Chapter 49

49.1635(3)(c) (c) Annually, prepare a report for distribution to the joint committee on finance that specifies the organizations that received funding under this section.

49.1635(4) (4) Not more than 10 percent of the total funds received by the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation under sub. (1) may be used for administration.

49.1635(5) (5) 

49.1635(5)(a) (a) From the allocation under s. 49.175 (1) (j), the department shall make a grant of $500,000 in each fiscal year to Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, Inc., for distribution of annual awards of not more than $75,000 per year per program to programs that provide legal services to persons who are eligible under par. (b) 2. if all of the following apply:

49.1635(5)(a)1. 1. Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, Inc., submits a plan to the department detailing the proposed use of the grant; the proposed use of the grant conforms to the requirements under par. (b); and the secretary of the department, or his or her designee, approves the plan.

49.1635(5)(a)2. 2. Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, Inc., enters into an agreement with the department that specifies the conditions for the use of the grant proceeds, and the conditions conform to the requirements under par. (b) and include training, reporting, and auditing requirements.

49.1635(5)(a)3. 3. Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, Inc., agrees in writing to submit to the department the reports required under par. (c) by the times required under par. (c).

49.1635(5)(b) (b)

49.1635(5)(b)1. 1. Subject to subd. 3., the grant may be used only to provide legal services in civil matters related to domestic abuse, sexual abuse, or restraining orders or injunctions for individuals at risk under s. 813.123.

49.1635(5)(b)2. 2. The recipients of the legal services under a grant under this subsection shall be individuals who are eligible for temporary assistance for needy families under 42 USC 601 et seq. and whose gross incomes are at or below 200 percent of the poverty line. For purposes of this subdivision, gross income shall be determined in the same way as gross income is determined for purposes of eligibility for a Wisconsin Works employment position, as defined in s. 49.141 (1) (r), including the exclusion of any payments or benefits made under any federal law that exempts those payments or benefits from consideration in determining eligibility for any federal means-tested program.

49.1635(5)(b)3. 3. The legal services provided by a grant under this subsection shall be provided only in matters for which federal temporary assistance for needy families block grant funds under 42 USC 601 et seq. may be used.

49.1635(5)(b)4. 4. The grant proceeds may not be used for legal services for litigation against the state.

49.1635(5)(c) (c) For each fiscal year in which the department makes a grant under this subsection, Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, Inc., shall submit to the department, within 3 months after spending the full amount of that grant, a report detailing how the grant proceeds were used. The department may not make a grant in a subsequent fiscal year unless Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, Inc., submits the report under this paragraph within the time required and the department determines that the grant proceeds were used in accordance with the approved plan under par. (a) 1., the agreement under par. (a) 2., and the requirements under par. (b).

49.1635 History History: 1999 a. 9; 2003 a. 33; 2007 a. 20; 2017 a. 59.

49.165 49.165 Domestic abuse grants.

49.165(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

49.165(1)(a) (a) “Domestic abuse” means physical abuse, including a violation of s. 940.225 (1), (2) or (3), or any threat of physical abuse between adult family or adult household members, by a minor family or minor household member against an adult family or adult household member, by an adult against his or her adult former spouse or by an adult against an adult with whom the person has a child in common.

49.165(1)(b) (b) “Family member” means a spouse, a parent, a child or a person related by blood or adoption to another person.

49.165(1)(c) (c) “Household member” means a person currently or formerly residing in a place of abode with another person.

49.165(1)(d) (d) “Organization” means a nonprofit corporation or a public agency that provides or proposes to provide any of the following domestic abuse services:

49.165(1)(d)1. 1. Shelter facilities or private home shelter care.

49.165(1)(d)2. 2. Advocacy and counseling for victims.

49.165(1)(d)3. 3. A 24-hour telephone service.

49.165(1)(d)4. 4. Community education.

49.165(2) (2) Distribution of funds.

49.165(2)(a) (a) The secretary shall make grants from the appropriation accounts under s. 20.437 (1) (cd) and (hh) to organizations for the provision of any of the services specified in sub. (1) (d). Grants may be made to organizations which have provided those domestic abuse services in the past or to organizations which propose to provide those services in the future. No grant may be made to fund services for child or unborn child abuse or abuse of elderly persons.

