Two local state legislators teamed up with a representative from the other side of the aisle to put together a new bill.
Senator Andre Jacque and Representative Paul Tittl, each Republicans, joined forces with Representative Sue Conley, a Democrat to write the At-Risk Pregnancy Wisconsin Works Fairness Act.
Under current law, a person who is not a custodial parent of a dependent child may be eligible for Wisconsin Works benefits if the person is an unmarried woman who meets the other eligibility criteria and is in the third trimester of a pregnancy that is medically verified and is shown by medical documentation to be at risk and to render the woman unable to participate in the workforce.
This bill extends the criteria for these benefits to any woman who is already the custodial parent of a dependent child and who is in any stage of a medically verified and documented at-risk pregnancy.
In a joint statement, the legislators say, “Cutting off a woman with an at-risk pregnancy because she is already responsible for a child makes no sense. This mother needs our help more than ever.”