AB 172

Among the types of assistance that the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program under

current law provides are work experience and benefits for low-income custodial

parents who are at least 18 years old. W-2 has three categories of employment

positions: 1) trial jobs, under which an individual receives at least minimum wage

from an employer and the W-2 agency pays a wage subsidy to the employer equal

to the wages that the employer actually pays the individual, up to 40 hours per week

at minimum wage; 2) community service jobs, under which an individual works in

a project that serves a useful public purpose or that will generate revenue to wholly

or partially offset the project's cost and receives a monthly grant of up to $673 from

the W-2 agency; and 3) transitional placements, under which an individual

participates in work activities in a community rehabilitation program, a job similar

to a community service job, or volunteer activities and receives a monthly grant of

up to $628 from the W-2 agency.

Under current law, if an individual in a community service job or a transitional

placement was convicted after August 22, 1996, in any state or federal court of a

felony that has as an element possession, use, or distribution of a controlled

substance, the individual must submit to a test for use of a controlled substance (drug

use test). If the drug use test results are positive, the individual's benefit is reduced

by up to 15 percent for at least 12 months, and the W-2 agency may require the

individual to participate in a drug abuse evaluation, assessment, and treatment

program.

This bill increases the possible reduction in an individual's benefit for a positive

drug use test result to at least 25 percent but not more than 50 percent and provides

that the other members of the individual's W-2 group who are dependent children

would continue to receive the amount by which the individual's benefit is reduced in

the form of protective or vendor payments in the manner prescribed by the

Department of Children and Families by rule. A W-2 group consists of all of the

following: 1) an individual who is a custodial parent and his or her dependent

children; 2) all dependent children with respect to whom the individual's dependent

child is a custodial parent; and 3) the individual's spouse or nonmarital coparent

residing in the same household and all dependent children with respect to whom the

spouse or nonmarital coparent is a custodial parent. A dependent child is defined as

a child who lives with a parent and who is under 18 years old, or under 19 years old

if he or she is a full-time student in a secondary school or a vocational or technical

equivalent.