LRB-2562/1
PJK/RAC/CMH/MES:cjs:rs
2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE
April 8, 2009 - Introduced by Senators Taylor, Plale and Coggs, cosponsored by
Representatives Grigsby, Sinicki, Fields, Kessler and Pasch. Referred to
Committee on Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs.
SB161,1,11 1An Act to renumber and amend 49.496 (4), 49.497 (2), 49.793 (2) and 49.847
2(3); to amend 20.435 (4) (bn), 20.435 (4) (im), 20.435 (4) (L), 40.05 (4) (a) 2.,
340.62 (2), 46.215 (1) (intro.), 49.496 (5), 49.78 (2), 49.78 (10) (a), 49.785 (1)
4(intro.), 49.785 (1m) (a), 49.785 (1m) (b), 49.785 (1m) (c), 49.89 (7) (a) and 111.70
5(1) (a); and to create 40.02 (25) (b) 2c., 40.22 (2) (m), 49.496 (4) (b), 49.497 (2)
6(b), 49.793 (2) (b), 49.825, 49.847 (3) (b), 49.89 (7) (f), 63.03 (2) (r), 111.70 (3m)
7and 230.44 (1) (h) of the statutes; relating to: administration of certain public
8assistance programs in Milwaukee County, removing county civil service
9protections from certain employees, required provisions in certain collective
10bargaining agreements under the Municipal Employment Relations Act, and
11making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
The Department of Health Services (DHS) administers income maintenance
programs under current law, as well as the programs that provide state
supplemental payments to persons receiving federal supplemental security income
(state supplemental payment programs). The income maintenance programs are

specified in the statutes as the Medical Assistance program, including BadgerCare
Plus; the food stamp program; and the program that pays funeral, burial, and
cemetery expenses for persons whose estates are insufficient to pay those expenses.
Generally, income maintenance and state supplemental payment programs are
administered by counties through contracts with DHS.
This bill requires DHS to establish a Milwaukee County enrollment services
unit (unit) in DHS to determine eligibility for and administer income maintenance
and state supplemental payment programs in Milwaukee County (county). In
addition, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) may contract with DHS
to have the unit perform eligibility and authorization functions in the county for
DCF's child care subsidy program. Under the bill, DHS may contract with the county
for the performance by the county of administrative functions under the income
maintenance and state supplemental payment programs and, if DCF so contracts
with DHS, for the performance of the eligibility and authorization functions under
the child care subsidy program. The county is required to expend a certain specified
amount for the operation of income maintenance programs in the county, and DHS
must reimburse the county for all approved costs that exceed that amount for the
operation of the income maintenance and state supplemental payment programs in
the county and, if DCF so contracts with DHS, for the performance of the eligibility
and authorization functions under the child care subsidy program in the county. The
bill also requires DHS and Milwaukee County, at a specified time in the future, to
discuss who will operate the income maintenance programs in the county in the
future and how the programs will be operated.
The bill requires that supervisory personnel in the unit be state employees and
that all other employees in the unit may be a combination of state employees and
county employees. Milwaukee County is required to maintain for the unit no fewer
represented authorized full-time employee positions than the number of
represented employee positions that were authorized on February 1, 2009, to
perform the functions that the unit will perform under the bill. Under the bill, DHS
has the authority to supervise, hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote,
discharge, assign, reward, discipline, and adjust grievances with respect to county
employees performing services for the unit. The bill provides that any DHS
employment decision affecting county employees may be appealed to the
Employment Relations Commission, as are decisions affecting state employees. In
addition, DHS must use the same employment process and procedures that are used
for appointments to the classified service of the state civil service system, including
specifically the use of probationary periods. County employees performing services
for the unit are subject to the same residency requirements as are other employees
of Milwaukee County under the county's civil service rules.
The bill provides certain enhanced benefits for county employees who are
appointed as state employees and are employed in the unit. First, the employee must
have his or her seniority with the state computed by treating the employee's total
service with the county as state service. Second, the employee's annual leave and
accrued sick leave must be based on both county and state years of service. Third,
the employee is immediately covered for employer contributions towards health care

