AB 1147

This bill requires the Department of Health Services to provide electronic

benefit transfer and credit and debit card processing equipment and services to

farmers' markets and farmers who sell directly to consumers as a payment

processing program. The bill specifies that the electronic benefit transfer processing

equipment and services must include equipment and services for the food stamp

program, which is known as FoodShare. Under the bill, the vendor that processes

the electronic benefit transfer and credit and debit card transactions must also

process any local purchasing incentives. The bill provides $735,000 for this payment

processing program, and included in that amount is funding for a portion of a

full-time employee position for DHS to coordinate and provide other services for the

payment processing program. The bill also appropriates additional moneys to the

Department of Public Instruction for special education and to the University of

Wisconsin System and the state's technical college system for higher education to

satisfy maintenance of effort requirements to sustain certain federal funding.