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2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE

2019 Senate BILL 467

September 27, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Johnson, Bewley, Carpenter, Larson, Miller, Schachtner and L. Taylor, cosponsored by Representatives Subeck, Billings, Anderson, Bowen, Brostoff, Haywood, Hebl, Hesselbein, Kolste, Ohnstad, Pope, Sargent, Sinicki, Spreitzer, C. Taylor, Vruwink and Zamarripa. Referred to Committee on Local Government, Small Business, Tourism and Workforce Development.

SB467,2,2 An Act to repeal 20.445 (1) (fc) and 106.15; to amend 16.306 (2) (a), 16.3085 (2) (b) 2., 38.40 (2), 46.56 (14) (a), 49.143 (2) (a) 4m. e., 49.163 (4) (intro.), 49.265 (3) (b) 11., 49.265 (4) (a), 49.265 (4) (b), 49.265 (4) (c), 49.79 (9) (a) 1., 60.85 (7) (a), 60.85 (7) (b), 66.1103 (6m), 66.1105 (6c) (a), 66.1105 (6c) (b), 71.07 (2dx) (a) 5., 71.07 (5r) (b) 2., 71.28 (1dx) (a) 5., 71.47 (5r) (b) 2., 76.636 (1) (e) 12., 85.20 (4m) (a) 8. b., 106.11, 106.13 (2), 106.16 (2), 106.27 (1m), 109.07 (1m) (a), 115.28 (24), 238.30 (4m) and 946.13 (10); and to create 16.03 (2) (d), 20.435 (5) (cg), 20.435 (5) (em), 20.437 (2) (cs), 20.445 (1) (fc), 20.505 (7) (fk), 36.25 (56), 46.483, 46.538, 48.47 (8) (d), 49.45 (31m), 49.675, 49.82 (3), 71.07 (8m), 71.10 (4) (cs), 106.115, 115.28 (66), 234.253 and 234.38 of the statutes; relating to: housing and homelessness; workforce development; community action agencies; poverty reports; mental health; public assistance advisory committee; economic security; adverse childhood experiences reports; creating a nonrefundable individual income tax credit for household and dependent care services; reimbursement for nonemergency medical transportation services; urban mass transit aid; and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Housing stability

Under current law, the Department of Administration provides housing grants to counties, municipalities, community action agencies, and private organizations for the purpose of providing housing and associated supportive services to homeless individuals and families in order to facilitate the movement of homeless persons to independent living. This bill provides an additional $1,800,000 in the 2019-21 fiscal biennium to fund that grant program.

This bill increases funding for DOA to award grants for the purpose of supplementing the operating budgets of agencies and shelter facilities related to providing shelter to the homeless. The bill provides an additional $700,000 in each fiscal year of the 2019-21 fiscal biennium for that purpose.

This bill also increases funding for DOA to award grants to persons or families of low or moderate income to defray housing costs. The bill provides an additional $220,000 in each fiscal year of the 2019-21 fiscal biennium for that purpose.

This bill requires the Interagency Council on Homelessness to do all of the following every two years:

1. Review all of the state's housing and homelessness-related programs.

2. Identify ways in which DOA and other state agencies specified in the bill and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority can increase access to services for homeless individuals and families, including homeless children and youths as defined under federal law.

3. Advise each of the state agencies specified in the bill and WHEDA to revise any policy or practice that the council determines impedes homeless individuals and families from obtaining services.

This bill requires WHEDA to issue up to $1,000,000 in bonds to make grants directly to individuals and families or to one or more local housing authorities for the purpose of providing rent assistance to individuals and families who are in danger of being evicted.

This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to annually issue a report to the legislature on the number of homeless children and youths in the public schools of this state. Under the bill, “homeless children and youths” is defined by reference to federal law providing homeless assistance.

This bill requires WHEDA to annually issue a report to the legislature on the number of households with worst case housing needs in this state. “Households with worst case housing needs” is defined in a manner consistent with that used by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The report must include data and demographic information on these households, analysis of the impediments to obtaining affordable housing, and recommendations on how to improve state and local programs to assist these households with their housing needs.

This bill creates a two-year pilot program that gives priority to homeless children and their families, as defined under federal law, on the waiting list that WHEDA, or a public housing agency that contracts with WHEDA, maintains under the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program. Under the bill, WHEDA is required to develop policies and procedures for the pilot program.

Workforce development and job and income supports

This bill increases funding by $799,400 in each fiscal year of the 2019-21 fiscal biennium to supplement, on a one-to-one matching basis, federal employment opportunity demonstration project funds and funds from other federal and private foundation sources for job creation and development for individuals with low incomes. The program funded by these funds is commonly referred to as the Job and Business Development Program.