45.25 Veterans' tuition and fee reimbursement program.
45.30 Assignment of mentally ill, alcoholic and drug dependent persons.
45.34 Lebanon, Grenada, Middle East crisis, Panama, Bosnia and Somalia.
45.35 Department of veterans affairs.
45.351 Economic assistance.
45.353 Grants to veterans organizations.
45.355 Biennial study of fiscal needs for veterans' housing.
45.356 Veterans personal loans.
45.357 Veterans assistance program.
45.358 Wisconsin veterans cemeteries.
45.36 Release of information and records by the department of veterans affairs and county veterans' service offices.
45.365 Wisconsin Veterans Home at King and southeastern facility; management.
45.37 Who are eligible to membership.
45.375 Hospital at Wisconsin Veterans Home.
45.38 Department, additional powers to provide structures, facilities and permanent improvements.
45.385 Veterans residential, treatment and nursing care facilities.
45.396 Correspondence courses and part-time classroom study.
45.397 Retraining grant program.
45.42 Burial places compiled.
45.43 County veterans' service officer.
45.48 Veterans' papers, medals, etc., as security.
45.49 Memorial day; veterans to be given leave of absence on.
45.50 Reemployment in civil employment after completion of military service.
45.51 Employees or officers in military service.
45.52 Physical disability does not disqualify for public employment.
45.53 Soldiers' and sailors' civil relief act.
45.54 Educational approval board.
SUBCHAPTER II
VETERAN'S HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM
45.72 Powers of the department.
45.73 Rule-making responsibility.
45.74 Eligible persons; disqualifying factors.
45.745 Loans to disabled veterans; qualifying factors.
45.76 Eligible uses for loan proceeds.
45.77 Veteran's contribution.
45.78 Manner of repayment.
45.79 Mortgage loan program.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
45.01
45.01
Wisconsin veterans museum. The department of administration shall provide suitable space for the purpose of a memorial hall, designated as the Wisconsin veterans museum, dedicated to the men and women of Wisconsin who served in the armed forces of the United States in the civil war of 1861 to 1865 or who meet one of the conditions listed in
s. 45.35 (5) (a) 1. a. to
d., and the department of veterans affairs shall operate and conduct the Wisconsin veterans museum. The mission of the Wisconsin veterans museum is to acknowledge, commemorate and affirm the role of Wisconsin veterans in the United States of America's military past by means of instructive exhibits and other educational programs.
45.015
45.015
Eligibility for benefits. Any person whose service on active duty with the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces makes that person eligible for general U.S. department of veterans affairs benefits shall be considered to have served under honorable conditions for purposes of this chapter.
45.015 History
History: 1995 a. 255.
45.02
45.02
Memorial collection. The battle flags of Wisconsin units serving in the nation's wars, and all relics and mementos of such wars donated to or otherwise acquired by the state for display in the Wisconsin veterans museum shall constitute the memorial collection. The department of veterans affairs shall catalog and identify all war relics and mementos of the memorial collection, restore, preserve and safeguard such items, procure additions to such collection, provide proper display equipment, and to so display such collection as to make it instructive and attractive to visitors.
45.02 History
History: 1989 a. 31;
1991 a. 39.
45.03
45.03
Veterans memorials at The Highground. 45.03(1)(a)
(a) "Department" means the department of veterans affairs.
45.03(1)(b)
(b) "Persian Gulf war" means the period of conflict designated by the president of the United States as Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm and any operation that is a successor to Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm.
45.03(2)
(2) From the appropriation under
s. 20.485 (2) (d), the department shall provide funding to the Wisconsin Vietnam veterans memorial project, inc., for the construction of 3 memorials, as defined in
s. 45.04 (1) (c), one memorial for the veterans of World War I, one memorial for the veterans of World War II and one memorial for the veterans of the Persian Gulf war. The memorials shall be constructed at the veterans memorial site located at The Highground in Clark County. The department may expend up to $45,000 for the memorial for the veterans of World War I, up to $85,000 for the memorial for the veterans of World War II and up to $60,000 for the memorial for the veterans of the Persian Gulf war. If the moneys available under this section to construct one of these memorials are in excess of the moneys needed to construct that memorial, and if the moneys available under this section to construct another one of these memorials are insufficient to construct that memorial, the department, with the approval of the joint committee on finance, may allocate the excess moneys to construct the memorial that is insufficiently funded.
45.03(3)
(3) From the appropriation under
s. 20.485 (2) (em), the department shall pay all debts that remain unpaid on February 15, 1992, for expenses incurred in operating the veterans memorial at The Highground in Clark County and shall contract for improvements related to the memorial. The improvements shall include the paving of the parking lot at the memorial.
45.03 History
History: 1991 a. 44,
269;
1997 a. 27.
45.04
45.04
Veterans memorial grants. 45.04(1)
(1)
Definitions. In this section:
45.04(1)(a)
(a) "Department" means the department of veterans affairs.
45.04(1)(b)
(b) "In-kind contributions" includes but is not limited to donations of appliances, buildings, creations, equipment, fixtures, furniture, materials, real property, structures, supplies and utilities, and work performed in the acquisition of land and construction of a memorial.
