SB 346 — Relating to: a grant program for financial assistance for adoption and making an appropriation. (FE)

- 2024 LEGISLATURE LRBa0495/1LRB-2918/1 EHS:cdc&skwEHS:skw SENATE AMENDMENT 1, TO SENATE BILL 346 OctoberJune 2,21, 2023 - OfferedIntroduced by SenatorUINN.Senators Q UINN , ABRAL-G UEVARA, FELZKOWSKI , FEYEN , H UTTON, JACQUE , JAGLER, J AMES, K NODL, N ASS and T OMCZYK , cosponsored by Representatives OZAR, ALLEN, RMSTRONG , BEHNKE, BODDEN , B RANDTJEN, DONOVAN , EDMING, GREEN, GUNDRUM , USTAFSON , HURD, KRUG , M ACCO, M AGNAFICI, M AXEY, M OSES, M URPHY, NEDWESKI , OC ONNOR , PENTERMAN , PLUMER , RETTINGER, SCHMIDT, SCHRAA, STEFFEN, SUMMERFIELD , TUSLER and W ICHGERS.

AtReferred theto locationsCommittee indicated,on amendLicensing, theConstitution billand asFederalism. follows:

1.A N A CT to create 20.437 (1) (be) and 49.170 of the statutes;

Pagerelating 2,to: line 9:

aftera thatgrant lineprogram insert:for financial assistance for adoption and making an appropriation.

“SAnalysis ECTIONby 2m.the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill requires the Department of Children and Families to administer a competitive grant program under which it awards a grant to one organization in each fiscal biennium for the purpose of providing financial assistance to prospective adoptive families.

48.975The (3)bill (c)appropriates of$5,000,000 in the statutes2023-25 isfiscal amendedbiennium tofor read:this grant program.

48.975Under (3)the (c)bill, Nonrecurringan adoptionorganization expenses.is eligible for the grant if it operates a financial assistance program for prospective adoptive families.

SubjectThe bill requires DCF to anyimpose maximumconditions amounton providedthe byuse of the departmentgrant, byincluding rulethat promulgatedno undermore sub.than 2.5 percent of it may be used for administrative expenses and awards are limited to $10,000 per family and may only be awarded to or on behalf of families in this state who are adopting children in this state.

(5),Under the adoptionbill, assistanceDCF formust nonrecurringalso adoptionrequire expensesthat shallthe begrant sufficientrecipient toplace payconditions on the reasonablefinancial andassistance, necessaryincluding adoptionthat fees,only courtfamilies costs,that legalhave fees,erreached expensesa thatcertain arestage directlyin related to the adoption ofprocess theare childeligible and that arethe notgrant incurredrecipient inmay violationreclaim offinancial anyassistance stateit has awarded if the financial assistance is used improperly or federalnot law.used by a certain deadline.

AdoptionUnder assistancethe underbill, thisDCF paragraphmust mayrequire notthe begrant providedrecipient forto adoptionsubmit expensesto thatDCF area paidreport fordescribing orhow reimbursedthe undergrant s.was used, which DCF must then submit to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature.

49.170.”.- 2024 Legislature - 2 - LRB-2918/1 EHS:skw SENATE BILL 346 For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

2.The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

PageSECTION 3,1. line 5:

delete20.005 lines(3) 5(schedule) toof 13the andstatutes: substitute:

LRBa0495/1at -the 2024appropriate Legislatureplace, -insert 2the -following EHS:cdc&skwamounts “(b)for Financial assistance awarded from the grantpurposes mayindicated: only be awarded to or on behalf of families in this state who are adopting children from this state or children who are not from this state but over whom a tribal court in this state has jurisdiction.

(c)2023-24 Awards2024-25 of20.437 financialChildren assistanceand fromfamilies, thedepartment grantof are(1) limitedCHILDREN toAND $10,000FAMILY perSERVICES adoptive(be) familyFinancial andassistance may not be used for expensesadoption thatgrant areprogram paidGPR orB reimbursed5,000,000 under-0- s.SECTION 2.

48.97520.437 (3)(1) (c).(be) of the statutes is created to read:

(d)20.437 The(1) grant(be) recipientFinancial shall impose conditions on the financial assistance itfor awards from the grant, including that only families that have reached a certain stage in the adoption process are eligible and that the grant recipientprogram. may reclaim financial assistance it has awarded if the financial assistance is used improperly or if it is not used by a certain deadline.

TheBiennially, department shall determine the stageamounts in anthe adoptionschedule processfor thatthe familiesgrant shallprogram haveunder reacheds. to be eligible for financial assistance.”.

49.170.

SECTION 3.

49.170 of the statutes is created to read:

49.170 Financial assistance for adoption grant program.

(1) The department shall administer a competitive grant program as provided under this section.

Under the program, the department shall award a grant to an organization for the purpose of providing financial assistance to prospective adoptive families to help with adoption expenses.

(2) The department shall solicit and review applications for the grant program under this section and shall award a grant in an amount of no more than $5,000,000 to one organization in each fiscal biennium.

An organization is eligible for the grant if it operates a financial assistance program for prospective adoptive families.

LRB-2918/1 - 2024 Legislature - 3 - EHS:skw SECTION 3 SENATE BILL 346 (3) The department shall impose all of the following conditions on use of a grant awarded under this section:

(a) No more than 2.5 percent of the grant may be used for administrative expenses.

(b) Financial assistance awarded from the grant may only be awarded to or on behalf of families in this state who are adopting children from this state.

(c) Awards of financial assistance from the grant are limited to $10,000 per adoptive family.

(d) The grant recipient must impose conditions on the financial assistance it awards from the grant, including that only families that have reached a certain stage in the adoption process are eligible and that the grant recipient may reclaim financial assistance it has awarded if the financial assistance is used improperly or if it is not used by a certain deadline.

(4) The department shall require the grant recipient, upon expenditure of the grant, to submit a report to the department describing how the grant was used.

The department shall submit this report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s.

13.172 (3).

S ECTION 4.Effective date.

(1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2023 biennial budget act, whichever is later.