AB43: Bill Text

AB43,,2264 48.57 (3m) (cm) A kinship care relative provider who receives a payment under par. (am) for providing care and maintenance for a child is not eligible to receive a payment under sub. (3n) or s. 48.62 (4) or 48.623 (1) or (6) for that child.

AB43,936 Section 936. 48.57 (3m) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2266 48.57 (3m) (h) A county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department may recover an overpayment made under par. (am) from a kinship care relative provider who continues to receive payments under par. (am) by reducing the amount of the kinship care relative’s provider’s monthly payment. The department may by rule specify other methods for recovering overpayments made under par. (am). A county department that recovers an overpayment under this paragraph due to the efforts of its officers and employees may retain a portion of the amount recovered, as provided by the department by rule.

AB43,937 Section 937. 48.57 (3m) (i) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2268 48.57 (3m) (i) 1. Rules to provide assessment criteria for determining whether a kinship care relative provider who is providing care and maintenance for a child is eligible to receive payments under par. (am). The rules shall also provide that any criteria established under the rules shall first apply to applications for payments under par. (am) received, and to reviews under par. (d) conducted, on the effective date of those rules.

AB43,938 Section 938. 48.57 (3m) (i) 3. of the statutes is created to read:

AB43,,2270 48.57 (3m) (i) 3. Rules governing the provision of flexible support under par. (as). Rules promulgated under this subdivision may specify qualifying costs and services and eligibility criteria.

AB43,939 Section 939. 48.57 (3m) (i) 4. of the statutes is created to read:

AB43,,2272 48.57 (3m) (i) 4. Rules governing the provision of payments for exceptional circumstances to enable siblings or a minor parent and minor children to reside together and for initial clothing allowances for a child residing in the home of a kinship care provider who is receiving a monthly rate under par. (am).

****Note: This is reconciled s. 48.57 (3m) (i) 3. This Section has been affected by drafts with the following LRB numbers: -0878/P4 and -0866/P4.

AB43,940 Section 940. 48.57 (3m) (j) of the statutes is created to read:

AB43,,2274 48.57 (3m) (j) The department may promulgate rules governing the provision of emergency payments under par. (ar).

AB43,941 Section 941. 48.57 (3n) (a) 1. b. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2276 48.57 (3n) (a) 1. b. The person is under 21 years of age, the person is a full-time student in good academic standing at a secondary school or its vocational or technical equivalent, an individualized education program under s. 115.787 is in effect for the person, and the person is placed in the home of the long-term kinship care relative provider under an order under s. 48.355, 48.357, 48.365, 938.355, 938.357, or 938.365 that terminates under s. 48.355 (4) (b) or 938.355 (4) (am) after the person attains 18 years of age or under a voluntary transition-to-independent-living agreement under s. 48.366 (3) or 938.366 (3).

AB43,942 Section 942. 48.57 (3n) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2278 48.57 (3n) (a) 2. “Long-term kinship care relative provider” means a relative other than a parent, an extended family member, as defined in s. 48.028 (2) (am), or like-kin.

AB43,943 Section 943. 48.57 (3n) (am) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2280 48.57 (3n) (am) (intro.) From the appropriations under s. 20.437 (2) (dz), (md), (me), and (s), the department shall reimburse counties having populations of less than 750,000 for payments made under this subsection and shall make payments under this subsection in a county having a population of 750,000 or more. Subject to par. (ap), a county department and, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department shall make monthly payments for each child in the amount of $300 per month beginning on January 1, 2022, to a long-term kinship care relative provider who is providing care and maintenance for that child if all of the following conditions are met:

****Note: This is reconciled s. 48.57 (3n) (am) (intro.). This Section has been affected by drafts with the following LRB numbers: -0878/p4 and -0866/p4.

AB43,944 Section 944. 48.57 (3n) (am) (intro.) of the statutes, as affected by 2023 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), is amended to read:

AB43,,2282 48.57 (3n) (am) (intro.) From the appropriations under s. 20.437 (2) (dz), (md), (me), and (s), the department shall reimburse counties having populations of less than 750,000 for payments made under this subsection and shall make payments under this subsection in a county having a population of 750,000 or more. Subject to par. (ap) and if all of the following conditions are met, beginning on January 1, 2024, a county department and, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department shall make monthly payments to a long-term kinship care provider who is providing care and maintenance for each a child in the amount of $300 per month beginning on January 1, 2022, to a long-term kinship care provider who is providing care and maintenance for that child if all of the following conditions are met $441 for a child under 5 years of age; $483 for a child 5 to 11 years of age; $548 for a child 12 to 14 years of age; and $572 for a child 15 years of age or over:

****Note: This is reconciled s. 48.57 (3n) (am) (intro.). This Section has been affected by drafts with the following LRB numbers: -0878/P4 and -0866/P4.

AB43,945 Section 945. 48.57 (3n) (am) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2284 48.57 (3n) (am) 1. The long-term kinship care relative provider applies to the county department or department for payments under this subsection, provides proof that he or she has been appointed as the guardian of the child, and, if the child is placed in the home of the long-term kinship care relative provider under a court order, other than a court order under s. 48.9795 or ch. 54, 2017 stats., applies to the county department or department for a license to operate a foster home.

AB43,946 Section 946. 48.57 (3n) (am) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2286 48.57 (3n) (am) 2. The county department or department inspects the long-term kinship care relative’s provider’s home, interviews the long-term kinship care relative provider and determines that long-term placement with the long-term kinship care relative provider is in the best interests of the child.

AB43,947 Section 947. 48.57 (3n) (am) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2288 48.57 (3n) (am) 4. The county department or department conducts a background investigation under sub. (3p) of the long-term kinship care relative provider, the employees and prospective employees of the long-term kinship care relative provider who have or would have regular contact with the child for whom the payments would be made and any other adult resident, as defined in sub. (3p) (a), of the long-term kinship care relative’s provider’s home to determine if the long-term kinship care relative provider, employee, prospective employee or adult resident has any arrests or convictions that are likely to adversely affect the child or the long-term kinship care relative’s provider’s ability to care for the child.

AB43,948 Section 948. 48.57 (3n) (am) 4m. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2290 48.57 (3n) (am) 4m. Subject to sub. (3p) (fm) 1m. and 2m., the long-term kinship care relative provider states that he or she does not have any arrests or convictions that could adversely affect the child or the long-term kinship care relative’s provider’s ability to care for the child and that, to the best of the long-term kinship care relative’s provider’s knowledge, no adult resident, as defined in sub. (3p) (a), and no employee or prospective employee of the long-term kinship care relative provider who would have regular contact with the child has any arrests or convictions that could adversely affect the child or the long-term kinship care relative’s provider’s ability to care for the child.

AB43,949 Section 949. 48.57 (3n) (am) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2292 48.57 (3n) (am) 5. The long-term kinship care relative provider cooperates with the county department or department in the application process, including applying for other forms of assistance for which the child may be eligible.

AB43,950 Section 950. 48.57 (3n) (am) 5m. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2294 48.57 (3n) (am) 5m. The long-term kinship care relative provider is not receiving payments under sub. (3m) with respect to the child.

AB43,951 Section 951. 48.57 (3n) (am) 5r. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2296 48.57 (3n) (am) 5r. The child for whom the long-term kinship care relative provider is providing care and maintenance is not receiving supplemental security income under 42 USC 1381 to 1383c or state supplemental payments under s. 49.77.

AB43,952 Section 952. 48.57 (3n) (am) 6. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2298 48.57 (3n) (am) 6. (intro.) The long-term kinship care relative provider and the county department or department enter into a written agreement under which the long-term kinship care relative provider agrees to provide care and maintenance for the child and the county department or department agrees, subject to sub. (3p) (hm), to make monthly payments to the long-term kinship care relative provider at the rate specified in sub. (3m) (am) (intro.) until the earliest of the following:

AB43,953 Section 953. 48.57 (3n) (am) 6. c. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2300 48.57 (3n) (am) 6. c. The date on which the child is placed outside the long-term kinship care relative’s provider’s home under a court order or under a voluntary agreement under s. 48.63 (1) (a) or (b) or (5) (b).

AB43,954 Section 954. 48.57 (3n) (am) 6. d. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2302 48.57 (3n) (am) 6. d. The date on which the child ceases to reside with the long-term kinship care relative provider.

AB43,955 Section 955. 48.57 (3n) (am) 6. e. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2304 48.57 (3n) (am) 6. e. The date on which the long-term kinship care’s care provider’s guardianship under s. 48.977 terminates.

