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.

Under current law, the Department of Children and Families must distribute grants to community action agencies to provide skills enhancement services, including access to transportation, child care, career counseling, job placement assistance, and financial support for education and training. This bill provides an additional $500,000 in each fiscal year of the 2019-21 fiscal biennium for that purpose.

This bill requires the Department of Workforce Development to establish a pilot program that offers job and employment services for individuals receiving housing vouchers or receiving services from state-funded homeless shelters. The bill requires the pilot program to offer services similar to those offered under the existing Transform Milwaukee Jobs and Transitional Jobs programs in current law. The bill funds the pilot program with $500,000 in each fiscal year of the 2019-21 fiscal biennium. Under the bill, the pilot program sunsets on June 30, 2021.

Under current law, DCF must distribute grants to community action agencies to provide skills enhancement services, including access to transportation, child care, career counseling, job placement assistance, and financial support for education and training. Under this program, a community action agency may provide these services to individuals who work at least 20 hours per week and whose earned income is at or below 150 percent of the poverty line. This bill increases the earned income threshold for eligibility to 200 percent of the poverty line.

Under current law, the Department of Transportation may award grants to public and private organizations for the development and implementation of demand management, ride-sharing, and job access and employment transportation assistance programs. This bill increases the amount of state monies appropriated for the development and implementation of job access and employment transportation assistance programs by $249,450 in each year of the 2019-21 fiscal biennium.

Under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), federal funds are allocated to the state and, in turn, to local workforce development areas designated by the governor to provide employment and training activities for job seekers and workers. The WIOA repealed a prior law known as the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), which contained a number of similar provisions. To receive funding under the WIOA, the governor must establish a state workforce development board. This bill requires the board to identify certain populations for services under their WIOA strategic plans. The populations to be included are: 1) homeless individuals from ages 18 to 24; 2) certain children placed in out-of-home care; and 3) homeless adults.

This bill repeals a provision concerning review and approval of certain matters regarding assistance to dislocated workers that was administered as part of the WIA, but that no longer exists. In addition, the bill updates references to the United States Code sections regarding WIOA.

Community action agencies

This bill provides a 25 percent match from state funding to the federal community services block grant, which funds the work of community action agencies. A community action agency is an entity that provides services such as employment or housing assistance, financial planning, or educational services to individuals whose income is at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty line and that works to combat poverty in the community that it serves.

This bill also requires the Department of Health Services to establish a grant program to provide grants to community action agencies to enable them to respond to the needs of communities and low-income families and individuals in crisis resulting from opioid addiction-related issues. Through the program, DHS is required to endeavor to expand and support effective community efforts to identify and respond to causes and consequences of opioid misuse and addiction experienced by low-income individuals, families, and communities. Under the bill, DHS shall award grants of at least $25,000 and up to $250,000 per year. The bill sets out criteria DHS must use in awarding grants, as well as characteristics of applications to which DHS must give preference. Grants under the bill may not be more than three years in duration unless approved by the DHS secretary.