Awarding contracts.

Award a contract, on the basis of a competitive process approved by the secretary of administration, to any person to administer Wisconsin works in a geographical area determined by the department under sub. (6). The competitive process shall include cost and prior experience criteria.

Contract with a Wisconsin works agency to administer Wisconsin works if that agency has met the performance standards established by the department under sub. (3), during the immediately preceding contract period.

1. Except for a county department under s. 46.21, 46.22, or 46.23 or a tribal governing body, a person who submits a bid in a competitive process under par. (a) 1. shall include with the proposal a filing fee of $50 and a statement of economic interests that discloses all of the following information: a. The person’s assets and liabilities. b. The sources of the person’s income. c. All of the person’s other clients, as well as a description of the goods or services provided to those clients. d. The identity of all of the person’s subsidiaries, affiliates, and parent companies, if any. 2. Except for a county department under s. 46.21, 46.22, or 46.23 or a tribal governing body, a Wisconsin Works agency that enters into a succeeding contract with the department under par. (a) 2. shall, before executing the succeeding contract, submit to the department a filing fee of $50 and a statement of economic interests that discloses the information specified in subd. 1. a. to d. 3. One year after entering into a contract under par. (a) 1. or 2., a Wisconsin Works agency that is not a county department under s. 46.21, 46.22, or 46.23 or a tribal governing body shall submit to the department a filing fee of $50 and an updated statement of economic interests that discloses the information specified in subd. 1. a. to d.

A contract entered into under par. (a) 2. shall be for a term of at least 2 years. A Wisconsin works agency may elect not to enter into a contract under par. (a) 2. if the Wisconsin works agency informs the department by the date established by the department that the Wisconsin works agency has made that election. A Wisconsin works agency that has not met the performance standards established by the department under sub. (3) may apply for a contract under the competitive process established under par. (a) 1.

If the department changes the geographical areas for which a Wisconsin works agency administers Wisconsin works as provided under sub. (6), the department shall award contracts on the basis of the competitive process established by the department under par. (a) 1. regardless of whether a Wisconsin works agency has met the performance standards established by the department under sub. (3) and is eligible to contract with the department under par. (a) 2.

A county or tribal governing body that enters into a contract under par. (a) but elects not to compete for a subsequent contract under par. (a) 1. shall provide the notice required under this paragraph at least 6 months prior to the expiration of its contract under par. (a). A county or tribal governing body that elects not to enter into a contract under par. (a) 2. or to compete for a contract under par. (ag) shall provide the notice required under this paragraph by the date established by the department, by rule, under par. (ag). The notice shall be provided to all employees of the county or tribal governing body who may be laid off as a result of the county’s or tribal governing body’s election not to enter into or compete for a contract and to the certified or recognized collective bargaining representatives of such employees, if any. The notice shall inform the employees and the representatives that the county or tribal governing body is making the election not to enter into or compete for a contract; that the employees may be laid off as a result of that election; that the employees may wish to consider forming a private agency to bid on the contract under par. (a) 1.; that the employees may obtain information from the department on the competitive process under par. (a) 1. and the contract requirements under this section; and that the employees may obtain information from the department on steps that the employees might take to organize themselves to form a private agency for the purposes of competing for a contract under par. (a) 1. The department shall provide the information specified in this paragraph upon the request of any employee or collective bargaining representative described in this paragraph.