Wisconsin Legislature: 9,2956

5. The operations of the business do not involve metallic mining activities.

6. The owner of the business attends a class that provides instruction in writing a business plan, making a business loan application and managing a start-up business.

(b) A business applying for a loan under this subsection must submit an application package that includes a business plan and such personal and business financial information as the board requires to enable the board to assess sufficiently the potential viability of the business. The department shall assist a business in preparing an application.

1. The purchase or improvement of land.

2. The purchase of buildings, furniture, fixtures, machinery, equipment or inventory.

3. Job training costs.

4. Employe relocation costs.

5. Working capital.

(d) If a business that receives a loan under this subsection uses the loan proceeds for employe relocation costs under par. (c) 4., the department shall ensure all of the following:

1. That an employe of the business has the option of accepting or declining any relocation assistance that is available as a result of the loan.

2. That the compensation and benefits terms offered at the new location are at least as favorable as those offered by the business at its previous location.

9,2955p Section 2955p. 560.17 (6m) of the statutes is renumbered 560.17 (6m) (a) and amended to read:

560.17 (6m) (a) In Except as provided in par. (b), in order to receive a grant or loan under this section a person or business shall contribute cash, from a source other than the state, in an amount that equals at least 25% of the total cost of the project.

9,2955q Section 2955q. 560.17 (6m) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

560.17 (6m) (b) The board shall determine whether, and the extent to which, in order to receive a loan under sub. (5r), a business must contribute from a source other than the state a portion of the cost of the project, except that the board may not require a business to contribute more than 20% of the cost of the project. The contribution may be in cash or in kind. The board shall determine what services or materials may be used as in-kind contributions.

9,2955r Section 2955r. 560.17 (7) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.17 (7) (a) Except as provided in par. (am), the department shall designate staff to evaluate applications for grants or loans and assist the board under this section. The board shall act on an application for a grant or loan at its next regularly scheduled meeting after the department determines that the application is complete, except that the board shall act on an application for a loan under sub. (5r) and advise the applicant of its decision within 45 days after the department determines that the application is complete.

9,2956 Section 2956. 560.175 of the statutes is created to read:

560.175 Urban area early planning grants. (1) In this section:

(a) "Early planning project" means the preliminary stages of considering and planning the expansion or start-up of a business that is or will be located in an urban area in this state.

(b) "Urban area" means any of the following:

1. A city, village or town that is located in a county with a population density of at least 150 persons per square mile.

2. A city, village or town with a population of more than 6,000.

(2) Subject to subs. (3) and (6), the department may make a grant from the appropriation under s. 20.143 (1) (c) to a person to fund an early planning project.

(3) The department may not award a grant to a person under this section unless the person submits an application, in a form required by the department, that contains or describes all of the following:

(a) The location of the new or expanding business.

(b) The ownership structure of the new or expanding business.

(d) The market for the product or service described in par. (c).

(e) Competition within the market described in par. (d).

(f) Any competitive advantages of the new or expanding business.

(g) The person's estimate of the gross revenue of the new or expanding business over a period specified by the department.

(h) The process for manufacturing the product, or providing the services, of the new or expanding business.

(i) An estimate of the number of jobs that will be created by the new or expanding business.

(j) The person's experience and training.

(k) The person's estimate of the profit that will be generated by the new or expanding business over a period specified by the department.

(L) The person's estimate of the capital required to complete the early planning project.

(m) Potential sources of financing for the early planning project.

(n) Any other information that the department requests.

(4) A person who receives a grant under this section may use the grant proceeds only for any of the following:

(a) To perform a business feasibility study.

(b) To prepare a detailed marketing plan.

(5) In order to receive a grant under this section a person shall contribute cash, from a source other than the state, in an amount that equals at least 25% of the total cost of the project.

(6) (a) In any fiscal biennium, the department may not award to any one person more than $15,000 in grants under this section.

(b) In any fiscal biennium, the department may not award more than $250,000 in grants under this section.

9,2957 Section 2957. 560.183 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.183 (3) (b) The agreement shall specify that the responsibility of the department to make the payments under the agreement is subject to the availability of funds in the appropriations under s. 20.143 (1) (f), (jc) and, (jm) and (kr).

9,2958 Section 2958. 560.183 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.183 (5) (a) The obligation of the department to make payments under an agreement entered into under sub. (3) (b) is subject to the availability of funds in the appropriations under s. 20.143 (1) (f), (jc) and, (jm) and (kr).

