49.84 Verification of public assistance applications.

(1) Any person who applies for any public assistance shall execute the application or self-declaration in the presence of the welfare worker or other person processing the application. This subsection does not apply to any superintendent of a mental health institute, director of a center for the developmentally disabled, superintendent of a state treatment facility or superintendent of a state correctional facility who applies for public assistance on behalf of a patient.

(2) At the time of application, the agency administering the public assistance program shall apply to the department of health services for a certified copy of a birth record for the applicant if the applicant is required to provide a birth certificate or social security number as part of the application and for any person in the applicant's household who is required to provide a birth certificate or social security number. The department of health services shall provide without charge any copy for which application is made under this subsection.

(3) Notwithstanding subs. (1) and (2), personal identification documentation requirements may be waived for 10 days for an applicant for relief funded by a relief block grant, if the applicant agrees to cooperate with the relief agency by providing information necessary to obtain proper identification.

(4) Notwithstanding sub. (2), the relief agency receiving an application under sub. (3) shall pay on behalf of any applicant under sub. (3) fees required for the applicant to obtain proper identification.

(5) A person applying for Wisconsin works under ss. 49.141 to 49.161, aid to families with dependent children under s. 49.19, medical assistance under subch. IV or food stamp program benefits under 7 USC 2011 to 2029 shall, as a condition of eligibility, provide a declaration and other verification of citizenship or satisfactory immigration status as required by the department by rule or as required in 42 USC 1320b-7 (d).

(6)

(a) In this subsection, “department" means the department of health services.

(b)

1. Notwithstanding any other eligibility requirements for the programs specified in par. (c), unless excepted by par. (c) an applicant for or recipient under any of those programs who declares himself or herself to be a citizen or national of the United States shall provide, as a further condition of eligibility, satisfactory documentary evidence, as provided in par. (d), that he or she is a citizen or national of the United States.

2. An applicant shall provide the documentation at the time of application. If a recipient was not required to provide documentation at the time he or she applied, the recipient shall provide the documentation the first time his or her eligibility is reviewed or redetermined after October 27, 2007. An applicant or recipient shall be granted a reasonable time, as determined by the department, to submit the documentation before his or her eligibility is denied or terminated.

(c) The requirement to provide satisfactory documentary evidence under par. (b) applies to applicants for and recipients under all of the following:

1. The Medical Assistance program under subch. IV, except for any of the following:

a. An applicant or recipient who is entitled to benefits under or enrolled in any part of Medicare under 42 USC 1395 et seq., as amended.

b. An applicant or recipient who is receiving supplemental security income under 42 USC 1381 to 1383c.

c. A person who is eligible for medical assistance under s. 49.45 (27).

d. A child who is receiving medical assistance under s. 49.46 (1) (a) 13., 49.47 (4) (am) 3., or 49.471 (4) (a) 2. or 2m. or an unborn child receiving prenatal care under s. 49.471.

e. A pregnant woman who is receiving medical assistance under s. 49.465 or a child or pregnant woman who is receiving medical assistance under s. 49.471 (5) (b) 1. or 2.

2. The Badger Care health care program under s. 49.665, except for an unborn child under s. 49.665 (4) (ap).

3. The part of the prescription drug assistance for elderly persons program under s. 49.688 that is supported by a Medical Assistance waiver under 42 USC 1315 (a), as authorized under s. 49.688 (11).

(d) Satisfactory documentary evidence that an applicant or a recipient is a citizen or national of the United States consists of the documents or other forms of evidence specified in 42 CFR 435.407.

(7)

(a) In this subsection:

1. “Department" means the department of health services.

2. “Medical Assistance" means the Medical Assistance program under subch. IV.

(b) Except as provided in par. (c), for determining eligibility or continued eligibility the department shall electronically verify the residence of an applicant for or recipient of Medical Assistance. If the department is unable to verify the applicant's or recipient's residence electronically, the applicant or recipient must provide adequate proof of residency, in the manner determined by the department, to be eligible for Medical Assistance.

(c) The requirements under par. (b) do not apply with respect to any of the following:

1. An individual who is receiving benefits under the food stamp program under 7 USC 2011 to 2029 or under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant program and who presented an acceptable form of residency verification for receipt of those benefits.

2. An individual who resides in a nursing home, intermediate care facility, inpatient psychiatric hospital, or other residential care facility and whose care in the facility is paid for by Medical Assistance.

3. A child residing in a foster care placement under the care and placement responsibility of a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23 or, in a county with a population of 750,000 or more, under the care and placement responsibility of the department of children and families.

History: 1971 c. 334; 1979 c. 221; 1985 a. 29 ss. 1005m, 3200 (23); 1985 a. 315; 1989 a. 31; 1995 a. 27 ss. 2798 to 2801b, 2803, 2804, 3210, 3211, 9126 (19); Stats. 1995 s. 49.84; 1995 a. 289; 2007 a. 20 ss. 1678 to 1680, 9121 (6) (a); 2013 a. 20; 2013 a. 116 s. 29; 2013 a. 117 s. 2, 3; 2015 a. 172; 2017 a. 334.