2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE
July 13, 2017 - Introduced by Senators Cowles, Carpenter, Feyen, Hansen and L.
Taylor
, cosponsored by Representatives Horlacher, Riemer, Allen,
Anderson, Berceau, Brandtjen, R. Brooks, Brostoff, Edming, Genrich,
Goyke, Hebl, Hintz, Jacque, Jagler, Kleefisch, Kolste, Krug, Mason,
Milroy, Mursau, Petryk, Ripp, Sinicki, Skowronski, Summerfield, C. Taylor,
Thiesfeldt and Vruwink. Referred to Committee on Transportation and
Veterans Affairs.
SB338,1,4 1An Act to amend 20.445 (1) (b) and 20.445 (1) (bm); and to create 49.162 (1) (c)
24. and 106.38 of the statutes; relating to: creating the Hire Heroes program
3to provide transitional jobs to veterans, granting rule-making authority, and
4making appropriations.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Workforce Development to establish a
program to provide transitional jobs to veterans, in cooperation with the Department
of Veterans Affairs and Department of Children and Families. Under the bill, DWD,
DCF, and DVA are required to enter into a memorandum of understanding to
implement the program.
Under the new program, called “Hire Heroes” under the bill, a veteran is
eligible to participate if he or she is at least 18 years old, has been unemployed for
at least four weeks, is ineligible for the Wisconsin Works program, is a veteran as
verified by DVA, and passes the required drug screening tests. Under the bill,
preference for participation in the program will be given to veterans whose
household income is less than 60 percent of the state median household income.
Under the bill, an individual may participate in the program for up to 1,040
work hours. DWD compensates a participating employer for costs including a wage
subsidy, federal social security and Medicare taxes, state and federal unemployment
insurance contributions or taxes, and worker's compensation insurance premiums,
if any.

The bill requires DWD to commit up to $400,000 in each fiscal year in funding
for the program, and also requires DWD to prepare an annual report on the program
to be submitted to the governor, the appropriate standing committees of the
legislature, DCF, and DVA.
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:
SB338,1 1Section 1 . 20.445 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB338,2,92 20.445 (1) (b) Workforce training and veteran wage subsidies; programs, grants
3and services.
As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for the
4apprenticeship completion award program under s. 106.05 (2), local youth
5apprenticeship grants under s. 106.13 (3m), youth summer jobs programs under s.
6106.18, employment transit assistance grants under s. 106.26, workforce training
7grants and services under s. 106.27 (1), (1g), and (1r), and career and technical
8education incentive grants under s. 106.273, and the Hire Heroes program under s.
9106.38
.
SB338,2 10Section 2 . 20.445 (1) (bm) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB338,2,1811 20.445 (1) (bm) Workforce training and veteran wage subsidies;
12administration.
Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for the administration of
13the apprenticeship completion award program under s. 106.05 (2), the local youth
14apprenticeship grant program under s. 106.13 (3m), the youth summer jobs program
15under s. 106.18, the employment transit assistance grant program under s. 106.26,
16the workforce training program under s. 106.27, and the career and technical
17education incentive grant program under s. 106.273, and the Hire Heroes program
18under s. 106.38
.
SB338,3 19Section 3 . 49.162 (1) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:
SB338,3,1
149.162 (1) (c) 4. The Hire Heroes program under s. 106.38.
SB338,4 2Section 4 . 106.38 of the statutes is created to read:
SB338,3,4 3106.38 Hire Heroes program. (1) Definition. In this section, “program”
4means the Hire Heroes program established under this section.
SB338,3,6 5(2) Establishment. The department shall establish a Hire Heroes program to
6provide transitional jobs to veterans.
SB338,3,8 7(3) Program components. The program under this section shall include all of
8the following features and requirements:
SB338,3,109 (a) An individual may participate in the program for a maximum of 1,040 hours
10actually worked.
SB338,3,1211 (b) The employer of record shall pay the individual for hours actually worked
12at not less than the federal or state minimum wage that applies to the individual.
SB338,3,1613 (c) The department may reimburse an employer that employs an individual
14participating in the program for a minimum of 20 hours per week at a location in this
15state for any of the following costs that are attributable to the employment of the
16individual under the program:
SB338,3,2017 1. A wage subsidy that is equal to an amount negotiated between the
18department and the employer, that is paid for each hour the individual actually
19worked, not to exceed 40 hours per week, and that is not more than the federal or
20state minimum wage that applies to the individual.
SB338,3,2121 2. Federal social security and Medicare taxes.