AB43,956 Section 956. 48.57 (3n) (an) of the statutes is created to read:

AB43,,2306 48.57 (3n) (an) In addition to the monthly payments for long-term kinship care under par. (am), the department or, with the department’s approval, the county department may make payments for exceptional circumstances to enable siblings or a minor parent and minor children to reside together and for initial clothing allowances to a long-term kinship care provider who is providing care and maintenance for a child residing in the home of the long-term kinship care provider who is receiving a monthly rate under par. (am), commensurate with the needs of the child, according to the rules promulgated by the department under par. (i) 2.

****Note: This is reconciled s. 48.57 (3n) (an). This Section has been affected by drafts with the following LRB numbers: -0878/P4 and -0866/P4.

AB43,957 Section 957. 48.57 (3n) (ap) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2308 48.57 (3n) (ap) 1. Subject to subds. 2. and 3., the county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department may make payments under par. (am) to a long-term kinship care relative provider who is providing care and maintenance for a child who is placed in the home of the long-term kinship care relative provider for no more than 60 days after the date on which the county department or department received under par. (am) 1. the completed application of the long-term kinship care relative provider for a license to operate a foster home or, if the application is approved or denied or the long-term kinship care relative provider is otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure within those 60 days, until the date on which the application is approved or denied or the long-term kinship care relative provider is otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure.

AB43,958 Section 958. 48.57 (3n) (ap) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2310 48.57 (3n) (ap) 2. If the application specified in subd. 1. is not approved or denied or the long-term kinship care relative provider is not otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure within 60 days after the date on which the county department or department received the completed application for any reason other than an act or omission of the long-term kinship care relative provider, the county department or department may make payments under par. (am) for 4 months after the date on which the county department or department received the completed application or, if the application is approved or denied or the long-term kinship care relative provider is otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure within those 4 months, until the date on which the application is approved or denied or the long-term kinship care relative provider is otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure.

AB43,959 Section 959. 48.57 (3n) (ap) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2312 48.57 (3n) (ap) 3. Notwithstanding that an application of a long-term kinship care relative provider specified in subd. 1. is denied or the long-term kinship care relative provider is otherwise determined to be ineligible for licensure, the county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department may make payments under par. (am) to the long-term kinship care relative provider until an event specified in par. (am) 6. a. to f. occurs if the county department or department submits to the court information relating to the background investigation specified in par. (am) 4., an assessment of the safety of the long-term kinship care relative’s provider’s home and the ability of the long-term kinship care relative provider to care for the child, and a recommendation that the child remain in the home of the long-term kinship care relative provider and the court, after considering that information, assessment, and recommendation, orders the child to remain in the long-term kinship care relative’s provider’s home. If the court does not order the child to remain in the kinship care relative’s provider’s home, the court shall order the county department or department to request a change in placement under s. 48.357 (1) (am) or 938.357 (1) (am) or to request a termination of the guardianship order under s. 48.977 (7). Any person specified in s. 48.357 (2m) (a) or 938.357 (2m) (a) may also request a change in placement and any person who is authorized to file a petition for the appointment of a guardian for the child may also request a termination of the guardianship order.

AB43,960 Section 960. 48.57 (3n) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2314 48.57 (3n) (b) 2. When any long-term kinship care relative provider of a child applies for or receives payments under this subsection, any right of the child or the child’s parent to support or maintenance from any other person accruing during the time that payments are made under this subsection is assigned to the state. If a child is the beneficiary of support under a judgment or order that includes support for one or more children who are not the beneficiaries of payments under this subsection, any support payment made under the judgment or order is assigned to the state in the amount that is the proportionate share of the child who is the beneficiary of the payment made under this subsection, except as otherwise ordered by the court on the motion of a party.

AB43,961 Section 961. 48.57 (3n) (cm) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2316 48.57 (3n) (cm) A long-term kinship care relative provider who receives a payment under par. (am) for providing care and maintenance for a child is not eligible to receive a payment under sub. (3m) or s. 48.62 (4) or 48.623 (1) or (6) for that child.

AB43,962 Section 962. 48.57 (3n) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2318 48.57 (3n) (h) A county department or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the department may recover an overpayment made under par. (am) from a long-term kinship care relative provider who continues to receive payments under par. (am) by reducing the amount of the long-term kinship care relative’s provider’s monthly payment. The department may by rule specify other methods for recovering overpayments made under par. (am). A county department that recovers an overpayment under this paragraph due to the efforts of its officers and employees may retain a portion of the amount recovered, as provided by the department by rule.

