Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 49 - Public assistance and children and family services.
49.015 - Relief eligibility.

49.015 Relief eligibility.
(1) General eligibility requirements. Except as provided in subs. (1m) to (2m), an individual is eligible for relief if the individual meets all of the following conditions:
(a) Except as provided in sub. (3) (a), the individual resides on tax-free land on which the tribal governing body operates a program funded by a relief block grant.
(am) The individual authorizes any program or resource for which he or she is determined to be eligible to reimburse the relief agency for health care services provided to the individual if the program or resource permits reimbursement for the services provided.
(c) The individual qualifies under written criteria of dependency under s. 49.02 (1) (b) established by the relief agency on that tax-free land.
(1m) State residency requirements.
(a) In this subsection, “close relative" means the person's parent, grandparent, brother, sister, spouse or child.
(b) No individual is eligible for relief unless the individual has resided in this state for at least 60 consecutive days before applying for relief. This requirement does not apply if the individual resides in this state and meets any of the following conditions:
1. The individual was born in this state.
2. The individual has, in the past, resided in this state for at least 365 consecutive days.
3. The individual came to this state to join a close relative who has resided in this state for at least 180 days before the arrival of the individual.
4. The individual came to this state to accept a bona fide offer of employment and the individual was eligible to accept the employment.
5. The individual has infectious tuberculosis, as defined in s. 252.07 (1g) (a), or suspect tuberculosis, as defined in s. 252.07 (1g) (d).
(2) Recipients of other aid. Except as provided in sub. (3), an individual is not eligible for relief for a month in which the individual has received aid to families with dependent children under s. 49.19 or supplemental security income under 42 USC 1381 to 1383c or has participated in a Wisconsin works employment position under s. 49.147 (3) to (5) or in which aid to families with dependent children, supplemental security income benefits or a Wisconsin works employment position is immediately available to the individual.
(2m) Ineligibility due to medical assistance divestment. Any person found ineligible for medical assistance because of the divestment provisions under s. 49.453 is ineligible for relief funded by a relief block grant for the same period during which ineligibility exists under s. 49.453.
(3) Waiver of certain eligibility requirements.
(a) A relief agency may waive the requirement under sub. (1) (a) for an individual receiving health care services from a trauma center that meets the criteria established by the American College of Surgeons for classification as a Level I trauma center.
(b) A relief agency may waive the requirement under sub. (2) or (2m) in case of unusual misfortune or hardship. Each waiver shall be reported to the department. The department may make a determination as to the appropriateness of the waiver under rules promulgated by the department under s. 49.02 (7m) (d).
History: 1985 a. 120; 1987 a. 27, 399; 1991 a. 313; 1993 a. 99; 1995 a. 27 ss. 2669 to 2682, 2687b, 2710; 1995 a. 289; 1999 a. 9; 2009 a. 28.
States may deny benefits to those who fail to prove they did not quit a job in order to obtain benefits. Lavine v. Milne, 424 U.S. 577 (1976).
Constitutional law: residency requirements. 53 MLR 439.

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