A direct payment shall be made whenever a recipient of aid under this section has failed to pay rent to the landlord for 2 months or more, unless the failure to pay rent is authorized by law.

If a landlord reports to a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 that a recipient has failed to pay rent for 2 or more months, the county department shall do all of the following: a. Inform the recipient of the report. b. Investigate the report. c. If it determines that the conditions for issuing a direct payment under subd. 2. are met, inform the recipient of the right to a fair hearing on the issue of whether direct payment of rent should be made and inform the department of health services of its determination. d. If it determines that direct payments should not be made, inform the recipient and the landlord of that determination.

The county department shall review each case in which a direct payment is being made at least once every 12 months and whenever a recipient reports that a condition under subd. 6. for the cessation of direct payments exists.

The county department shall inform the department of health services, and the department of health services shall cease making a direct payment, when the county department determines that any of the following conditions exists: a. A direct payment has been made for 24 consecutive months. b. The recipient has reimbursed the landlord for all back rent owed. c. The recipient has moved and has a different landlord.

The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of this paragraph.