AB 942

This bill specifies duties for the Office of the Inspector General and requires

that a report by submitted to the Joint Committee on Finance on availability of public

benefits for certain specified groups of individuals.

Duties of the Office of the Inspector General

2013 Wisconsin Act 20

, which was that session's biennial budget act, created

the Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Health Services. This bill

requires this Office of the Inspector General to identify and prevent fraud, waste, and

abuse in the FoodShare program, the Medical Assistance program, and other public

assistance programs that DHS administers. The FoodShare program, also known

as the food stamp program and the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Program, provides financial assistance to individuals with limited financial

resources for the purchase of food. The Medical Assistance program provides health

care services to individuals who have limited financial resources.

The bill requires the Office of the Inspector General to monitor and audit

providers to identify and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse and to investigate and

track retailer and public assistance recipient fraud. The bill specifies actions that

the Office of the Inspector General takes to accomplish the functions required in the

bill. The bill also requires the Office of the Inspector General to forward cases of

alleged fraud to the appropriate officials; operate and maintain a telephone hotline

and online portal for the reporting of suspected fraud, waste, and abuse; investigate

such reports of fraud, waste, and abuse; submit an annual report to the legislature

on its accomplishments, outcomes of recoupments, and referrals for prosecution; and

publicly display on an Internet site monthly findings as described in the bill and

policies and guidance on procedures for investigating fraud, waste, and abuse.

Additionally, the bill requires a state agency that receives a request from the Office

of the Inspector General for information relevant to an investigation of fraud, waste,

or abuse in a public assistance program to cooperate by providing information the

agency has that is responsive to the request.

Report on availability of public benefits

This bill requires the Department of Administration, in consultation with any

state agency that is responsible for the administration of a public benefit, to submit

by March 15 of each odd-numbered year to the Joint Committee on Finance a report

on the number of enrolled individuals in and the availability of public benefits for

certain assistance groups who earn 50 percent of the federal poverty line. The report

must include, among other items, the availability of all state and federal public

benefits related to housing or rental assistance; health or medical assistance; food

or nutrition assistance; child care assistance; energy or heating assistance; water or

sewer assistance; employment support or training assistance; internet or broadband

assistance; and refundable tax credits. The report must also total the value of all