LRB-4427/1
PJK:jld:rs
2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE
March 11, 2010 - Introduced by Representatives Turner, Barca, Bies, Hubler,
Kerkman, Montgomery, Nygren, Sinicki, Soletski, A. Williams, Young and
Molepske Jr., cosponsored by Senators Lehman, Hansen, Kedzie, Lassa,
Miller, Taylor and
Wirch. Referred to Committee on Urban and Local
Affairs.
AB832,1,3
1An Act to amend 49.785 (1m) (b) of the statutes;
relating to: maximum amount
2of funeral and burial expenses under the funeral, burial, and cemetery
3expenses program.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, county departments of social services or human services
(county departments) pay cemetery, funeral, and burial expenses for decedents who,
during life, received certain public assistance benefits, such as Wisconsin Works
benefits or Medical Assistance benefits, and whose estates at death are insufficient
to pay those expenses. If an eligible a decedent's total funeral and burial expenses
do not exceed $3,500, a county department pays the lesser of $1,500 or the amount
not paid by the decedent's estate and other persons. The Department of Health
Services reimburses county departments for payments that the county departments
make for funeral and burial expenses from a general purpose revenue appropriation.
This bill increases the maximum funeral and burial expenses that obligate a
county department to contribute toward the cost. Under the bill, a county
department is not required to contribute toward a decedent's funeral and burial
expenses if the total funeral and burial expenses exceed $4,500, rather than $3,500.
The amount that a county department must contribute, however, remains at the
lesser of $1,500 or the amount not paid by the decedent's estate and other persons.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB832, s. 1
1Section
1. 49.785 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB832,2,52
49.785
(1m) (b) If the total funeral and burial expenses for the recipient exceed
3$3,500 $4,500, the county or applicable tribal governing body or organization
4responsible for burial of the recipient is not required to make a payment for funeral
5and burial expenses under sub. (1) (b).
AB832,2,87
(1) This act first applies to funeral and burial expenses incurred on account of
8deaths occurring on the effective date of this subsection.
