Chapter 49

49.19(4e)(a) (a) If a person applying for aid is under 18 years of age, has never married, and is pregnant or has a dependent child in his or her care, the person is not eligible for aid unless he or she lives in a place maintained by his or her parent, legal guardian, or other adult relative as the parent’s, guardian’s or other adult relative’s own home or lives in a foster home, maternity home, or other supportive living arrangement supervised by an adult.

49.19(4e)(b) (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply in any of the following situations:

49.19(4e)(b)1. 1. The person applying for aid has no parent or legal guardian whose whereabouts are known.

49.19(4e)(b)2. 2. No parent or legal guardian of the person applying for aid allows the person to live in the home of that parent or legal guardian.

49.19(4e)(b)3. 3. The department determines that the physical or emotional health or safety of the person applying for aid or the dependent child would be jeopardized if the person and the dependent child lived with the person’s parent or guardian.

49.19(4e)(b)4. 4. The person applying for aid lived apart from his or her parent or legal guardian for at least one year before the birth of any dependent child or before the person applied for aid.

49.19(4e)(b)5. 5. The county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 otherwise determines that there is good cause not to apply par. (a).

49.19(4e)(c) (c) The department shall request a waiver from the secretary of the federal department of health and human services to require, without exception, that a person applying for aid who is under 18 years of age, has never married and is pregnant or has a dependent child in his or her care meet the requirements of par. (a). If a waiver is granted and in effect, par. (b) does not apply.

49.19(4h) (4h) Student loans and grants, including work study funds, are not considered income in determining eligibility for aid under this section or the amount of monthly payments under this section.

49.19(4m) (4m) Aid under this section is unavailable to a family for any month in which the caretaker relative of the dependent child is participating in a strike on the last day of the month. Aid under this section is unavailable to any person for a month in which the person is participating in a strike on the last day of the month.

49.19(5) (5) 

49.19(5)(a) (a) The aid shall be sufficient to enable the person having the care and custody of dependent children to care properly for them. The amount granted shall be determined by a budget for the family in which all income shall be considered, except:

49.19(5)(a)1. 1. All earned income of each dependent child included in the grant who is: a full-time student; or a part-time student who is not a full-time employee. For purposes of this subdivision a student is an individual attending a school, college, university or a course of vocational or technical training designed to fit him or her for gainful employment.

49.19(5)(a)1e. 1e. Any amount received under section 32 of the internal revenue code, as defined in s. 71.01 (6), and any payment made by an employer under section 3507 of the internal revenue code, as defined in s. 71.01 (6), to a family receiving aid.

49.19(5)(a)1m. 1m. The first $50 of any money received by the department in a month under an assignment to the state under sub. (4) (h) for a person applying for or receiving aid to families with dependent children that shall be paid to the family applying for or receiving aid.

49.19(5)(a)2. 2. The first $90 shall be disregarded from the earned income of:

49.19(5)(a)2.a. a. Any dependent child or relative applying for or receiving aid.

49.19(5)(a)2.b. b. Any other person living in the same home as the dependent child whose needs are considered in determining the budget.

49.19(5)(a)4. 4. Except as provided under par. (am), after disregarding the amounts specified under subd. 2., $30 of earned income and an amount equal to one-third of the remaining earned income not disregarded, from the earned income of any person specified in subd. 2. These disregards do not apply to:

49.19(5)(a)4.a. a. The earned income of a person who has received the disregards for 4 consecutive months, until the person ceases to receive aid for 12 consecutive months.

49.19(5)(a)4.b. b. Earned income derived from a training or retraining project.

49.19(5)(a)4.c. c. The earned income of a person whose income exceeds the person’s need, unless the person has received aid under this section in any of the 4 months preceding the month in which the income exceeds the need.

49.19(5)(a)4m. 4m. Except as provided under par. (am), after the person has received the benefit of the disregards under subd. 4. for 4 consecutive months, a disregard of $30 of earned income shall be available for 8 additional consecutive months. This disregard does not apply to:

49.19(5)(a)4m.a. a. Earned income derived from a training or retraining project.

49.19(5)(a)4m.b. b. The earned income of a person whose income exceeds the person’s need, unless the person has received aid under this section in any of the 4 months preceding the month in which the income exceeds the need.

49.19(5)(a)4s. 4s. After disregarding the amounts under subd. 2. and either subd. 4. or par. (am), an amount equal to expenditures and not to exceed $175 per month for each dependent child or incapacitated person, or $200 per month for each child under the age of 2, shall be disregarded from the earned income of any person listed in subd. 2. if:

49.19(5)(a)4s.a. a. The amount is used to provide care for a dependent child or for an incapacitated person who is living in the same home as the dependent child;

49.19(5)(a)4s.b. b. The person receiving care is also receiving aid under this section; and

49.19(5)(a)4s.c. c. The person requires care during the month that aid is received.

