Left, Assemblywoman Katrina Shankland talks with former Republican Strategist Bill Kraus. (City-Times photo)

City-Times Staff

The State Senate and State Assembly on Tuesday passed Senate Bill 274, authored by Rep. Katrina Shankland and Sen. Jennifer Shilling. Senate Bill 274 received broad bipartisan support in both houses, passing unanimously in the Senate and on a 90-4 vote in the Assembly.

Senate Bill 274 will increase access to workforce development services for people with disabilities by making a smart investment to capture full federal funding for the state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR).

The DVR provides important resources for people with disabilities looking for work, including career guidance, job placement assistance, rehabilitation technology, job training, transportation, and more. Because the state budget failed to fully fund the DVR using federal dollars, over 4,100 people with disabilities remain on a waiting list for employment assistance. Senate Bill 274 will eliminate the waiting list by providing employment assistance to an additional 5,736 Wisconsinites with disabilities over the biennium.

In response to her bill passing the legislature, Rep. Shankland issued the following statement:

“I’m proud to focus on helping people with disabilities find long-term employment. By investing in important workforce development services for people with disabilities, we can empower thousands of people by helping them find meaningful work. With a 210% return on investment, fully funding the DVR is a no-brainer.

“I’m pleased that our bill received broad bipartisan support in the Senate and Assembly, as well as the endorsement of advocacy groups like the Board for People with Development Disabilities, Disability Rights Wisconsin, and People First Wisconsin. The governor has also recognized this bill’s benefits by including it in his fall jobs package, and I look forward to him signing it into law.

“I want to thank Sen. Jennifer Shilling for authoring Senate Bill 274 with me, and members of the legislature for overwhelmingly supporting this bill. Working across the aisle to put people back to work should be our focus, and this bill exemplifies the good work we can do when we make that a priority.”