coverage insurance when the employee becomes insured, unlike other most other
state employees who must wait until the first day of the third month after beginning
state employment. Finally, the employee is given the option of remaining a
participant in the Milwaukee County Employees' Retirement System as opposed to
becoming covered under the Wisconsin Retirement System.
Under current law, every county with a population of at least 500,000 (presently
only Milwaukee County) is required to have a civil service system for county
employees who are in the classified service. The civil service procedures that apply
to classified employees relate to issues such as competitive examinations, hiring,
disciplinary procedures, and standardized scales of compensation. County
employees who are in the unclassified service are not subject to the civil service
procedures, and state statutes specify which county employees are in the
unclassified service. Under the bill, nonsupervisory county employees who perform
staff services for the unit are placed in the unclassified service for purposes of the
county civil service provisions of the statutes.
Under the bill, a collective bargaining agreement that covers county employees
who perform services for the unit must contain a provision that permits the terms
of the agreement to be modified, with respect to hours and conditions of employment,
by a memorandum of understanding entered into with DHS.
Current law contains various provisions for the recovery of both correctly made
and incorrectly made payments under programs administered by DHS, including
income maintenance and state supplemental payment programs. Generally, if the
efforts of an employee of a county are responsible for a recovery, the county may
retain a portion of the amount recovered. The bill provides that in Milwaukee
County, no portion of amounts recovered through the efforts of a state or county
employee are to be retained by Milwaukee County, but such amounts will be
deposited in their entirety in the general fund and credited to an appropriation that
pays for, among other things, recovery effort costs and activities related to error
reduction.
Because this bill relates to public employee retirement or pensions, it may be
referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems for a report to be
printed as an appendix to the bill.
For further information see the state and local 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:
SB161, s. 1 1Section 1. 20.435 (4) (bn) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,4,52 20.435 (4) (bn) Income maintenance. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule
3for funeral expenses under s. 49.785, for administration of the food stamp
4employment and training program under s. 49.79 (9), for the performance of income

1maintenance administrative activities on behalf of a local entity, as defined in s.
230.77 (3) (dm) 1. b.,
and for payments under s. 49.78 (8) relating to the administration
3of the Medical Assistance program under subch. IV of ch. 49, the Badger Care health
4care program under s. 49.665, the food stamp program, and the cemetery, funeral,
5and burial expenses program under s. 49.785.
SB161, s. 2 6Section 2. 20.435 (4) (im) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,4,177 20.435 (4) (im) Medical assistance; correct payment recovery; collections; other
8recoveries.
All moneys received from the recovery of correct medical assistance
9payments under ss. 49.496 and 867.035 and rules promulgated under s. 46.286 (7)
10and, all moneys received as collections and other recoveries from providers, drug
11manufacturers, and other 3rd parties under medical assistance performance-based
12contracts, and all moneys credited to this appropriation account under s. 49.89 (7)
13(f),
for payments to counties and tribal governing bodies under s. 49.496 (4) (a), for
14payment of claims under s. 867.035 (3), for payments to the federal government for
15its share of medical assistance benefits recovered, for the state share of medical
16assistance benefits provided under subch. IV of ch. 49, and for costs related to
17collections and other recoveries.
SB161, s. 3 18Section 3. 20.435 (4) (L) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,5,319 20.435 (4) (L) Fraud and error reduction. All moneys received as the state's
20share of the recovery of overpayments and incorrect payments under ss. 49.847,
2149.497 (1) and (1m), and 49.793 (2) (a), and 49.847, all moneys received from counties
22and tribal governing bodies as a result of any error reduction activities under ss.
2349.197 and 49.845, and all moneys credited to this appropriation account under ss.
2449.497 (2) (b), 49.793 (2) (b), and 49.847 (3) (b),
for any contracts under s. 49.197 (5),
25for any activities to reduce error and fraud under s. 49.845, to pay federal sanctions

