AB 462

This bill phases out the statewide parental choice program and requires the

Department of Health Services (DHS) to take the necessary steps to receive federal

Medicaid expansion funding.

Statewide parental choice program

Under this bill, beginning in the 2016-17 school year, no pupil may attend a

private school under the statewide parental choice program unless the pupil was

attending the private school under the statewide parental choice program in the

2015-16 school year. Also under the bill, beginning in the 2016-17 school year, no

private school participating in the statewide parental choice program or the Racine

parental choice program may accept a pupil who resides in a school district other

than the Racine Unified School District or the Milwaukee Public School District

unless the pupil attended that private school under the statewide parental choice

program in the 2015-16 school year. In other words, no pupil may enter the

statewide parental choice program after the 2015-16 school year. This limitation

effectively ends the statewide parental choice program when all of the pupils who

attended a private school under the statewide parental choice program during the

2015-16 school year have exited the program.

Medicaid expansion

The bill changes the family income eligibility level to up to 133 percent of the

federal poverty line for parents and caretaker relatives under BadgerCare Plus

(BC+) and for childless adults under BadgerCare Plus Core (BC+ Core). Currently,

DHS administers the Medical Assistance (MA) program, which is a joint federal and

state program that provides health services to individuals who have limited financial

resources. Some MA services are provided through programs that operate under a

waiver of federal Medicaid laws, including services provided through the BC+ and

BC+ Core programs. The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act allows

a state to receive an enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP)

payment for providing benefits to certain individuals through a state's MA program.

The bill requires DHS to comply with all federal requirements and to request any

amendment to the state MA plan, waiver of Medicaid law, or other federal approval

necessary to qualify for the highest available enhanced FMAP for parents and

caretaker relatives and childless adults eligible for BC+ Core.