45.04(1)(c)
(c) "Memorial" means a building, structure, statue or creation used to keep alive the remembrance of a veteran, veterans group or an event related to a veteran and may include land upon which the building, structure, statue or creation is located. "Memorial" does not include a museum.
45.04(1)(d)
(d) "Secretary" means the secretary of the department.
45.04(2)
(2) Grant program. From the appropriation under
s. 20.485 (2) (e), the secretary shall award to eligible applicants grants to support the acquisition of land and construction of not more than 2 memorials in this state to honor state veterans who served in the U.S. armed forces. One memorial may be constructed to honor state veterans who served during the Korean conflict, June 27, 1950, to January 31, 1955, and one to honor state veterans who served during the Vietnam war, August 5, 1964, to January 1, 1977.
45.04(3)
(3) Notice; application process. The secretary shall publicize the grant program under this section and the availability of grants. Eligible persons may apply for grants in accordance with the rules promulgated under
sub. (6). The secretary shall develop and make available grant application forms.
45.04(4)
(4) Council of commanders review. The department shall provide the council of commanders with a copy of each application for a grant. The council may review the applications and submit its recommendations to the department.
45.04(5)
(5) Grants. A grant may not exceed $300,000 per memorial. No person may receive a grant under this section unless the person is able to provide at least $1 for land acquisition and construction of the memorial for each $2 granted by the state. An initial payment of part of the grant, not to exceed $50,000, may be provided to an eligible person before the person obtains the required matching funds if the department is satisfied that the person is able to obtain those matching funds within a reasonable time. The eligible person's share of the cost of acquiring the land and constructing the memorial may be in the form of money or in-kind contributions of equivalent value, or both. If the funds granted by the state plus the matching funds obtained by the grantee exceed the cost of land acquisition and construction of the memorial, any excess state grant shall be returned by the grantee to the department. The department shall return any excess state grant to the transportation fund. No grant may be provided unless the person provides evidence of the ability to provide continuing care and maintenance of the memorial. No funds may be granted for administrative expenses of the grantee.
45.04(6)
(6) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules specifying all of the following:
45.04(6)(c)
(c) The council of commanders review process.
45.04(6)(d)
(d) The costs related to memorial land acquisition and construction that may be covered under a grant.
45.04(6)(e)
(e) The amount of matching funds required of eligible persons.
45.04(6)(f)
(f) The type of in-kind contributions that may be considered as part of the eligible person's matching funds.
45.04(6)(g)
(g) The grantee's responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the memorial after construction is completed.
45.04(6)(h)
(h) The type of evidence required to prove the person's ability to adequately care for and maintain the memorial.
45.04(6)(i)
(i) Any other information deemed necessary by the department.
45.05
45.05
County and municipal memorials. 45.05(1)
(1) Any city council, village, town or county board may by gift, purchase, contract or condemnation acquire property, real or personal, for the purpose of providing, furnishing, constructing, erecting, repairing, maintaining, or conducting a suitable memorial to the memory of former residents thereof who lost their lives in the military or naval service of the state or of the United States, or to commemorate and honor the deeds of persons, residents thereof, or of the state or United States, who served the nation in any war, or other persons who rendered great state or national service, or to the memory of any president of the United States, or for a combination of any of such purposes, which are hereby declared to be public purposes.
45.05(2)
(2) Such memorial shall be of such character as shall be determined by the governing body of such city, village, town or county, and without limitation because of enumeration, may comprise a public building, hospital, sanatorium, home for the aged or indigent, park, recreation facility, community forest or other suitable object having a public purpose.
45.05(3)
(3) Any city council, town, village or county board may appropriate money and may levy a tax in order to acquire, pay for, construct, erect, furnish, equip, operate, repair, maintain or reconstruct a suitable memorial for the purpose or purposes provided in this section.
45.05(4)
(4) Any city council or village, town or county board may authorize the use of any public property respectively of such city, village, town or county as a site for a memorial, and any county may authorize its public property to be so used by any city, village or town therein.
45.05(5)
(5) Any city council, village, town or county board may by ordinance or contract provide for the management, control or operation of any memorial, and it may enter into a written lease, for a term not exceeding 25 years, with any duly chartered and incorporated veterans' organization established in said town, city or village, such lease to include provisions for the amount of rental and such conditions of public use as it may determine.
45.05(6)
(6) Any county, city, village or town that has previously taken action toward the establishment of a monument or memorial under the statutes of 1943 or prior statutes may continue under such previously existing statutes or may proceed under this section.
45.051
45.051
Sites for veterans' memorial halls. Any city, town or village may donate to any organization specified in
s. 70.11 (9) land upon which is to be erected a memorial hall to contain the memorial tablet specified in said section.
45.051 History
History: 1999 a. 150 s.
603; Stats. 1999 s. 45.051.
45.052
45.052
Memorial corporations organized under 1919 act. 45.052(1)(1)
Additional powers of governing body. Any commission or board of trustees which governs a corporation organized to construct a memorial under
s. 45.057 (5), statutes of 1919 to 1943 (created by
chapter 598, laws of 1919, and repealed by
chapter 301, laws of 1945), shall have the following powers in addition to those it now has:
45.052(1)(a)
(a) All powers vested in the members of such corporation by the articles of incorporation or bylaws, including the power to amend the articles of incorporation.