49.165(2)(b) (b) In reviewing applications for grants, the department shall consider:

49.165(2)(b)1. 1. The need for domestic abuse services in the specific community in which the applicant provides services or proposes to provide services.

49.165(2)(b)2. 2. Coordination of the organization’s services with other resources in the community and the state.

49.165(2)(b)3. 3. The need for domestic abuse services in the areas of the state served by each health systems agency, as defined in s. 140.83 (1), 1985 stats.

49.165(2)(b)4. 4. The needs of both urban and rural communities.

49.165(2)(b)5. 5. Maintenance of effort, by a city, village, town or county.

49.165(2)(c) (c) No grant may be made to an organization which provides or will provide shelter facilities unless the department of safety and professional services determines that the physical plant of the facility will not be dangerous to the health or safety of the residents when the facility is in operation. No grant may be given to an organization which provides or will provide shelter facilities or private home shelter care unless the organization ensures that the following services will be provided either by that organization or by another organization, person or agency:

49.165(2)(c)1. 1. A 24-hour telephone service.

49.165(2)(c)2. 2. Temporary housing and food.

49.165(2)(c)3. 3. Advocacy and counseling for victims.

49.165(2)(c)4. 4. Referral and follow-up services.

49.165(2)(c)5. 5. Arrangements for education of school-age children.

49.165(2)(c)6. 6. Emergency transportation to the shelter.

49.165(2)(c)7. 7. Community education.

49.165(2)(d) (d) An organization that receives a grant under this section shall provide matching funds or in-kind contributions that are equal to 25 percent of the amount of the grant. The department shall establish guidelines regarding which contributions qualify as in-kind contributions.

49.165(2)(e) (e) In funding new domestic abuse services, the department shall give preference to services in areas of the state where these services are not otherwise available.

49.165(2)(f) (f) From the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (cd) and (hh), the department shall do all of the following:

49.165(2)(f)1. 1. Award $545,000 in grants in fiscal year 1997-98 and $995,000 in grants in each fiscal year thereafter to organizations for domestic abuse services that are targeted to children. In awarding the grants, the department shall use a competitive request-for-proposals process and, to the extent possible, shall ensure that the grants are equally distributed on a statewide basis.

49.165(2)(f)5. 5. Expend $20,700 each fiscal year to contract with a nonstate agency to do all of the following:

49.165(2)(f)5.a. a. Act as liaison among local, state, federal and private housing agencies.

49.165(2)(f)5.b. b. Identify capital resources for housing initiatives.

49.165(2)(f)5.c. c. Coordinate and disseminate information on job training programs.

49.165(2)(f)5.d. d. Circulate information on successful transitional living programs.

49.165(2)(f)6. 6. Expend $69,700 each fiscal year to provide ongoing training and technical assistance to do all of the following:

49.165(2)(f)6.a. a. Educate organizations and advocates for victims of domestic abuse about the judicial system.

49.165(2)(f)6.b. b. Organize pro bono legal services on a regional basis.

49.165(2)(f)7. 7. Award grants in each fiscal year to organizations to enhance support services. Funding may be used for such purposes as case management; children’s programming; assisting victims of domestic abuse to find employment; and training in and activities promoting self-sufficiency.

49.165(2)(f)8. 8. Award grants in each fiscal year to organizations for domestic abuse services for individuals who are members of underserved populations, including racial minority group members and individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities.

49.165(2)(f)9. 9. Award a grant in each fiscal year to the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence toward the cost of a staff person to provide assistance in obtaining legal services to domestic abuse victims.

49.165(2)(f)10. 10. Award a grant of $563,500 in each fiscal year to the Refugee Family Strengthening Project for providing domestic abuse services to the refugee population. Funding may be used to hire bilingual staff persons, especially those who speak Hmong.

49.165(2m) (2m) Reporting requirements. Any organization that receives a grant under this section shall report all of the following information to the department by February 15 annually:

49.165(2m)(a) (a) The total expenditures that the organization made on domestic abuse services in the period for which the grant was provided.

49.165(2m)(b) (b) The expenditures specified in par. (a) by general category of domestic abuse services provided.

49.165(2m)(c) (c) The number of persons served in the period for which the grant was provided by general type of domestic abuse service.

