LRB-3891/2
PJH:jld/emw/kjf:jf
2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE
April 3, 2014 - Introduced by Representatives Goyke,
Wachs, Hesselbein,
Richards, Ohnstad, Hintz, Barnes, Hulsey, Sinicki and Pasch, cosponsored
by Senator Harris. Referred to Committee on Veterans.
AB922,1,5
1An Act to repeal 45.43 (1m);
to amend 20.485 (2) (rm), 20.485 (2) (rm), 45.43
2(1) and 45.43 (1); and
to create 45.43 (1m) of the statutes;
relating to: creating
3a pilot program to provide civil legal services for veterans who are residents of
4Milwaukee, Chippewa, Eau Claire, or Dunn county, granting rule-making
5authority, and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) administers a
program to provide assistance to veterans whose need for services is based upon
homelessness, incarceration, or other circumstances designated by DVA by rule.
DVA currently provides a variety of services under the program, including assistance
with medical and dental care, employment, education, and housing.
This bill requires, until June 30, 2017, DVA to provide civil legal services to
veterans who meet the criteria set by DVA for needing services under the current
program and who live in Milwaukee, Chippewa, Eau Claire, or Dunn county. The bill
requires DVA to establish, by rule, the types of civil legal services it will provide
under the program and allows DVA to contract with one or more nonprofit agencies
or organizations to provide the civil legal services. Under the bill, DVA must submit
an annual report to the legislature on its administration of the civil legal services
assistance program.
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:
AB922,2,73
20.485
(2) (rm)
Veterans assistance programs; fish and game vouchers. 4Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for general program operations of the
5veterans assistance program under s. 45.43,
including providing civil legal services
6under s. 45.43 (1m), for grants under s. 45.03 (13) (j), and for reimbursements to the
7department of natural resources under s. 29.1945 (2).
AB922,2
8Section
2
. 20.485 (2) (rm) of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin Act
9.... (this act), is amended to read:
AB922,2,1410
20.485
(2) (rm)
Veterans assistance programs; fish and game vouchers. 11Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for general program operations of the
12veterans assistance program under s. 45.43,
including providing civil legal services
13under s. 45.43 (1m), for grants under s. 45.03 (13) (j), and for reimbursements to the
14department of natural resources under s. 29.1945 (2).
AB922,3,817
45.43
(1) The department shall administer a program to provide assistance to
18persons who served in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the
19U.S. armed forces and who were discharged under conditions other than
20dishonorable. The department shall provide assistance under this section to persons
21whose need for services is based upon homelessness, incarceration, or other
1circumstances designated by the department by rule. The eligibility requirements
2under s. 45.02 (2) do not apply to a person applying for assistance under this section.
3The department shall
, pursuant to sub. (1m), provide civil legal services to veterans
4and shall designate
the other assistance available under this section
, which. Other
5assistance may include assistance in receiving medical care, dental care, education,
6employment, single room occupancy housing, and transitional housing. The
7department may provide payments to facilitate the provision of services under this
8section.
AB922,4
9Section
4
. 45.43 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin Act .... (this
10act), is amended to read:
AB922,3,2311
45.43
(1) The department shall administer a program to provide assistance to
12persons who served in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the
13U.S. armed forces and who were discharged under conditions other than
14dishonorable. The department shall provide assistance under this section to persons
15whose need for services is based upon homelessness, incarceration, or other
16circumstances designated by the department by rule. The eligibility requirements
17under s. 45.02 (2) do not apply to a person applying for assistance under this section.
18The department shall
, pursuant to sub. (1m), provide civil legal services to veterans
19and shall designate
other the assistance available under this section
. Other
20assistance, which may include assistance in receiving medical care, dental care,
21education, employment, single room occupancy housing, and transitional housing.
22The department may provide payments to facilitate the provision of services under
23this section.
AB922,5
24Section
5. 45.43 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB922,4,7
145.43
(1m) (a) The department shall administer a pilot program to provide civil
2legal services to veterans who meet the eligibility criteria set forth in sub. (1) and who
3are residents of Milwaukee, Chippewa, Eau Claire, or Dunn county. The department
4shall promulgate rules to determine the kinds of civil matters for which it will
5provide legal services under this subsection. The department may enter into a
6contract with one or more nonprofit agencies or organizations to provide civil legal
7services under this subsection.
AB922,4,158
(b) Before June 30 of each year, beginning in 2015 and ending in 2017, the
9department shall provide a report on the program under this subsection to the
10legislature under s. 13.172 (2). The report shall include the number of veterans for
11whom the department provided civil legal services, the criteria the department used
12to determine who would receive civil legal services, a list of agencies or organizations
13with which the department contracted to provide civil legal services under this
14subsection, and the kinds of civil legal matters for which the department provided
15civil legal services under this subsection.
AB922,6
16Section
6. 45.43 (1m) of the statutes, as created by 2013 Wisconsin Act .... (this
17act), is repealed.
AB922,7
18Section
7.
Fiscal changes.
AB922,5,419
(1)
Civil legal services for veterans. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3)
20of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of veterans affairs under
21section 20.485 (2) (rm) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 2013, the dollar
22amount is increased by $70,000 for the first fiscal year of the fiscal biennium in which
23this subsection takes effect to provide legal services to veterans pursuant to section
2445.43 (1m) of the statutes. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes
25for the appropriation to the department of veterans affairs under section 20.485 (2)
1(rm) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 2013, the dollar amount is increased
2by $70,000 for the second fiscal year of the fiscal biennium in which this subsection
3takes effect to provide legal services to veterans pursuant to section 45.43 (1m) of the
4statutes.
AB922,8
5Section
8.
Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication,
6except as follows:
AB922,5,97
(1) The amendment of sections 20.485 (2) (rm) (by
Section 2
) and 45.43 (1) (by
8Section 4) of the statutes and the repeal of section 45.43 (1m) of the statutes take
9effect on July 1, 2017.