9,2959 Section 2959. 560.183 (5) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.183 (5) (b) (intro.) If the cost of repaying the loans of all eligible applicants, when added to the cost of loan repayments scheduled under existing agreements, exceeds the total amount in the appropriations under s. 20.143 (1) (f), (jc) and, (jm) and (kr), the department shall establish priorities among the eligible applicants based upon the following considerations:

9,2960 Section 2960. 560.183 (8) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.183 (8) Administrative contract. (intro.) From the appropriation under s. 20.143 (1) (f) (kr), the department shall contract with the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System for administrative services from the office of rural health of the department of professional and community development of the University of Wisconsin Medical School. Under the contract, the office of rural health shall do all of the following:

9,2961 Section 2961. 560.184 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.184 (3) (b) The agreement shall specify that the responsibility of the department to make the payments under the agreement is subject to the availability of funds in the appropriations under s. 20.143 (1) (f), (jc) and, (jL) and (kr).

9,2962 Section 2962. 560.184 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.184 (5) (a) The obligation of the department to make payments under an agreement entered into under sub. (3) is subject to the availability of funds in the appropriations under s. 20.143 (1) (f), (jc) and, (jL) and (kr).

9,2963 Section 2963. 560.184 (5) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.184 (5) (b) (intro.) If the cost of repaying the loans of all eligible applicants, when added to the cost of loan repayments scheduled under existing agreements, exceeds the total amount in the appropriations under s. 20.143 (1) (f), (jc) and, (jL) and (kr), the department shall establish priorities among the eligible applicants based upon the following considerations:

9,2964 Section 2964. 560.184 (7) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.184 (7) Administrative contract. (intro.) From the appropriation under s. 20.143 (1) (f) (kr), the department shall contract with the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System for administrative services from the office of rural health of the department of professional and community development of the University of Wisconsin Medical School. Under the contract, the office of rural health shall do all of the following:

9,2965 Section 2965. 560.19 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.19 (title) Hazardous pollution Pollution prevention.

9,2966 Section 2966. 560.19 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.19 (1) In this section, "hazardous pollution prevention" has the meaning given in s. 299.13 (1) (c) (dm).

9,2967 Section 2967. 560.19 (2) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

560.19 (2) (a) 1. Determining the full costs of using and producing hazardous substances, toxic pollutants and solid or hazardous waste.

9,2968 Section 2968. 560.19 (2) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

560.19 (2) (a) 2. Identifying processes that use or produce hazardous substances, toxic pollutants or solid or hazardous waste and the composition of the hazardous substances, toxic pollutants or solid or hazardous waste.

9,2969 Section 2969. 560.19 (2) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

560.19 (2) (a) 3. Identifying hazardous pollution prevention options.

9,2970 Section 2970. 560.19 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

560.19 (2) (b) 1. The need for a hazardous pollution prevention assessment and a program participant's willingness to participate in an assessment.

9,2971 Section 2971. 560.19 (2) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

560.19 (2) (b) 2. The technical and financial ability of a program participant to implement hazardous pollution prevention.

9,2972 Section 2972. 560.19 (2) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

560.19 (2) (b) 3. The potential for others to use the information gained from a hazardous pollution prevention assessment.

9,2973 Section 2973. 560.19 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.19 (3) In coordination with the hazardous pollution prevention program solid and hazardous waste education center under s. 36.25 (30) and the department of natural resources, the department shall conduct an education, environmental management and technical assistance program to promote hazardous pollution prevention among businesses in the state.

9,2974 Section 2974. 560.20 (1) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.20 (1) (f) "Small business" means a for-profit business having fewer than 25 100 full-time employes.

9,2975 Section 2975. 560.20 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.20 (2) (a) The department may provide technical assistance to an individual, small business or nonprofit organization. In addition to or in lieu of the technical assistance provided by the department and subject to par. (e), the department may make a grant to an individual, small business or nonprofit organization from the appropriation under s. 20.143 (1) (en) to partially fund technical assistance provided to the individual, small business or nonprofit organization. Technical assistance or a grant for technical assistance provided under this paragraph shall be for the purpose of developing and planning, at the preliminary stages, the start-up or expansion of a for-profit business that is or will be located in this state.

9,2976 Section 2976. 560.20 (2) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

560.20 (2) (e) If the department makes a grant under par. (a), the department may contract directly with and pay grant proceeds directly to any person providing technical assistance to the individual, small business or nonprofit organization for the purpose specified in par. (a).

9,2977 Section 2977. 560.20 (3) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

560.20 (3) (a) (intro.) The Subject to par. (cm), the department may award funds appropriated under s. 20.143 (1) (en) and (in) to an individual, small business or nonprofit organization for use in connection with the start-up or expansion of a for-profit business if all of the following apply: