Requiring documentary evidence of citizenship or satisfactory immigration status for public assistance programs, granting rule-making authority, and providing a penalty

This bill provides that, to the extent permitted under federal law if there are any conflicting federal provisions, any person who applies for a program that is administered by DHS or DCF under the public assistance chapter of the statutes and that provides services, benefits, or other assistance (public assistance program) must, as a condition of eligibility for that program, provide documentary evidence of citizenship or satisfactory immigration status. In addition to SeniorCare and MA, including BadgerCare Plus, which have their own documentation requirement under current law for persons who declare themselves to be citizens or nationals of the United States, the public assistance programs to which the new requirement under the bill applies include W-2, including the child care subsidy program known as Wisconsin Shares; SNAP; the program that provides eligible persons with assistance in establishing the paternity of a child, establishing or modifying child support obligations, enforcing child support or maintenance (alimony) obligations, and locating persons who owe child support or children taken by parents in violation of court orders; the programs that provide state supplemental payments to persons receiving federal supplemental security income; the program that pays funeral, burial, and cemetery expenses for persons whose estates are insufficient to pay those expenses; and the disease aids program that provides assistance in paying the costs of medical treatment for eligible persons with cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, or chronic renal (kidney) disease.

The bill requires every application for a public assistance program to include a certification clause, to be completed by the welfare worker or other person processing the application, certifying that he or she has received from the applicant the necessary documentary evidence and specifying the nature of the documentary evidence. Any person who falsely certifies that he or she received the documentary evidence is subject to a $250 forfeiture, in addition to any other penalties that might apply under current law.