LRB-1574/P1
AJM:klm
2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......McElgunn, BB0295 - County veterans service office grants
For 2017-2019 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...;
relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
veterans
This bill removes the current law requirement that grants that are provided by DVA to counties to improve services for veterans are provided solely on a reimbursable basis.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section
1. 20.485 (2) (vx) of the statutes is amended to read:
20.485 (2) (vx) County grants. The amounts in the schedule for the administration and payment of grants under s. 45.82.
Section
2. 45.82 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.82 (2) The department of veterans affairs shall award a grant annually, on a reimbursable basis as specified in this subsection, to a county that meets the standards developed under this section if the county executive, administrator, or administrative coordinator certifies to the department that it employs a county veterans service officer who, if chosen after April 15, 2015, is chosen from a list of candidates who have taken a civil service examination for the position of county veterans service officer developed and administered by the bureau of merit recruitment and selection in the department of administration, or is appointed under a civil service competitive examination procedure under s. 59.52 (8) or ch. 63. The department of veterans affairs shall twice yearly reimburse grant recipients for documented expenses under sub. (5), subject to the following annual reimbursement limits: grant shall be $8,500 for a county with a population of less than 20,000, $10,000 for a county with a population of 20,000 to 45,499, $11,500 for a county with a population of 45,500 to 74,999, and $13,000 for a county with a population of 75,000 or more. The department of veterans affairs shall use the most recent Wisconsin official population estimates prepared by the demographic services center when making grants under this subsection.
Section
3. 45.82 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.82 (4) The department shall provide grants
on a reimbursable basis as specified in this subsection to the governing bodies of federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (km) or (vw) if that governing body enters into an agreement with the department regarding the creation, goals, and objectives of a tribal veterans service officer, appoints a veteran to act as a tribal veterans service officer, and gives that veteran duties similar to the duties described in s. 45.80 (5), except that the veteran shall report to the governing body of the tribe or band. The department shall twice yearly reimburse grant recipients for documented expenses under sub. (5), may make annual grants in an amount not to exceed $15,000 per grant under this subsection and shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection.
Section
4. 45.82 (5) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.82 (5) (intro.) Only
The grants made under this section may only be used to pay for the following expenses are eligible for reimbursement under subs. (2) and (4):
Section
5. 45.82 (5) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.82 (5) (e) Salary and fringe benefit expenses incurred in 2015 2017; salary and fringe benefit expenses incurred in 2016
2018, except that the total reimbursement amount for such expenses shall not exceed 50 percent of the applicable maximum grant under sub. (2) or (4); and salary and fringe benefit expenses incurred in 2017 2019, except that total reimbursement for such expenses shall not exceed 25 percent of the applicable maximum grant under sub. (2) or (4).
Section
6. 45.82 (6) of the statutes is repealed.
(End)