1under the food stamp program, and for food stamp reinvestment activities under
2reinvestment agreements with the federal department of agriculture that are
3designed to improve the food stamp program.
SB161, s. 4 4Section 4. 40.02 (25) (b) 2c. of the statutes is created to read:
SB161,5,55 40.02 (25) (b) 2c. A state employee described in s. 49.825 (4).
SB161, s. 5 6Section 5. 40.05 (4) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,5,207 40.05 (4) (a) 2. For an insured employee who is an eligible employee under s.
840.02 (25) (a) 2. or (b) 1m. or 2c., the employer shall pay required employer
9contributions toward the health insurance premium of the insured employee
10beginning on the date on which the employee becomes insured. For an insured state
11employee who is currently employed, but who is not a limited term appointment
12under s. 230.26 or an eligible employee under s. 40.02 (25) (a) 2. or (b) 1m. or 2c., the
13employer shall pay required employer contributions toward the health insurance
14premium of the insured employee beginning on the first day of the 3rd month
15beginning after the date on which the employee begins employment with the state,
16not including any leave of absence. For an insured employee who has a limited term
17appointment under s. 230.26, the employer shall pay required employer
18contributions toward the health insurance premium of the insured employee
19beginning on the first day of the 7th month beginning after the date on which the
20employee first becomes a participating employee.
SB161, s. 6 21Section 6. 40.22 (2) (m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB161,6,222 40.22 (2) (m) Notwithstanding sub. (3m), the employee was formerly employed
23by Milwaukee County, is a state employee described in s. 49.825 (4), and elects to
24remain a covered employee under the retirement system established under chapter
25201, laws of 1937
, pursuant to s. 49.825 (4) (c). This paragraph shall not apply if the

1employee remains a state employee, but is no longer performing services for the
2Milwaukee County enrollment services unit under s. 49.825.
SB161, s. 7 3Section 7. 40.62 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,6,64 40.62 (2) Sick leave accumulation shall be determined in accordance with rules
5of the department, any collective bargaining agreement under subch. I or V of ch. 111,
6and ss. 13.121 (4), 36.30, 49.825 (4) (d), 230.35 (2), 233.10, 757.02 (5) and 978.12 (3).
SB161, s. 8 7Section 8. 46.215 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,6,188 46.215 (1) Creation; powers and duties. (intro.) In a county with a population
9of 500,000 or more the administration of welfare services, other than child welfare
10services under s. 48.48 (17) administered by the department and except as provided
11in s. 49.825
, is vested in a county department of social services under the jurisdiction
12of the county board of supervisors under s. 46.21 (2m) (b) 1. a. Any reference in any
13law to a county department of social services under this section applies to a county
14department under s. 46.21 (2m) in its administration under s. 46.21 (2m) of the
15powers and duties of the county department of social services. The Except as
16provided in s. 49.825, the
county department of social services shall have the
17following functions, duties and powers, and such other welfare functions as may be
18delegated to it:
SB161, s. 9 19Section 9. 49.496 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 49.496 (4) (a) and amended
20to read:
SB161,7,1021 49.496 (4) (a) The department may require a county department under s.
2246.215, 46.22, or 46.23 or the governing body of a federally recognized American
23Indian tribe administering medical assistance to gather and provide the department
24with information needed to recover medical assistance under this section. The
25Except as provided in par. (b), the department shall pay to a county department or

1tribal governing body an amount equal to 5% of the recovery collected by the
2department relating to a beneficiary for whom the county department or tribal
3governing body made the last determination of medical assistance eligibility. A
4county department or tribal governing body may use funds received under this
5subsection paragraph only to pay costs incurred under this subsection paragraph
6and, if any amount remains, to pay for improvements to functions required under s.
749.78 (2). The department may withhold payments under this subsection paragraph
8for failure to comply with the department's requirements under this subsection
9paragraph. The department shall treat payments made under this subsection
10paragraph as costs of administration of the Medical Assistance program.
SB161, s. 10 11Section 10. 49.496 (4) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB161,7,1612 49.496 (4) (b) The department shall credit to the appropriation account under
13s. 20.435 (4) (im) any amount that the department would otherwise pay under par.
14(a) to a county department under s. 46.215 for any recovery collected by a department
15employee or officer, or by a county employee or officer under the management of the
16department.
SB161, s. 11 17Section 11. 49.496 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,7,2318 49.496 (5) Use of funds. From the appropriation under s. 20.435 (4) (im), the
19department shall pay the amount of the payments under sub. (4) (a) that is not paid
20from federal funds, shall pay to the federal government the amount of the funds
21recovered under this section equal to the amount of federal funds used to pay the
22benefits recovered under this section, and shall spend the remainder of the funds
23recovered under this section for medical assistance benefits under this subchapter.
SB161, s. 12 24Section 12. 49.497 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 49.497 (2) (a) and
25amended to read:
SB161,8,4
149.497 (2) (a) A Except as provided in par. (b), a county or governing body of
2a federally recognized American Indian tribe may retain 15% of benefits provided
3under this subchapter or s. 49.665 that are recovered under this section due to the
4efforts of an employee or officer of the county or tribe.
SB161, s. 13 5Section 13. 49.497 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB161,8,96 49.497 (2) (b) Any amount that Milwaukee County would otherwise be entitled
7to retain under par. (a) for benefits recovered due to the efforts of a department
8employee or officer, or a county employee or officer under the management of the
9department, shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.435 (4) (L).
SB161, s. 14 10Section 14. 49.78 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,8,1811 49.78 (2) Contracts. Annually, for the income maintenance program
12functions, if any, that the department delegates to a county or tribal governing body,

