Assembly Bill 238
Determining eligibility of certain persons for Medical Assistance without consideration of a spouse's income or assets
Topics: Health Services, Department of: Supportive living and treatment, Marriage, Medical assistance
Stopped before the full Assembly voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Apr 30, 2009
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, the Department of Health Services (DHS) administers the Medical Assistance (MA) program, under which eligible persons receive health care or long-term care services. Under one category of eligibility, commonly known as the medically needy category, a person is eligible if his or her income and assets do not exceed a specified level and he or she is blind or totally and permanently disabled.
Generally, if the person is married, the income and assets of both of the spouses are taken into consideration for purposes of determining eligibility or continued eligibility.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill requires DHS to request a waiver that would allow DHS, if the waiver is granted, to disregard the income and assets of a person's spouse and to continue treating the person as single for purposes of determining the person's continued eligibility and family size if the person: 1) is blind or totally and permanently disabled; 2) is receiving MA under the medically needy category; 3) was single when he or she first became eligible for MA; and 4) marries after the bill is enacted and the waiver goes into effect. The bill makes an exception for persons who reside or begin residing in medical institutions or nursing facilities and receive long-term care services, because those persons are subject to federal law requirements relating to the assets of spouses when one spouse resides in an institution and the other does not.
Who's behind it
12 lawmakers are its . 11 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.
5 more lawmakers .
See all 17 names Hide the names
Authors (12)
- Alvin Ott · Republican, Assembly
- Garey Bies · Republican, Assembly
- Edward Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Scott Gunderson · Republican, Assembly
- Dean Kaufert · Republican, Assembly
- Thomas Lothian · Republican, Assembly
- Mary Williams · Republican, Assembly
- Kevin Petersen · Republican, Assembly
- Roger Roth · Republican, Senate
- Jeff Smith · Democrat, Senate
- Richard Spanbauer · Republican, Assembly
- John Townsend · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (5)
- Julie M. Lassa · Democrat, Senate
- Luther S. Olsen · Republican, Senate
- Dale Schultz · Republican, Senate
- Sinicki, Pope-Roberts, Berceau and Seidel
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Children and Families vote on an amendment
Passed, 8 to 0 · Mar 11, 2010
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Children and Families, Ayes 8, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Apr 28, 2010
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Mar 11, 2010
Sent to the Joint Committee on Finance.
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Mar 11, 2010
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 8 to 0.
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Mar 4, 2010
4 more representatives signed on in support.
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Sep 11, 2009
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Aug 19, 2009
The committee held a public hearing.
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Aug 13, 2009
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Apr 30, 2009
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Children and Families.
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Apr 30, 2009
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Apr 30, 2009 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Roth, Smith, Bies, Brooks, Gunderson, Kaufert, Lothian, A. Ott, Petersen, Spanbauer, Townsend and M. Williams;Cosponsored by Senators Lassa, Olsen, Schultz and Taylor
- Apr 30, 2009 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Children and Families
- Aug 13, 2009 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Aug 19, 2009 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Sep 11, 2009 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Dec 2, 2009 · Assembly
Assembly amendment 1 offered by Representative Roth
- Mar 4, 2010 · Assembly
Representatives Sinicki, Pope-Roberts, Berceau and Seidel added as coauthors
- Mar 11, 2010 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Mar 11, 2010 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by committee on Children and Families, Ayes 8, Noes 0
- Mar 11, 2010 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by committee on Children and Families, Ayes 8, Noes 0
- Mar 11, 2010 · Assembly
Referred to joint committee on Finance
- Apr 28, 2010 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote