Assembly Bill 116 establishes new provisions regarding the transportation of minors for emergency detention in Wisconsin. The bill mandates that the county approving the emergency detention is responsible for the transportation of the minor to the facility, including custody placement and transportation costs. Counties are permitted to contract with law enforcement agencies, ambulance services, or third-party vendors for this transportation, but the use of law enforcement is restricted to situations where it is the least restrictive and most appropriate option, contingent upon federal approval for Medical Assistance funding. The bill also allows counties to seek reimbursement from the Department of Health Services (DHS) for transportation costs, with DHS having the authority to set standards for allowable expenses.

Additionally, the bill amends existing statutes to clarify the reimbursement process for counties transporting minors under the Medical Assistance program. It creates new sections that outline the conditions under which reimbursement can be requested and specifies that the DHS must submit any necessary requests for federal approval to facilitate this reimbursement. The bill includes a placeholder for funding in the DHS budget to cover these transportation costs and stipulates that the new provisions will apply to claims for reimbursement made after the effective date of federal approval or, if no approval is needed, the effective date of the bill itself.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 49.45(29x)(a), 49.45, 51.15(2)(e)(intro.), 51.15