Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 49 - Public assistance and children and family services.
49.148 - Wisconsin works; wages and benefits.

49.148 Wisconsin works; wages and benefits.
(1) Benefit and wage levels for participants in employment positions. A participant in a Wisconsin Works employment position shall receive the following wages or benefits:
(a) Trial employment match program jobs. For a participant in a trial employment match program job, the amount established in the contract between the Wisconsin Works agency and the trial employment match program job employer, but not less than minimum wage for every hour actually worked in the trial employment match program job, not to exceed 40 hours per week paid by the employer. Hours spent participating in education and training activities under s. 49.147 (3) (am) shall be included in determining the number of hours actually worked.
(b) Community service jobs.
1. Except as provided in subd. 1m., for a participant in a community service job under s. 49.147 (4), a monthly grant of $653. For every hour that the participant misses work or education or training activities without good cause, the grant amount shall be reduced by $5. Good cause shall be determined by the financial and employment planner in accordance with rules promulgated by the department. Good cause shall include required court appearances for a victim of domestic abuse. If a participant in a community service job under s. 49.147 (4) is required to work fewer than 30 hours per week because the participant has unsubsidized employment, as defined in s. 49.147 (1), the grant amount under this paragraph shall equal the amount specified under subd. 1m. minus $5 for each hour that the participant misses work or education or training activities without good cause.
1m. Except as provided in subd. 1., the department or an entity contracting with the department shall pay a participant in a community service job the following:
a. For a participant placed in a community service job for not more than 10 hours per week, one-third of the amount specified in subd. 1m. d.
b. For a participant placed in a community service job for more than 10 hours but not more than 15 hours per week, one-half of the amount specified under subd. 1m. d.
c. For a participant placed in a community service job for more than 15 hours but not more than 20 hours per week, two-thirds of the amount specified under subd. 1m. d.
d. For a participant placed in a community service job for more than 20 hours per week, $653.
3. For a participant in a community service job who participates in technical college education under s. 49.147 (5m), a monthly grant of $653. For every hour that the participant misses work or other required activities without good cause, the grant amount shall be reduced by $5. Good cause shall be determined by the financial and employment planner in accordance with rules promulgated by the department. Good cause shall include required court appearances for a victim of domestic abuse.
(c) Transitional placements. For a participant in a transitional placement under s. 49.147 (5) or in a transitional placement and in technical college education under s. 49.147 (5m), a monthly grant of $608. For every hour that the participant fails to participate in any required activity without good cause, including any activity under s. 49.147 (5) (b) 1. a. to d., the grant amount shall be reduced by $5. Good cause shall be determined by the financial and employment planner in accordance with rules promulgated by the department. Good cause shall include required court appearances for a victim of domestic abuse.
(1m) Custodial parent of infant; unmarried, pregnant woman.
(a) Any of the following may receive a monthly grant of $673:
1. A custodial parent of a child 8 weeks old or less who meets the eligibility requirements under s. 49.145 (2) and (3), unless another adult member of the custodial parent's Wisconsin Works group is participating in, or is eligible to participate in, a Wisconsin Works employment position or is employed in unsubsidized employment, as defined in s. 49.147 (1).
2. An unmarried woman who would be eligible under s. 49.145 except that she is not a custodial parent of a dependent child and who is in the 3rd trimester of a pregnancy that is medically verified and that is shown by medical documentation to be at risk and to render the woman unable to participate in the workforce.
(bm) A Wisconsin Works agency may not require a participant under this subsection to participate in any employment positions.
(c) For purposes of the time limits under ss. 49.145 (2) (n) and 49.147 (3) (c), (4) (b), and (5) (b) 2., all of the following apply:
1. Receipt of a grant under this subsection by a participant under par. (a) 1. does not constitute participation in a Wisconsin Works employment position if the child is born to the participant not more than 10 months after the date that the participant was first determined to be eligible for assistance under s. 49.19 or for a Wisconsin Works employment position.
2. Receipt of a grant under this subsection by a participant under par. (a) 1. constitutes participation in a Wisconsin Works employment position if the child is born to the participant more than 10 months after the date that the participant was first determined to be eligible for assistance under s. 49.19 or for a Wisconsin Works employment position unless the child was conceived as a result of a sexual assault in violation of s. 940.225 (1), (2), or (3) in which the mother did not indicate a freely given agreement to have sexual intercourse or in violation of s. 948.02 or 948.025 or as a result of incest in violation of s. 944.06 or 948.06 and that incest or sexual assault has been reported to a physician and to law enforcement authorities.
3. Receipt of a grant under this subsection by a participant under par. (a) 2. does not constitute participation in a Wisconsin Works employment position.
(4) Drug testing.
(a) A Wisconsin works agency shall require a participant in a community service job or transitional placement who, after August 22, 1996, was convicted in any state or federal court of a felony that had as an element possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance to submit to a test for use of a controlled substance as a condition of continued eligibility. If the test results are positive, the Wisconsin works agency shall decrease the presanction benefit amount for that participant by not more than 15 percent for not fewer than 12 months, or for the remainder of the participant's period of participation in a community service job or transitional placement, if less than 12 months. If, at the end of 12 months, the individual is still a participant in a community service job or transitional placement and submits to another test for use of a controlled substance and if the results of the test are negative, the Wisconsin works agency shall discontinue the reduction under this paragraph.
(b) The Wisconsin Works agency may require an individual who tests positive for use of a controlled substance under par. (a) to participate in a drug abuse evaluation, assessment, and treatment program as part of the participation requirement under s. 49.147 (4) (as) or (5) (bs).
(c) Paragraph (a) does not apply if the participant was convicted more than 5 years prior to the date on which the participant applied for a Wisconsin works employment position.
History: 1995 a. 289; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32, 257; 2013 a. 20, 165.

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