LRB-4967/1
EHS:emw&kjf
2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE
December 27, 2017 - Introduced by Representatives Rodriguez, Anderson,
Duchow, Mursau and Young, cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard, Johnson,
L. Taylor and Darling. Referred to Committee on Children and Families.
AB797,1,3 1An Act to create 20.437 (1) (ad) and 49.168 of the statutes; relating to: a
2Department of Children and Families pilot project to expand four-year-old
3kindergarten programs and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill allows the Department of Children and Families, as a pilot project, to
award grants to organizations, including school boards, with existing four-year-old
kindergarten programs for the purpose of expanding those programs. The bill
requires DCF to consider grant proposals from organizations in no more than three
counties and to give a preference to organizations operating programs in
economically disadvantaged school districts. The bill also limits the grants to those
programs in which each instructor holds a license from the Department of Public
Instruction.
Under the bill, DCF may pay for the four-year-old kindergarten grants by
using either federal moneys received under the Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families block grant program or from general purpose revenue appropriated for the
purpose of the grant program. The bill requires DCF to submit each proposed grant
to the Joint Committee on Finance for a 14-day passive review. In addition, if the
amount DCF seeks to issue in grants exceeds the moneys available in the GPR
appropriation account, the bill allows DCF to request that JCF transfer money to
that appropriation account from another DCF appropriation account.

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:
AB797,1 1Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
2the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table PDF
AB797,2 3Section 2. 20.437 (1) (ad) of the statutes is created to read:
AB797,2,54 20.437 (1) (ad) Four-year-old kindergarten grant program. The amounts in
5the schedule for 4-year-old kindergarten grants under s. 49.168.
AB797,3 6Section 3. 49.168 of the statutes is created to read:
AB797,2,10 749.168 Pilot project to expand 4-year-old kindergarten. (1) In this
8section, “economically disadvantaged school district” means a school district that
9contains a municipality with a high annual rate of unemployment measured as of
10December 2016 and every 2 years thereafter.
AB797,3,4 11(2) The department, as a pilot project, may award grants to organizations,
12including school boards, that operated 4-year-old kindergarten programs during
13the 2016-17 school year for the purpose of expanding those programs. The
14department shall consider grant proposals from organizations in no more than 3
15counties and, when awarding grants, shall give preference to an organization

1operating a program located in an economically disadvantaged school district. The
2department may award grants only to organizations operating programs in which
3each instructor of 4-year-old kindergarten holds a license from the department of
4public instruction for the appropriate pupil development level.
AB797,3,6 5(3) (a) The department shall pay for the grants under sub. (2) from the
6appropriation account under s. 20.437 (1) (ad) or (2) (md).
AB797,3,157 (b) The department shall submit each grant it proposes to issue to the joint
8committee on finance for approval. If the cochairpersons of the joint committee on
9finance do not notify the department that the committee has scheduled a meeting for
10the purpose of reviewing the proposed grant within 14 working days after the date
11the proposed grant was submitted, the department may issue the grant. If, within
1214 working days after the date the proposed grant was submitted, the cochairpersons
13of the committee notify the department that the committee has scheduled a meeting
14for the purpose of reviewing the proposed grant, the department may not issue the
15grant unless the committee approves the grant.
AB797,3,1916 (c) If the amount the department seeks to issue in grants exceeds the moneys
17available under s. 20.437 (1) (ad), the department may, under s. 13.101 (4), request
18that the joint committee on finance transfer moneys from another appropriation
19account under s. 20.437 to the appropriation account under s. 20.437 (1) (ad).
AB797,3,2020 (End)
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