49.165(2m)(d) (d) The number of persons who were in need of domestic abuse services in the period for which the grant was provided but who did not receive the domestic abuse services that they needed.

49.165(3) (3) Council on domestic abuse. The council on domestic abuse shall:

49.165(3)(a) (a) Review applications for grants under this section and advise the secretary as to whether the applications should be approved or denied. The council shall consider the criteria under sub. (2) (b) when reviewing the applications.

49.165(3)(b) (b) Advise the secretary and the legislature on matters of domestic abuse policy.

49.165(3)(c) (c) Develop with the judicial conference and provide without cost simplified forms for filing petitions for domestic abuse restraining orders and injunctions under s. 813.12.

49.165(4) (4) List of eligible organizations.

49.165(4)(a) (a) The department shall certify to the elections commission, on a continuous basis, a list containing the name and address of each organization that is eligible to receive grants under sub. (2).

49.165(4)(b) (b) The department shall make available to law enforcement agencies a current list containing the name and address of each organization that is eligible to receive grants under sub. (2).

49.165 History History: 1979 c. 111; 1979 c. 355 s. 241; 1981 c. 20 ss. 792c, 792m, 2202 (20) (s); 1983 a. 27 ss. 997m, 998, 2202 (20); 1983 a. 204; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 332, 399; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 39, 96; 1993 a. 16, 227, 246, 319, 491; 1995 a. 27 ss. 2337 to 2345, 9116 (5); 1997 a. 27, 292; 1999 a. 9, 162; 2005 a. 25, 278; 2007 a. 1; 2007 a. 20 ss. 1181 to 1200; Stats. 2007 s. 49.165; 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 20, 323; 2015 a. 118.

49.167 49.167 Alcohol and other drug abuse treatment grant program.

49.167(1) (1) The department may award grants to counties, tribal governing bodies, and private entities to provide community-based alcohol and other drug abuse treatment programs that are targeted at individuals who have a family income of not more than 200 percent of the poverty line and who are eligible for temporary assistance for needy families under 42 USC 601 et seq. and that do all of the following:

49.167(1)(a) (a) Meet the special needs of low-income persons with problems resulting from alcohol or other drug abuse.

49.167(1)(b) (b) Emphasize parent education, vocational and housing assistance and coordination with other community programs and with treatment under intensive care.

49.167(2) (2) The department shall do all of the following with respect to any grants awarded under par. (a):

49.167(2)(a) (a) Award the grants in accordance with the department’s request-for-proposal procedures.

49.167(2)(b) (b) Ensure that the grants are distributed in both urban and rural communities.

49.167(2)(c) (c) Evaluate the programs under the grants by use of client-outcome measurements that the department develops.

49.167(3) (3) The department shall coordinate the grant program under this section with any similar grant program administered by the department of health services.

49.167 History History: 1999 a. 9; 2003 a. 33; 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a).

49.168 49.168 National reading program grants.

49.168(1) (1) In this section, “national reading program” means a national program that has been in existence since at least 2003 and that mails age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5 at no cost and regardless of their family income.

49.168(2) (2) The department shall establish a program to award grants, from the appropriation under s. 20.437 (1) (em), to nonprofit organizations for the provision of books to young children. A nonprofit organization is eligible for a grant under this section as reimbursement for up to 50 percent of the costs it incurs in purchasing books in partnership with a national reading program to provide age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5 at no cost and regardless of their family income. A single grant under this section may not exceed $10,000.

49.168 History History: 2023 a. 191.

49.169 49.169 Literacy grants.

49.169(2) (2) The department may award grants to qualified applicants for the provision of literacy training to individuals who are eligible for temporary assistance for needy families under 42 USC 601 et seq.

49.169(4) (4) The department, in consultation with the technical college system board, the department of public instruction, and the governor’s office, shall develop written criteria to be used to evaluate any grant proposals and to allocate any grants under this section among successful grant applicants.

49.169(5) (5) The department shall require grant recipients to coordinate with the appropriate Wisconsin works agencies to ensure that those participants in Wisconsin works who are served by those Wisconsin works agencies and who need literacy training receive adequate literacy training.

49.169 History History: 1999 a. 9; 2003 a. 33.

49.175 49.175 Public assistance and local assistance allocations.