49.19(5)(a)5. 5. The disregards specified in subds. 2. to 4s. and par. (am) do not apply to the earned income of any person who violates 45 CFR 233.20 (a) (11) (iii).

49.19(5)(am) (am)

49.19(5)(am)1. 1. Except as provided under subd. 1m., instead of the disregards under par. (a) 4. and 4m., after disregarding the amounts specified under par. (a) 2., $30 of earned income and an amount equal to one-sixth of the remaining earned income not disregarded shall be disregarded from the earned income of a person specified in par. (a) 2. These disregards do not apply to:

49.19(5)(am)1.a. a. The earned income of a person who has received the disregards for 12 consecutive months, until the person ceases to receive aid for 12 consecutive months.

49.19(5)(am)1.b. b. Earned income derived from a training or retraining project.

49.19(5)(am)1.c. c. The earned income of a person whose income exceeds the person’s need, unless the person has received aid under this section in any of the 4 months preceding the month in which the income exceeds the need.

49.19(5)(am)1m. 1m. If a waiver under subd. 2. is granted, the department may select individuals to whom the disregards under par. (a) 4. and 4m. apply, rather than the disregard under subd. 1., as a control group for all or part of the period during which the waiver is in effect.

49.19(5)(am)2. 2. The department shall request a waiver from the secretary of the federal department of health and human services to permit the application of the earned income disregards in subd. 1. Subdivision 1. does not apply unless a federal waiver is in effect. If a waiver is received, the department shall implement subd. 1. no later than the first day of the 6th month beginning after the waiver is approved.

49.19(5)(as) (as) The department shall request, but may not implement, a waiver from the secretary of the federal department of health and human services to establish an earned income disregard that is equal to the first $200 of earned income plus 50 percent of the remaining earned income, instead of the amount under par. (a) or (am), and that is not reduced after a specified period. The department shall request the waiver no later than September 1, 1992.

49.19(5)(b) (b) Such family budget shall be based on a standard budget, including the parents or other person who may be found eligible to receive aid under this section.

49.19(5)(c) (c) The aid allowed under this subsection may be given in the form of supplies or commodities or vouchers for the same, in lieu of money, as a type of remedial care authorized under sub. (1) (c), whenever the giving of aid in such form is deemed advisable by the director of the county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 dispensing such aid as a means either of attempting to rehabilitate a particular person having the care and custody of any such children or of preventing the misuse or mismanagement by such person of aid in the form of money payments.

49.19(5)(ce) (ce) At the request of a recipient of aid under this section, the department shall provide the portion of the grant equal to the amount of the recipient’s rent to the recipient’s landlord in the form of a rent voucher or by an alternative payment method.

49.19(5)(cm) (cm)

49.19(5)(cm)1. 1. In this paragraph, “direct payment” means a check which is drawn in favor of the landlord of a recipient of aid under this section.

49.19(5)(cm)2. 2. A direct payment shall be made whenever a recipient of aid under this section has failed to pay rent to the landlord for 2 months or more, unless the failure to pay rent is authorized by law.

49.19(5)(cm)3. 3. If a landlord reports to a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 that a recipient has failed to pay rent for 2 or more months, the county department shall do all of the following:

49.19(5)(cm)3.a. a. Inform the recipient of the report.

49.19(5)(cm)3.b. b. Investigate the report.

49.19(5)(cm)3.c. c. If it determines that the conditions for issuing a direct payment under subd. 2. are met, inform the recipient of the right to a fair hearing on the issue of whether direct payment of rent should be made and inform the department of health services of its determination.

49.19(5)(cm)3.d. d. If it determines that direct payments should not be made, inform the recipient and the landlord of that determination.

49.19(5)(cm)4. 4. When it has been determined that a direct payment of rent should be made, the department of health services shall issue the recipient’s monthly grant in 2 checks, a direct payment for the amount of the rent and a check drawn in favor of the recipient for the balance of the grant amount.

49.19(5)(cm)5. 5. The county department shall review each case in which a direct payment is being made at least once every 12 months and whenever a recipient reports that a condition under subd. 6. for the cessation of direct payments exists.

49.19(5)(cm)6. 6. The county department shall inform the department of health services, and the department of health services shall cease making a direct payment, when the county department determines that any of the following conditions exists:

49.19(5)(cm)6.a. a. A direct payment has been made for 24 consecutive months.

49.19(5)(cm)6.b. b. The recipient has reimbursed the landlord for all back rent owed.

49.19(5)(cm)6.c. c. The recipient has moved and has a different landlord.

49.19(5)(cm)7. 7. The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of this paragraph.

49.19(5)(e) (e) No aid may continue longer than 6 months without reinvestigation, except that the department may provide that in certain cases or groups of cases aid may continue up to 12 months without reinvestigation. The county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 may conduct a reinvestigation of a case whenever there is reason to believe circumstances have changed. The county department shall submit information concerning reinvestigations, at such times and in such form as the department requires.

49.19(5)(f) (f) This subsection does not prohibit such public assistance as may legitimately accrue directly to persons other than the beneficiaries of this section who may reside in the same household.

49.19(6) (6) The county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 may require the child’s parent to do such remunerative work as in its judgment can be done without detriment to the parent’s health or the neglect of the children or the home; and may prescribe the hours during which the parent may be required to work outside of the home.

49.19(7) (7) The county board shall annually appropriate a sum of money sufficient to carry out the provisions of this section. The county treasurer shall pay out the amounts ordered paid under this section.

49.19(9) (9) If the head of a family is a veteran, as defined in s. 45.01 (12), or a person under s. 45.51 (2) (a) 2., and is hospitalized or institutionalized because of disabilities in a county other than that of his or her residence or settlement at time of admission, aid shall be granted to the dependent children of the veteran by the county wherein the head of the family had his or her residence or settlement at the time of admission so long as he or she remains hospitalized or institutionalized.

49.19(10) (10) 

49.19(10)(a) (a) Aid under this section may also be granted to a nonrelative who cares for a child dependent upon the public for proper support in a foster home having a license under s. 48.62, in a foster home located within the boundaries of a federally recognized American Indian reservation in this state and licensed by the tribal governing body of the reservation, or in a group home licensed under s. 48.625, regardless of the cause or prospective period of dependency. The state shall reimburse counties pursuant to the procedure under s. 48.569 (2) and the percentage rate of participation set forth in s. 48.569 (1) (d) for aid granted under this subsection except that if the child does not have legal settlement in the granting county, state reimbursement shall be at 100 percent. The county department under s. 46.215 or 46.22 shall determine the legal settlement of the child. A child under one year of age shall be eligible for aid under this subsection irrespective of any other residence requirement for eligibility within this section.

49.19(10)(b) (b) Aid under this section may also be granted on behalf of a child in the legal custody of a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 or on behalf of a child who was removed from the home of a relative specified in sub. (1) (a) as a result of a judicial determination that continuance in the home of a relative would be contrary to the child’s welfare for any reason when such child is placed in a licensed residential care center for children and youth by the county department. Reimbursement shall be made by the state pursuant to par. (a).

49.19(10)(c) (c) Reimbursement under par. (a) may also be paid to the county when the child is placed in a licensed foster home, group home, or residential care center for children and youth by a licensed child welfare agency or by a federally recognized American Indian tribal governing body in this state or by its designee, if the child is in the legal custody of the county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23 or if the child was removed from the home of a relative specified in sub. (1) (a) as a result of a judicial determination that continuance in the home of the relative would be contrary to the child’s welfare for any reason and the placement is made under an agreement with the county department.

49.19(10)(d) (d) Aid may also be paid under this section to a licensed foster home, group home, or residential care center for children and youth by the state when the child is in the custody or guardianship of the state, when the child is a ward of an American Indian tribal court in this state and the placement is made under an agreement between the department and the tribal governing body, or when the child was part of the state’s direct service case load and was removed from the home of a relative specified in sub. (1) (a) as a result of a judicial determination that continuance in the home of a relative would be contrary to the child’s welfare for any reason and the child is placed by the department or the department of corrections.

49.19(10)(e) (e) Notwithstanding pars. (a), (c), and (d), aid under this section may not be granted for placement of a child in a foster home licensed by a federally recognized American Indian tribal governing body, for placement of a child in a foster home or residential care center for children and youth by a tribal governing body or its designee, for the placement of a child who is a ward of a tribal court if the tribal governing body is receiving or is eligible to receive funds from the federal government for that type of placement, or for placement of a child in a group home licensed under s. 48.625.

49.19(11) (11) 

49.19(11)(am) (am)

49.19(11)(am)1m. 1m. Except as provided in subs. (11m) and (11s), monthly payments made under s. 20.437 (2) (dz) and (md) to persons or to families with dependent children shall be based on family size and shall be at 80 percent of the total of the allowances under pars. (b) and (d) plus the following standards of assistance beginning on September 1, 1987:

49.19(11)(am)2m. 2m. Grants shall vary in 2 areas which shall be groups of counties designated by the department based on variation in shelter cost.

