March 2, 2017 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to Committee
on State Affairs.
AB116,1,2 1An Act to create 15.107 (19) and 16.316 of the statutes; relating to: the creation
2of the Interagency Legal Aid Coordinating Council.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the Joint Legislative Council in
the bill.
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:
Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Joint
Legislative Council's Study Committee on Access to Civil Legal Services. The bill creates
an Interagency Legal Aid Coordinating Council (council) in the Department of
Administration for the purpose of facilitating discussion about how access to civil legal
services may fit in to, serve, or further the missions, responsibilities, and goals of the
agencies.
Membership
The council consists of the following ten members:
1. The Secretaries of the Departments of Administration, Children and Families,
Health Services, and Workforce Development, or their designees.
2. The Attorney General, or his or her designee.
3. The executive director of Wisconsin Judicare, Inc.
4. The executive director of Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc.

5. One member who is also a member of the Wisconsin Access to Justice
Commission, appointed by the Governor for a three-year term.
6. Two members who represent the public interest, appointed by the Governor for
three-year terms.
All initial members of the council must be appointed or designated no later than
90 days after the effective date of the bill. The initial member who must also be a member
of the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission must be appointed to a term ending on
July 1, 2020. One initial member who represents the public interest must be appointed
to a term ending July 1, 2021, and one initial member who represents the public interest
must be appointed to a term ending on July 1, 2022.
Powers, Duties, and Operations
Under current law, councils must meet at least annually and at the call of the head
of the department in which it is created. Councils may meet at other times at the call of
the chairperson or at the call of a majority of its members. At its initial meeting each year,
the council must elect a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary from among its
members. A council must have a quorum, consisting of a majority of the membership, in
order to conduct business.
Under the bill, the council must also do the following:
1. On an ongoing basis, evaluate the following: (1) how providing low-income,
indigent, vulnerable, and at-risk populations with access to civil legal services may fit
in to, serve or further the missions, responsibilities, and goals of the agencies; and (2) the
use or potential use of federal grant money received by the agencies that may be used for
the purposes of facilitating access to civil legal services for such populations.
2. Annually prepare a report that summarizes the evaluations discussed above.
The report must include the amount of money spent, if any, by the agencies to facilitate
access to civil legal service and must include any recommendations for policy alternatives
that would facilitate access to civil legal services. The report must be submitted to the
Governor, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the appropriate standing committees of the
Legislature.
3. By January 1, 2020, the council must prepare and submit a report on the
economic impact of funding access to civil legal services. The report must be submitted
to the Governor, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the appropriate standing committees
of the Legislature.
AB116,1 1Section 1. 15.107 (19) of the statutes is created to read:
AB116,2,42 15.107 (19) Interagency legal aid coordinating council. (a) Creation. There
3is created in the department of administration an interagency legal aid coordinating
4council.
AB116,2,65 (b) Membership. The interagency legal aid coordinating council consists of the
6following members:
AB116,2,87 1. The secretaries of administration, children and families, health services, and
8workforce development, or their designees.
AB116,2,99 2. The attorney general, or his or her designee.
AB116,3,1
13. The executive director of Wisconsin Judicare, Inc.
AB116,3,22 4. The executive director of Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc.
AB116,3,63 5. One member who is also a member of the Wisconsin Access to Justice
4Commission, created under SCR 14.02, appointed by the governor for a 3-year term.
5A vacancy occurs for the member appointed under this subdivision if the member no
6longer serves on the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission.
AB116,3,87 6. Two members who represent the public interest, appointed by the governor
8for 3-year terms.
AB116,2 9Section 2. 16.316 of the statutes is created to read:
AB116,3,10 1016.316 Interagency legal aid coordinating council. (1) In this section:
AB116,3,1211 (a) “Council” means the interagency legal aid coordinating council created
12under s. 15.107 (19).
AB116,3,1413 (b) “Agencies” means the departments of administration, children and families,
14health services, justice, and workforce development.
AB116,3,15 15(2) The council shall do all of the following:
AB116,3,1616 (a) On an ongoing basis, evaluate all of the following:
AB116,3,1917 1. How providing low-income, indigent, vulnerable, and at-risk populations
18with access to civil legal services may fit in to, serve, or further the missions,
19responsibilities, and goals of the agencies.
AB116,3,2120 2. The use or potential use of federal grant money received by the agencies that
21may be used for the purposes described in subd. 1.
AB116,4,222 (b) Annually, prepare a report summarizing the evaluation required under par.
23(a), including the amount of money spent, if any, by the agencies to facilitate access
24to civil legal services and any recommendations for policy alternatives that would
25facilitate access to civil legal services. The council shall submit the report to the

1governor, the supreme court, and the appropriate standing committees of the
2legislature under s. 13.172 (3).
AB116,4,63 (c) No later than January 1, 2020, the council shall prepare and submit a report
4to the governor, the supreme court, and the appropriate standing committees of the
5legislature under s. 13.172 (3) on the economic impact of funding access to civil legal
6services.
AB116,3 7Section 3. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB116,4,158 (1) Notwithstanding the length of terms specified in section 15.107 (19) (b) 5.
9and 6. of the statutes, the governor shall appoint the initial member of the
10interagency legal aid coordinating council under section 15.107 (19) (b) 5. of the
11statutes for a term ending on July 1, 2020, one initial member of the interagency legal
12aid coordinating council under section 15.107 (19) (b) 6. of the statutes for a term
13ending on July 1, 2021, and one initial member of the interagency legal aid
14coordinating council under section 15.107 (19) (b) 6. of the statutes for a term ending
15on July 1, 2022.
AB116,4,1816 (2) All initial members of the interagency legal aid coordinating council shall
17be appointed or designated under section 15.107 (19) (b) of the statutes no later than
1890 days after the effective date of this subsection.
AB116,4,1919 (End)
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