AB43,963 Section 963. 48.57 (3n) (i) of the statutes is renumbered 48.57 (3n) (i) (intro.) and amended to read:

AB43,,2320 48.57 (3n) (i) (intro.) The department shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection. Those rules shall include rules all of the following:

AB43,,2321 1. Rules governing the provision of long-term kinship care payments for the care and maintenance of a child after the child attains 18 years of age.

AB43,964 Section 964. 48.57 (3n) (i) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

AB43,,2323 48.57 (3n) (i) 2. Rules governing the provision of payments for exceptional circumstances to enable siblings or a minor parent and minor children to reside together and for initial clothing allowances for children residing in a home of a long-term kinship care provider who is receiving a monthly rate under par. (am).

****Note: This is reconciled s. 48.57 (3n) (i) 2. This Section has been affected by drafts with the following LRB numbers: -0878/P4 and -0866/P4.

AB43,965 Section 965. 48.57 (3p) (h) 3. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2325 48.57 (3p) (h) 3. (intro.) The director of the county department, the person designated by the governing body of an Indian tribe or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the person designated by the secretary shall review the denial of payments or the prohibition on employment or being an adult resident to determine if the conviction record on which the denial or prohibition is based includes any arrests, convictions, or penalties that are likely to adversely affect the child or the ability of the kinship care relative provider to care for the child. In reviewing the denial or prohibition, the director of the county department, the person designated by the governing body of the Indian tribe or the person designated by the secretary shall consider all of the following factors:

AB43,966 Section 966. 48.57 (3p) (h) 3. b. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2327 48.57 (3p) (h) 3. b. The nature of the violation or penalty and how that violation or penalty affects the ability of the kinship care relative provider to care for the child.

AB43,967 Section 967. 48.57 (3p) (h) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2329 48.57 (3p) (h) 4. If the director of the county department, the person designated by the governing body of the Indian tribe or, in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, the person designated by the secretary determines that the conviction record on which the denial of payments or the prohibition on employment or being an adult resident is based does not include any arrests, convictions, or penalties that are likely to adversely affect the child or the ability of the kinship care relative provider to care for the child, the director of the county department, the person designated by the governing body of the Indian tribe, or the person designated by the secretary may approve the making of payments under sub. (3m) or may permit a person receiving payments under sub. (3m) to employ a person in a position in which that person would have regular contact with the child for whom payments are being made or permit a person to be an adult resident.

AB43,968 Section 968. 48.60 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2331 48.60 (2) (a) A relative or like-kin, guardian, or person delegated care and custody of a child under s. 48.979 who provides care and maintenance for such children.

AB43,969 Section 969. 48.62 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2333 48.62 (2) A relative or like-kin, a guardian of a child, or a person delegated care and custody of a child under s. 48.979 who provides care and maintenance for the child is not required to obtain the license specified in this section. The department, county department, or licensed child welfare agency as provided in s. 48.75 may issue a license to operate a foster home to a relative or like-kin who has no duty of support under s. 49.90 (1) (a) and who requests a license to operate a foster home for a specific child who is either placed by court order or who is the subject of a voluntary placement agreement under s. 48.63. The department, a county department, or a licensed child welfare agency may, at the request of a guardian appointed under s. 48.977, 48.978, or 48.9795, ch. 54, 2017 stats., or ch. 880, 2003 stats., license the guardian’s home as a foster home for the guardian’s minor ward who is living in the home and who is placed in the home by court order. Relatives and like-kin with no duty of support and guardians appointed under s. 48.977, 48.978, or 48.9795, ch. 54, 2017 stats., or ch. 880, 2003 stats., who are licensed to operate foster homes are subject to the department’s licensing rules.

AB43,970 Section 970. 48.62 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2335 48.62 (4) Monthly payments in foster care shall be provided according to the rates specified in this subsection. Beginning on January 1, 2022, the rates are $300 for care and maintenance provided for a child of any age by a foster home that is certified to provide level one care, as defined in the rules promulgated under sub. (8) (a) and 2024, for care and maintenance provided by a foster home that is certified to provide care at a any level of care that is higher than level one care, $420 $441 for a child under 5 years of age; $460 $483 for a child 5 to 11 years of age; $522 $548 for a child 12 to 14 years of age; and $545 $572 for a child 15 years of age or over. In addition to these grants for basic maintenance, the department, county department, or licensed child welfare agency shall make supplemental payments for foster care to a foster home that is receiving an age-related rate under this subsection that are commensurate with the level of care that the foster home is certified to provide and the needs of the child who is placed in the foster home according to the rules promulgated by the department under sub. (8) (c).