49.19(11)(b) (b) A monthly allowance of $25 per person for each additional member in the family above 10 shall be added to the standard of assistance specified under par. (am) 1m.

49.19(11)(c) (c) In determining family size only those who are eligible for assistance shall be included.

49.19(11)(d) (d) In accordance with sub. (4) (g), a monthly allowance of $71 for each person in the family who qualifies for a payment under sub. (4) (g) shall be added to the standard of assistance specified under par. (am) 1m.

49.19(11)(e) (e) All payments that are not whole dollar amounts shall be rounded down to the nearest whole dollar.

49.19(11)(f) (f) The department may not make a payment for a month if the amount of the payment would be less than $10.

49.19(11g) (11g) When the department submits a copy of the reevaluation of the need standard and payment standard under sub. (11), as required by 42 USC 602 (h), the department shall submit a copy of that reevaluation to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature in the manner provided under s. 13.172 (3).

49.19(11m) (11m) 

49.19(11m)(a) (a) The department shall apply to the secretary of the federal department of health and human services for approval of a demonstration project under which the department provides a person eligible for aid under this section who is described in par. (am) with monthly payments, for the first 6 months that he or she lives in this state, calculated on the basis of the aid to families with dependent children benefit level in the state in which the family most recently resided for one month or longer. The department shall promulgate a rule establishing the methods and identifying the factors that the department will use to determine the aid to families with dependent children benefit that will be paid under the demonstration project according to family size and state of former residence. The rule shall also establish the initial benefit table to be used in determining benefits under the demonstration project. The department shall publish annual changes to this benefit table in the Wisconsin administrative register. The department shall base the benefit for a family on the aid to families with dependent children benefit available to a typical family of the same size in the other state, taking into account all factors that may affect the amount of the benefit. If a family moves from a state that allows a family to keep a different amount of income without reducing benefits than a family would be allowed to keep in this state, the department shall allow the family to keep a similar amount of income without reducing benefits.

49.19(11m)(am) (am) Under the demonstration project, a person is subject to receiving the payments under par. (a) if he or she has not previously resided in this state for at least 6 consecutive months and either:

49.19(11m)(am)1. 1. Applies for benefits more than 90 days but fewer than 180 days after moving to this state and is unable to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the county department of social services or human services that he or she was employed for at least 13 weeks after moving to this state; or

49.19(11m)(am)2. 2. Applies for benefits within 90 days after moving to this state.

49.19(11m)(b) (b) If approval under par. (a) is granted and if the supreme court determines, within 9 months after the department notifies the attorney general that the approval has been granted, that the demonstration project does not violate either the state constitution or the U.S. constitution or the supreme court does not make a decision on the constitutionality of the demonstration project within that time, the department shall implement the demonstration project. The department may conduct the demonstration project for a period not to exceed 36 months. The department may not start the demonstration project before a computerized system for determining the amount of benefits payable to recipients under the demonstration project is complete.

49.19(11m)(c) (c) Subject to pars. (b) and (d), the department shall conduct the demonstration project in Kenosha County, Milwaukee County, Racine County and up to 3 other counties. If the department does not initially select Rock County as one of the other counties and if one of the counties specified in this paragraph or initially selected by the department enacts an ordinance or adopts a resolution under par. (d), the department shall give Rock County priority for consideration as a replacement county.

49.19(11m)(d) (d) The department may not conduct the demonstration project in a county if the county enacts an ordinance or adopts a resolution objecting to participating in the demonstration project.

49.19(11s) (11s) 

49.19(11s)(a) (a) The department shall conduct a demonstration project under this subsection pursuant to a waiver from the secretary of the federal department of health and human services beginning on January 1, 1996. To the extent permitted in the waiver, the department may apply pars. (b) to (d) to all recipients of aid under this section or to a test group of recipients of aid under this section determined by the department. Paragraphs (b) to (d) do not apply to persons who are subject to s. 49.25, 1997 stats., and shall apply only while a waiver under this paragraph is in effect and only with respect to recipients covered by the waiver.

49.19(11s)(b) (b) In determining the payment amount under sub. (11), a child born into a family more than 10 months after the date that the family was first determined to be eligible for assistance under this section shall not be considered in determining family size unless at least one of the following conditions is met:

49.19(11s)(b)1. 1. The family did not receive benefits under this section for a period of at least 6 months, other than as a result of sanctions, and the child was born during that period or not more than 10 months after the family resumed receiving benefits under this section after that period.