49.165 Domestic abuse grants.

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Domestic abuse" means physical abuse, including a violation of s. 940.225 (1), (2) or (3), or any threat of physical abuse between adult family or adult household members, by a minor family or minor household member against an adult family or adult household member, by an adult against his or her adult former spouse or by an adult against an adult with whom the person has a child in common.

(b) “Family member" means a spouse, a parent, a child or a person related by blood or adoption to another person.

(c) “Household member" means a person currently or formerly residing in a place of abode with another person.

(d) “Organization" means a nonprofit corporation or a public agency that provides or proposes to provide any of the following domestic abuse services:

1. Shelter facilities or private home shelter care.

2. Advocacy and counseling for victims.

3. A 24-hour telephone service.

4. Community education.

(2) Distribution of funds.

(a) The secretary shall make grants from the appropriation accounts under s. 20.437 (1) (cd) and (hh) to organizations for the provision of any of the services specified in sub. (1) (d). Grants may be made to organizations which have provided those domestic abuse services in the past or to organizations which propose to provide those services in the future. No grant may be made to fund services for child or unborn child abuse or abuse of elderly persons.

(b) In reviewing applications for grants, the department shall consider:

1. The need for domestic abuse services in the specific community in which the applicant provides services or proposes to provide services.

2. Coordination of the organization's services with other resources in the community and the state.

3. The need for domestic abuse services in the areas of the state served by each health systems agency, as defined in s. 140.83 (1), 1985 stats.

4. The needs of both urban and rural communities.

5. Maintenance of effort, by a city, village, town or county.

(c) No grant may be made to an organization which provides or will provide shelter facilities unless the department of safety and professional services determines that the physical plant of the facility will not be dangerous to the health or safety of the residents when the facility is in operation. No grant may be given to an organization which provides or will provide shelter facilities or private home shelter care unless the organization ensures that the following services will be provided either by that organization or by another organization, person or agency:

1. A 24-hour telephone service.

2. Temporary housing and food.

3. Advocacy and counseling for victims.

4. Referral and follow-up services.

5. Arrangements for education of school-age children.

6. Emergency transportation to the shelter.

7. Community education.

(d) An organization that receives a grant under this section shall provide matching funds or in-kind contributions that are equal to 25 percent of the amount of the grant. The department shall establish guidelines regarding which contributions qualify as in-kind contributions.

(e) In funding new domestic abuse services, the department shall give preference to services in areas of the state where these services are not otherwise available.

(f) From the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (cd) and (hh), the department shall do all of the following:

1. Award $545,000 in grants in fiscal year 1997-98 and $995,000 in grants in each fiscal year thereafter to organizations for domestic abuse services that are targeted to children. In awarding the grants, the department shall use a competitive request-for-proposals process and, to the extent possible, shall ensure that the grants are equally distributed on a statewide basis.

5. Expend $20,700 each fiscal year to contract with a nonstate agency to do all of the following:

a. Act as liaison among local, state, federal and private housing agencies.

b. Identify capital resources for housing initiatives.

c. Coordinate and disseminate information on job training programs.

d. Circulate information on successful transitional living programs.

6. Expend $69,700 each fiscal year to provide ongoing training and technical assistance to do all of the following:

a. Educate organizations and advocates for victims of domestic abuse about the judicial system.

b. Organize pro bono legal services on a regional basis.

7. Award grants in each fiscal year to organizations to enhance support services. Funding may be used for such purposes as case management; children's programming; assisting victims of domestic abuse to find employment; and training in and activities promoting self-sufficiency.

8. Award grants in each fiscal year to organizations for domestic abuse services for individuals who are members of underserved populations, including racial minority group members and individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities.

9. Award a grant in each fiscal year to the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence toward the cost of a staff person to provide assistance in obtaining legal services to domestic abuse victims.

10. Award a grant of $563,500 in each fiscal year to the Refugee Family Strengthening Project for providing domestic abuse services to the refugee population. Funding may be used to hire bilingual staff persons, especially those who speak Hmong.

(2m) Reporting requirements. Any organization that receives a grant under this section shall report all of the following information to the department by February 15 annually:

(a) The total expenditures that the organization made on domestic abuse services in the period for which the grant was provided.

(b) The expenditures specified in par. (a) by general category of domestic abuse services provided.

(c) The number of persons served in the period for which the grant was provided by general type of domestic abuse service.

(d) The number of persons who were in need of domestic abuse services in the period for which the grant was provided but who did not receive the domestic abuse services that they needed.

(3) Council on domestic abuse. The council on domestic abuse shall:

(a) Review applications for grants under this section and advise the secretary as to whether the applications should be approved or denied. The council shall consider the criteria under sub. (2) (b) when reviewing the applications.

(b) Advise the secretary and the legislature on matters of domestic abuse policy.

(c) Develop with the judicial conference and provide without cost simplified forms for filing petitions for domestic abuse restraining orders and injunctions under s. 813.12.

(4) List of eligible organizations.

(a) The department shall certify to the elections commission, on a continuous basis, a list containing the name and address of each organization that is eligible to receive grants under sub. (2).

(b) The department shall make available to law enforcement agencies a current list containing the name and address of each organization that is eligible to receive grants under sub. (2).

History: 1979 c. 111; 1979 c. 355 s. 241; 1981 c. 20 ss. 792c, 792m, 2202 (20) (s); 1983 a. 27 ss. 997m, 998, 2202 (20); 1983 a. 204; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 332, 399; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 39, 96; 1993 a. 16, 227, 246, 319, 491; 1995 a. 27 ss. 2337 to 2345, 9116 (5); 1997 a. 27, 292; 1999 a. 9, 162; 2005 a. 25, 278; 2007 a. 1; 2007 a. 20 ss. 1181 to 1200; Stats. 2007 s. 49.165; 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 20, 323; 2015 a. 118.