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill provides general purpose revenue funding to expand the Transform Milwaukee Jobs program and the Transitional Jobs program.

Under current law, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) must establish a Transform Milwaukee Jobs program in Milwaukee County and may, if funding is available, establish a Transitional Jobs program in one or more geographic areas of the state that are not in Milwaukee County, to the extent of available funds. Funding for the programs comes chiefly from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant.

Under the programs, DCF pays to an employer, or a person with which DCF contracts to administer the programs (contractor), that employs a program participant a wage subsidy for up to 40 hours per week at minimum wage and may reimburse an employer or contractor for certain taxes, unemployment insurance contributions or taxes, and worker's compensation insurance premiums that are attributable to employment of the participant. To be eligible to participate in a program, an individual must be at least 18 years old, and, if over 24 years old, must be the parent or primary relative caregiver of a child under the age of 18; must have household income below 150 percent of the poverty line; must be unemployed for at least four weeks; must be ineligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits; and may not be participating in a Wisconsin Works employment position. An individual may participate in the program for a maximum of 1,040 hours, which is equivalent to 26 40-hour weeks.

This bill appropriates $9,000,000 of general purpose revenue (GPR) in fiscal year 2015-16 and $8,000,000 of GPR in fiscal year 2016-17 to expand the Transform Milwaukee Jobs program and the Transitional Jobs program. Under the bill, 60 percent of the funding from this GPR appropriation is allocated to the Transform Milwaukee Jobs program and 40 percent is allocated to the Transitional Jobs program. In order to participate in the expansion of either program funded by this GPR appropriation, an individual does not have to satisfy the criterion that, if over 24 years old, he or she must be the parent or primary relative caregiver of a child under the age of 18.

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:

SB356,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

SB356,2 Section 2. 20.437 (2) (dm) of the statutes is created to read:

SB356,2,7 20.437 (2) (dm) Transform Milwaukee and Transitional Jobs programs. Biennially, 60 percent of the amounts in the schedule to expand the Transform Milwaukee Jobs program under s. 49.163 and 40 percent of the amounts in the schedule to expand the Transitional Jobs program under s. 49.163.

SB356,3 Section 3. 49.163 (2) (am) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB356,3,4 49.163 (2) (am) 2. If Except as provided in par. (d), if over 24 years of age, be a biological or adoptive parent of a child under 18 years of age whose parental rights to the child have not been terminated or be a relative and primary caregiver of a child under 18 years of age.

SB356,4 Section 4. 49.163 (2) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

SB356,3,10 49.163 (2) (d) For purposes of participating in the expansion of the Transform Milwaukee Jobs program that is funded from the appropriation under s. 20.437 (2) (dm) or the expansion of the Transitional Jobs program that is funded from the appropriation under s. 20.437 (2) (dm), an individual does not have to satisfy the criterion under par. (am) 2.

SB356,3,11 (End)