AB43,971 Section 971. 48.623 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2337 48.623 (1) Eligibility. (intro.) A county department or, as provided in sub. (3) (a), an Indian tribe or the department shall provide monthly subsidized guardianship payments in the amount specified in sub. (3) (b) to a guardian of a child under s. 48.977 (2) or under a substantially similar tribal law if the county department, Indian tribe, or department determines that the conditions specified in pars. (a) to (d) have been met. A county department or, as provided in sub. (3) (a), a tribe or the department shall also provide those payments for the care of a sibling of such a child, regardless of whether the sibling meets the conditions specified in par. (a), if the county department, Indian tribe, or department and the guardian agree on the appropriateness of placing the sibling in the home of the guardian. A guardian of a child under s. 48.977 (2) or under a substantially similar tribal law is eligible for monthly subsidized guardianship payments under this subsection if the county department, Indian tribe, or the department, whichever will be providing those payments, determines that all of the following apply:

AB43,972 Section 972. 48.623 (1) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2339 48.623 (1) (b) 3. The guardian is licensed as the child’s foster parent and the guardian and all adults residing in the guardian’s home meet the requirements specified in s. 48.685 or, for a guardianship of a child ordered by a tribal court in which the background investigation is conducted by the Indian tribe, all adults residing in the guardian’s home meet either the requirements specified in s. 48.685 or the background check requirements for foster parent licensing under 42 USC 671 (a) (20).

AB43,973 Section 973. 48.623 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2341 48.623 (1) (c) An order under s. 48.345, 48.357, 48.363, 48.365, 938.345, 938.357, 938.363, or 938.365 or a tribal court under a substantially similar tribal law placing the child, or continuing the placement of the child, outside of the child’s home has been terminated, or any proceeding in which the child has been adjudged to be in need of protection or services specified in s. 48.977 (2) (a) has been dismissed, as provided in s. 48.977 (3r) (a).

AB43,974 Section 974. 48.623 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2343 48.623 (2) Subsidized guardianship agreement. (intro.) Before a county department, an Indian tribe, or the department may approve the provision of subsidized guardianship payments under sub. (1) to a proposed guardian, the county department, Indian tribe, or department shall negotiate and enter into a written, binding subsidized guardianship agreement with the proposed guardian and provide the proposed guardian with a copy of the agreement. A subsidized guardianship agreement or an amended subsidized guardianship agreement may also name a prospective successor guardian of the child to assume the duty and authority of guardianship on the death or incapacity of the guardian. A successor guardian is eligible for monthly subsidized guardianship payments under this section only if the successor guardian is named as a prospective successor guardian of the child in a subsidized guardianship agreement or amended subsidized guardianship agreement that was entered into before the death or incapacity of the guardian, the conditions specified in sub. (6) (bm) are met, and the court appoints the successor guardian to assume the duty and authority of guardianship as provided in s. 48.977 (5m). A subsidized guardianship agreement shall specify all of the following:

AB43,975 Section 975. 48.623 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2345 48.623 (2) (c) That the county department, Indian tribe, or department will pay the total cost of the nonrecurring expenses that are associated with obtaining guardianship of the child, not to exceed $2,000.

AB43,976 Section 976. 48.623 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB43,,2347 48.623 (3) (a) Except as provided in this paragraph, the county department shall provide the monthly payments under sub. (1) or (6). An Indian tribe that has entered into an agreement with the department under sub. (8) shall provide the monthly payments under sub. (1) or (6) for guardianships of children ordered by the tribal court, or a county department may provide the monthly payments under sub. (1) or (6) for guardianships of children ordered by the tribal court if the county department has entered into an agreement with the governing body of an Indian tribe to provide those payments. The county department or Indian tribe shall provide those payments from moneys received under s. 48.48 (8r). The department shall reimburse county departments and Indian tribes for the cost of subsidized guardianship payments, including payments made by county departments for guardianships of Indian children ordered by tribal courts, from the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (dd) and (pd). In a county having a population of 750,000 or more or in the circumstances specified in s. 48.43 (7) (a) or 48.485 (1), the department shall provide the monthly payments under sub. (1) or (6). The department shall provide those payments from the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (cx) and (mx).