49.265 Community action agencies.

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Limited-purpose agency" means a private, nonprofit organization that is a statewide organization whose project has statewide impact.

(b) “Poor person" means a resident of a community served by a community action agency whose income is at or below 125 percent of the poverty line.

(c) “Poverty line" means the nonfarm federal poverty line for the continental United States, as defined by the federal department of labor under 42 USC 9902 (2).

(2) Creation.

(a)

1. A community action agency is any of the entities specified in par. (b) that meets the following conditions:

a. Is capable of performing the functions specified in sub. (3).

b. Receives the approval of the secretary.

c. Receives the approval of the county board of supervisors, if the community action agency serves an entire county, or, if the agency serves a city, village or town, receives the approval of the city's, village's or town's legislative body.

2. Each private, nonprofit community action agency shall be governed by a board consisting of 15 to 51 members, chosen from the following groups:

a. One-third of the members shall be elected public officials or their representatives. If the number of elected public officials who are reasonably available and willing to serve on a governing board is insufficient to meet this requirement, appointed public officials may be substituted. The chief executive or the legislative body of the county, city, village or town that approved the creation of a community action agency under subd. 1. c. shall appoint these members.

b. At least one-third of the members shall represent poor persons in the community to be served by the community action agency, being chosen in accordance with democratic selection procedures adequate to ensure that they are selected by and that they represent poor persons.

c. The remaining members shall represent specific groups or areas within the community to be served by the community action agency. The members selected under subd. 2. a. and b. shall determine which groups or areas are to be represented and shall delegate to the group, or to residents of the area, the task of selecting the representative. Representatives of an area of the community shall reside within that area.

3. Each community relations-social development commission created under s. 66.0125 that acts as a community action agency shall modify the composition of its commission so that the commission is composed of 15 to 51 members, chosen from the groups specified in subd. 2. a. to c.

(b) The following entities may organize as community action agencies:

1. Any private, nonprofit community organization, including any migrant or seasonal farm worker organization.

2. Any community relations-social development commission created under s. 66.0125.

3. Any entity designated by the community services administration as a community action agency under 42 USC 2790 to 2797, in effect on August 1, 1981, for federal fiscal year 1981, unless the agency lost its designation. Any such entity is deemed to meet the conditions under par. (a) 1.

(c) The approval of a community action agency may be rescinded but only if there is good cause and if the decision to rescind is made by both the legislative body of the county, city, village or town that granted the approval and the secretary. At least 90 days before rescinding approval, the legislative body or secretary shall notify the community action agency of its reasons for the action and hold a public hearing in the community concerning the action.

(3) Powers and duties.

(a) A community action agency shall do all of the following:

1. Administer funds received under sub. (4) and funds from other sources provided to support a community action program.

2. Set personnel, program and fiscal policies. Each community action agency shall set policies and procedures governing employee compensation and employment qualifications for itself and its agents. These policies and procedures shall ensure that employment practices are impartial and are designed to employ only competent persons, and shall guard against personal or financial conflicts of interest. Each community action agency shall also define the duties of its employees regarding advocacy on behalf of poor persons.

3. Involve, to the greatest extent practicable, poor persons in developing and implementing programs in order to ensure that these programs:

a. Will stimulate the capabilities of these persons for self-advancement.

b. Will be meaningful to and widely utilized by these persons.

4. Allow poor persons to influence the character of programs operated by the community action agency.

5. Involve members of the community in planning, conducting and evaluating its programs.

6. Conduct its program in a manner free of discrimination based on political affiliation and of personal or familial favoritism. Each community action agency shall establish policies and procedures to carry out this requirement and to hold staff members accountable for complying with matters governed by this section and by other state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

7. Release any record of the community action agency for examination or copying upon request, unless disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of an individual's privacy. Each community action agency shall require its agents to make their records similarly available. Each community action agency shall hold public hearings on request to provide information and to receive comments about its activities.

8. Appoint a representative or representatives to the citizen advisory committee under s. 49.325 (3) (a), in order to participate in developing and implementing programs designed to serve the poor.

(b) A community action agency may:

1. Approve program plans and priorities.

2. Resolve internal personnel or fiscal matters.

3. Create a community action program. If the community action agency creates a program, it shall plan, coordinate, administer and evaluate the program. A community action program may include provisions that will help poor persons:

a. Secure and retain employment.

b. Improve their education.

c. Make better use of available income.

d. Obtain and maintain adequate housing and a suitable living environment.

e. Secure needed transportation.

f. Obtain emergency assistance. Through its program, the community action agency may provide emergency supplies or services to meet basic needs.

g. Participate in community affairs.

h. Use more effectively other available programs.

4. Create methods by which poor persons can work with private groups to solve common problems.

5. Research the causes of and problems created by poverty in the community.

6. Determine if programs to reduce poverty are working effectively.

7. Initiate and sponsor projects to aid poor persons that provide otherwise unavailable services.

8. Transmit information between public and private organizations and otherwise coordinate the provision of public and private social services programs to eliminate overlap and ensure effective delivery of the programs.

9. Contract with other persons to perform the community action agency's functions. The community action agency may delegate responsibility for funding or administering its programs or for making policy determinations concerning a particular geographic area of the community it serves only if poor persons represent at least one-third of the members of the governing body of the agent being delegated this responsibility.

10. Apply for funds from various sources to support a community action program.

11. Provide, to individuals who work at least 20 hours per week and whose earned income is at or below 150 percent of the poverty line, a program of skills enhancement that shall include access to transportation, child care, career counseling, job placement assistance, and financial support for education and training.

(4) Funding.

(a) The department shall distribute the federal community services block grant funds received under 42 USC 9903 and credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.437 (2) (mg).

(b) The department shall allocate at least 90 percent of the funds received under 42 USC 9903 to community action agencies and organizations.

(c) The department may not allocate more than 5 percent of the funds received under 42 USC 9903 for state administrative expenses.

(cm) From the appropriation under s. 20.437 (2) (fr), the department of children and families shall distribute grants to community action agencies to provide the skills enhancement services specified under sub. (3) (b) 11.

(d) Before January 1 of each year the department shall contract with each agency and organization being funded, specifying the amount of money the organization will receive under this section and the activities to be carried out by the organization.

(5) City, village or town assistance. A city, village or town may appropriate funds for promoting and assisting a community action agency.

(6) Reports. At least annually, the secretary shall submit a report to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3), concerning activities of community action agencies under this section and their effectiveness in promoting social and economic opportunities for poor persons.

History: 1983 a. 27, 538; 1985 a. 29; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 150 ss. 451, 672; 2007 a. 20 ss. 796, 1076 to 1095; Stats. 2007 s. 49.265; 2009 a. 11, 265; 2011 a. 32.