SB805: Bill Text

LRB-5608/1

EHS:cdc/amn/skw

2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE

2019 Senate BILL 805

February 11, 2020 - Introduced by Law Revision Committee. Referred to Committee on Senate Organization.

SB805,1,5 An Act to amend 48.545 (2) (a) (intro.) and 49.145 (3) (b) 1. of the statutes; relating to: the exclusion of certain amounts from the calculation of income for purposes of Wisconsin Works eligibility and sources of funding for the Brighter Futures Initiative (suggested as remedial legislation by the Department of Children and Families).

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program is administered by the Department of Children and Families and provides work experience and benefits for low-income custodial parents who are at least 18 years old. Eligibility criteria for employment positions and job access loans under W-2 require an individual to meet certain income requirements. Current law requires that, in calculating gross income, all earned and unearned income of the individual be included, except for certain tax and financial aid related amounts. This bill eliminates from the amounts that must be excluded from this calculation any payment made by an employer under a provision of the Internal Revenue Code that authorized advance payment of earned income credit.

This bill also changes the appropriations from which amounts are distributed for awarding grants under the Brighter Futures Initiative. Under that program, DCF awards grants to nonprofit corporations and public agencies to provide programs to, among other things, prevent and reduce the incidence of youth alcohol and other drug abuse.

For further information, see the Notes provided by the Law Revision Committee of the Joint Legislative Council.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB805,1 Section 1. 48.545 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB805,2,9 48.545 (2) (a) (intro.) From the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (eg), (kb), (ky), and (nL) (2) (md), the department, subject to par. (am), shall distribute $2,097,700 in each fiscal year to applying nonprofit corporations and public agencies operating in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, $1,171,800 in each fiscal year to applying county departments under s. 46.22, 46.23, 51.42, or 51.437 operating in counties other than a county having a population of 750,000 or more, and $55,000 in each fiscal year to Diverse and Resilient, Inc. to provide programs to accomplish all of the following:

Note: This Section changes the appropriations used to fund Brighter Futures Initiative grants. It deletes a reference to a federal program local assistance appropriation and adds references to appropriations for interagency and intra-agency local assistance aids and federal block grant aids.

SB805,2 Section 2. 49.145 (3) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB805,2,18 49.145 (3) (b) 1. All earned and unearned income of the individual, except any amount received under section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code, as defined in s. 71.01 (6), any amount received under s. 71.07 (9e), any payment made by an employer under section 3507 of the Internal Revenue Code, as defined in s. 71.01 (6), any student financial aid received under any federal or state program, any scholarship used for tuition and books, and any assistance received under s. 49.148. In determining the earned and unearned income of the individual, the Wisconsin works agency may not include income earned by a dependent child of the individual.

Note: This Section removes a reference to an IRS Code provision that no longer exists.

SB805,3,1 (End)