13the department shall contract with and county departments department under ss.
14s. 46.215, 46.22, and or 46.23 shall enter into a contract, and the department and
15tribal governing body
may enter into a contract with tribal governing bodies, to
16reimburse the county departments and tribal governing bodies
, for reimbursement
17of the county department or tribal governing body
for the reasonable cost of
18administering income maintenance programs.
SB161, s. 15 19Section 15. 49.78 (10) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,9,520 49.78 (10) (a) Each county treasurer and director of a county department under
21s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23 that contracts with the department under sub. (2) and each
22tribal governing body that contracts with the department under sub. (2) shall certify
23monthly under oath to the department in such manner as the department prescribes
24the claim of the county or tribal governing body for state reimbursement under sub.
25(8) (a). The department shall review each claim of reimbursement and, if the

1department approves the claim, the department shall certify to the department of
2administration for reimbursement to the county or tribal governing body for
3amounts due under sub. (8) (a) and payment claimed to be made to the counties or
4tribal governing bodies
monthly. The department may make advance payments
5prior to the beginning of each month equal to one-twelfth of the contracted amount.
SB161, s. 16 6Section 16. 49.785 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,9,147 49.785 (1) (intro.) Except as provided in sub. (1m) and subject to s. 49.825, if
8any recipient specified in sub. (1c) dies and the estate of the deceased recipient is
9insufficient to pay the funeral, burial, and cemetery expenses of the deceased
10recipient, the department or county or applicable tribal governing body or
11organization responsible for burial of the recipient shall pay, to the person
12designated by the department or county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23
13or applicable tribal governing body or organization responsible for the burial of the
14recipient, all of the following:
SB161, s. 17 15Section 17. 49.785 (1m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,9,1916 49.785 (1m) (a) If the total cemetery expenses for the recipient exceed $3,500,
17the department or county or applicable tribal governing body or organization
18responsible for burial of the recipient is not required to make a payment for the
19cemetery expenses under sub. (1) (a).
SB161, s. 18 20Section 18. 49.785 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,9,2421 49.785 (1m) (b) If the total funeral and burial expenses for the recipient exceed
22$3,500, the department or county or applicable tribal governing body or organization
23responsible for burial of the recipient is not required to make a payment for funeral
24and burial expenses under sub. (1) (b).
SB161, s. 19 25Section 19. 49.785 (1m) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB161,10,4
149.785 (1m) (c) If a request for payment under sub. (1) is made more than 12
2months after the death of the recipient, the department or county or applicable tribal
3governing body or organization responsible for burial of the recipient is not required
4to make a payment for cemetery, funeral, or burial expenses.
SB161, s. 20 5Section 20. 49.793 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 49.793 (2) (a) and
6amended to read:
SB161,10,147 49.793 (2) (a) A Except as provided in par. (b), a county or governing body of
8a federally recognized American Indian tribe may retain a portion of the amount of
9an overpayment the state is authorized to retain under 7 USC 2025 which that is
10recovered under sub. (1) due to the efforts of an employee or officer of the county or
11tribe. The department shall promulgate a rule establishing the portion of the
12amount of the overpayment that the county or governing body may retain. This
13subsection paragraph does not apply to recovery of an overpayment that was made
14as a result of state, county, or tribal governing body error.
SB161, s. 21 15Section 21. 49.793 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB161,10,2016 49.793 (2) (b) Any amount that Milwaukee County would otherwise be entitled
17to retain under par. (a) for the recovery of an overpayment due to the efforts of a
18department employee or officer, or a county employee or officer under the
19management of the department, shall be credited to the appropriation account under
20s. 20.435 (4) (L).
SB161, s. 22 21Section 22. 49.825 of the statutes is created to read:
SB161,10,23 2249.825 Department administration in Milwaukee County. (1)
23Definitions. In this section:
SB161,10,2424 (a) "County" means Milwaukee County.
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