49.143(6)(6) Geographical areas. The department shall determine the geographical area for which a Wisconsin Works agency will administer Wisconsin Works. Except for federally recognized American Indian reservations and in counties with a population of 750,000 or more, no geographical area may be smaller than one county. A geographical area may include more than one county. The department need not establish the geographical areas by rule.

49.145(1)(1) General eligibility. In order to be eligible for Wisconsin works employment positions and job access loans for any month, an individual shall meet the eligibility requirements under subs. (2) and (3). The department may promulgate rules establishing additional eligibility criteria and specifying how eligibility criteria are to be administered. The department may promulgate rules establishing payment and reporting periods as needed to administer this subsection.

49.145(2)(2) Nonfinancial eligibility requirements. An individual is eligible for a Wisconsin works employment position and a job access loan in a month only if all of the following nonfinancial eligibility requirements are met:

49.145(2)(a)(a) The individual is a custodial parent.

49.145(2)(b)(b) The individual has attained the age of 18.

49.145(2)(c)(c) The individual is a U.S. citizen or a qualifying alien, as defined by the department by rule.

49.145(2)(d)(d) The individual has residence in this state.

49.145(2)(f)1.a.a. Every parent in the individual’s Wisconsin works group fully cooperates in good faith with efforts directed at establishing the paternity of any minor child of that parent regardless of whether the parent is the custodial or noncustodial parent of that child. Such cooperation shall be in accordance with federal law and regulations and rules promulgated by the department applicable to paternity establishment and may not be required if the parent has good cause for refusing to cooperate, as determined by the department in accordance with federal law and regulations.

49.145(2)(f)1.b.b. Every parent in the individual’s Wisconsin works group fully cooperates in good faith with efforts directed at obtaining support payments or any other payments or property to which that parent and any minor child of that parent may have rights or for which that parent may be responsible, regardless of whether the parent is the custodial or noncustodial parent of the minor child. Such cooperation shall be in accordance with federal law and regulations and rules promulgated by the department applicable to collection of support payments and may not be required if the parent has good cause for refusing to cooperate, as determined by the department in accordance with federal law and regulations.

49.145(2)(f)2.2. An individual who is a member of a Wisconsin works group that fails 3 times to meet the requirements under subd. 1. remains ineligible until all of the members of Wisconsin works group cooperate or for a period of 6 months, whichever is later.

49.145(2)(g)(g) The individual furnishes the Wisconsin works agency with any relevant information that the Wisconsin works agency determines is necessary, consistent with rules promulgated by the department, within 7 working days after receiving a request for the information from the Wisconsin works agency. The Wisconsin works agency may extend the 7-day time limit for an individual for whom compliance with that limit would be unduly burdensome, as determined by the agency.

49.145(2)(h)(h) The individual has made a good faith effort, as determined by the Wisconsin works agency on a case-by-case basis, to obtain employment and has not refused any bona fide offer of employment within the 180 days immediately preceding application.

49.145(2)(hm)(hm) If the individual has applied for Wisconsin works within the 180 days immediately preceding the current application, the individual has cooperated with the efforts of a Wisconsin works agency to assist the individual in obtaining employment.

49.145(2)(i)(i) The individual is not receiving supplemental security income under 42 USC 1381 to 1383c or state supplemental payments under s. 49.77 and, if the individual is a dependent child, the custodial parent of the individual does not receive a payment on behalf of the individual under s. 49.775. The department may require an individual who receives benefits under s. 49.148 and who has applied for supplemental security income under 42 USC 1381 to 1383c to authorize the federal social security administration to reimburse the department for the benefits paid to the individual under s. 49.148 during the period that the individual was entitled to supplemental security income benefits to the extent that retroactive supplemental security income benefits are made available to the individual.

49.145(2)(j)(j) On the last day of the month, the individual is not participating in a strike.

49.145(2)(k)(k) The individual applies for or provides a social security account number as required by the department.

49.145(2)(L)(L) The individual satisfies other eligibility criteria established by the department by rule.

49.145(2)(m)(m) The individual reports any change in circumstances that may affect his or her eligibility to the Wisconsin works agency within 10 days after the change.

49.145(2)(n)1.1. Except as provided in subd. 4., beginning on the date on which the individual has attained the age of 18, the total number of months in which the individual or any adult member of the individual’s Wisconsin Works group has participated in, or has received benefits under, any of the following or any combination of the following does not exceed 48 months, whether or not consecutive:

49.145(2)(n)1.a.a. The job opportunities and basic skills program under s. 49.193, 1997 stats. Active participation on or after October 1, 1996, in the job opportunities and basic skills program counts toward the 48-month limit.

49.145(2)(n)1.c.c. Any program in this state or in any other state funded by a federal block grant for temporary assistance for needy families under title I of P.L. 104-193, if the individual received benefits under that program that were attributable to funds provided by the federal government.

49.145(2)(n)2.2. Except as provided in subd. 4., in calculating the number of months in which the individual participated under subd. 1., the Wisconsin works agency shall include any month in which any adult member of a Wisconsin works group participated in a Wisconsin works employment position, if the individual was a member of that Wisconsin works group during that month.