AB187: Bill Text

LRB-2140/1

FFK:jld:rs

2011 - 2012 LEGISLATURE

2011 Assembly BILL 187

June 16, 2011 - Introduced by Representatives Shilling, Jorgensen, Barca, Berceau, Molepske Jr, Ringhand, Roys, Seidel, Staskunas, Steinbrink, Turner and Clark, cosponsored by Senators Lassa, Hansen, Wirch, Erpenbach, Holperin, Miller, Risser and Taylor. Referred to Committee on Jobs, Economy and Small Business.

AB187,1,6 An Act to amend 38.41 (3) (d), 238.03 (2) (intro.) and 238.03 (3) (intro.); and to create 238.03 (4) of the statutes; relating to: requiring the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to create and implement a business retention program, increasing the funding for skills enhancement grants, advanced manufacturing skills grants for technical colleges, and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the board of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) must develop and implement economic programs to provide business support and expertise and financial assistance to companies that are investing and creating jobs in Wisconsin and to support new business start-ups and business expansion and growth in Wisconsin. Under this bill, WEDC must also develop and implement a program to identify and respond to business retention problems faced by companies doing business in Wisconsin. The business retention program must:

1. Identify the top 300 companies in Wisconsin based on employment, capital investment, and overall economic impact.

2. Develop a business retention strategy targeted at industries and industry clusters that is based on data related to the economic viability of Wisconsin companies.

3. Develop an early response and detection system that includes annual visits to the top 300 companies identified by the program.

4. Create and maintain a database that includes business retention case histories, best practices, and retention specialists.

Under current law, the Technical College System Board (board) makes grants to technical college system boards for training in advanced manufacturing skills. Beginning in the 2010-11 school year, the board is required to award at least $2,000,000 annually for such grants. This bill requires that, beginning in the 2011-12 school year, the board must award at least $2,400,000 annually for such grants. In addition, the bill prohibits a business from receiving training under such a grant unless the business pays the individuals trained under the grant at least 150 percent of the federal minimum wage. The business must pay such a wage at the time of the training or no later than six months after an individual completes the training.

Under current law, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) provides grants to community action agencies to provide a skills enhancement program to individuals who work at least 20 hours per week and whose earned income is at or below 150 percent of the poverty line. A skills enhancement program must include, among other things, child care, career counseling, and financial support for education and training. Under this bill, the appropriation to DCF for grants to community action agencies to provide a skills enhancement program is increased by $250,000 in each of fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13.

For further information see the state 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:

AB187, s. 1 Section 1. 38.41 (3) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB187,2,9 38.41 (3) (d) Beginning in the 2008-09 2011-12 school year, the board shall award at least $1,000,000 $2,400,000 annually under sub. (1) for training in advanced manufacturing skills, and beginning in the 2010-11 school year, the board shall award at least $2,000,000 annually under sub. (1) for such training. A business may not receive training under such a grant unless the business pays individuals trained under the grant, at the time of the training or no later than 6 months after completion of the training, at least 150 percent of the federal minimum hourly rate prescribed under 29 USC 206 (a) (1).

AB187, s. 2 Section 2. 238.03 (2) (intro.) of the statutes, as created by 2011 Wisconsin Act 7, is amended to read:

AB187,3,4 238.03 (2) (intro.) For each program developed and implemented by the board under sub. (1), the board shall do all of the following:

AB187, s. 3 Section 3. 238.03 (3) (intro.) of the statutes, as created by 2011 Wisconsin Act 7, is amended to read:

AB187,3,8 238.03 (3) (intro.) The board shall require for each program developed and implemented by the board under sub. (1) all of the following:

AB187, s. 4 Section 4. 238.03 (4) of the statutes is created to read:

AB187,3,12 238.03 (4) The board shall develop and implement a program to identify and respond to potential retention problems for companies doing business in Wisconsin. The program shall include all of the following:

AB187,3,15 (a) Identification of the top 300 companies doing business in this state based on a company's number of employees, capital investment in this state, and overall economic impact on this state.

AB187,3,18 (b) A business retention strategy that targets industries and industry clusters based on the collection and analysis of data related to the economic viability of the companies identified in par. (a).

AB187,3,21 (c) Development and implementation of an early detection and response system to potential retention problems that includes annual visits to the companies identified under par. (a).

AB187,3,24 (d) Creation of a database that includes business retention case histories, best practices, and retention specialists, and other information that is useful to identify and respond to retention challenges, as determined by the board.

AB187, s. 5 Section 5. Fiscal changes.

AB187,4,11 (1) Community action agencies; skills enhancement grants. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of children and families under section 20.437 (2) (fr) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 2011, the dollar amount is increased by $250,000 for the first fiscal year of the fiscal biennium in which this subsection takes effect to provide funding for skills enhancement grants under section 49.265 (4) (cm) of the statutes. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of children and families under section 20.437 (2) (fr) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 2011, the dollar amount is increased by $250,000 for the second fiscal year of the fiscal biennium in which this subsection takes effect to provide funding for skills enhancement grants under section 49.265 (4) (cm) of the statutes.

AB187, s. 6 Section 6. Initial applicability.

AB187,4,15 (1) Technical college advanced manufacturing skills training grants. The treatment of section 38.41 (3) (d) of the statutes first applies to individuals who are trained under grants made on the effective date of this subsection.

AB187,4,16 (End)