SB338,3,2222 3. State and federal unemployment insurance contributions or taxes, if any.
SB338,3,2323 4. Worker's compensation insurance premiums, if any.
SB338,4,224 (d) An employer that employs an individual participating in the program may
25pay the individual an amount that exceeds any wage subsidy paid to the employer

1by the department under par. (c) 1., except that the employer or contractor must pay
2the individual at least minimum wage.
SB338,4,43 (e) The employment of an individual under this section may not do any of the
4following:
SB338,4,75 1. Have the effect of filling a vacancy created by an employer terminating a
6regular employee or otherwise reducing its work force for the purpose of hiring an
7individual under this section.
SB338,4,98 2. Fill a position when any other person is on layoff or strike from the same or
9a substantially equivalent job within the same organizational unit.
SB338,4,1110 3. Fill a position when any other person is engaged in a labor dispute regarding
11the same or a substantially equivalent job within the same organizational unit.
SB338,4,13 12(4) Eligibility. (a) To be eligible to participate in the program, an individual
13must satisfy all of the following criteria:
SB338,4,1414 1. Be at least 18 years of age.
SB338,4,1615 2. Be a veteran, as defined under s. 45.01 (12), who is verified by the department
16of veterans affairs.
SB338,4,1817 3. Be ineligible to participate in the Wisconsin Works program under ss. 49.141
18to 49.161.
SB338,4,1919 4. Be unemployed for at least 4 weeks.
SB338,4,2120 5. Satisfy all of the requirements related to substance abuse screening, testing,
21and treatment under s. 49.162 that apply to the individual.
SB338,4,2522 (b) Preference for participation in the program shall be given to individuals
23whose household income is not more than 60 percent of the statewide median
24household income, excluding service-connected disability benefits payments by the
25U.S. department of veterans affairs.
SB338,5,5
1(5) Memorandum of understanding for administration. The department of
2children and families, the department of veterans affairs, and the department of
3workforce development shall enter into a memorandum of understanding for the
4purpose of administering this section. The memorandum of understanding shall
5include all of the following:
SB338,5,76 (a) That the department of veterans affairs shall refer veterans to the program
7and verify eligible veterans who apply for the program.
SB338,5,108 (b) That the department of workforce development shall allocate not more than
9$400,000 each fiscal year from the appropriation account under s. 20.445 (1) (b) for
10the purposes of funding the Hire Heroes program.
SB338,5,1211 (c) That the department of workforce development shall be responsible for
12administering the program.
SB338,5,1513 (d) That the department of children and families, the department of veterans
14affairs, and the department of workforce development shall each seek additional
15federal funds to support the program.
SB338,5,1816 (e) That the department of workforce development, department of children and
17families, and department of veterans affairs shall, to the greatest extent possible,
18implement the program to achieve all of the following:
SB338,5,2219 1. Minimization of administrative costs by using existing contractors and other
20arrangements made by the department of children and families in the
21administration of the Transform Milwaukee Jobs and Transitional Jobs programs
22under s. 49.163.
SB338,5,2523 2. Coordination of any future expansion of the Transform Milwaukee Jobs and
24Transitional Jobs programs under s. 49.163 with any future expansion of the Hire
25Heroes program.
SB338,6,1
13. Addressing the most urgent needs of Wisconsin's unemployed veterans.
SB338,6,5 2(6) Recovery of overpayments. The department may recover from any
3individual participating, or who has participated, in the program under this section
4any overpayment resulting from a misrepresentation by the individual as to any
5criterion for eligibility under sub. (3).
SB338,6,7 6(7) Rule-making authority. The department may promulgate rules to
7implement the program.
SB338,6,13 8(8) Report. Beginning in 2018, no later than December 31, the department
9shall prepare an annual report on the Hire Heroes program and shall submit the
10report to the governor, the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under
11s. 13.172 (3), the department of children and families, and the department of
12veterans affairs. The annual report shall include all of the following information
13about the program:
SB338,6,1414 (a) The cost of the program.
SB338,6,1515 (b) The number of applicants for the program.
SB338,6,1616 (c) The number of placements in the program.
SB338,6,2017 (d) The outcomes of the placements, including whether a veteran continued
18with the employer in an unsubsidized position, secured other unsubsidized
19employment, or did not secure an unsubsidized position after participation in the
20program and why, and what the post-program earnings of participants are.
SB338,6,2221 (e) Opportunities and suggestions for expansion and improvement of the
22program.
SB338,6,2323 (End)
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