2003 Wisconsin Act 33

33,1057d Section 1057d. 44.71 (2) (d) of the statutes is renumbered 16.993 (4) and amended to read:

16.993 (4) In cooperation with the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System, the technical college system board, the department of public instruction and other entities, support the development of courses for the instruction of professional employees who are licensed by the state superintendent of public instruction concerning the effective use of educational technology .

33,1058d Section 1058d. 44.71 (2) (e) of the statutes is renumbered 16.993 (5) and amended to read:

16.993 (5) Subject to s. 44.73 (5), in cooperation with the department, provide Provide telecommunications access to educational agencies under the program established under s. 44.73 16.997.

33,1059d Section 1059d. 44.71 (2) (f) of the statutes is renumbered 16.993 (6) and amended to read:

16.993 (6) No later than October 1 of each even-numbered year, submit a biennial report concerning the board's department's activities under this subchapter to the governor, and to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3).

33,1060d Section 1060d. 44.71 (2) (g) of the statutes is renumbered 16.993 (7) and amended to read:

16.993 (7) Coordinate the purchasing of Purchase educational technology materials, supplies, equipment, and contractual services for school districts, cooperative educational service agencies, technical college districts, and the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System by the department under s. 16.72 (8), and, in cooperation with the department and subject to the approval of the department of electronic government, establish standards and specifications for purchases of educational technology hardware and software by school districts, cooperative educational service agencies, technical college districts, and the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

33,1061d Section 1061d. 44.71 (2) (h) of the statutes is renumbered 16.993 (8) and amended to read:

16.993 (8) With the approval of the department of electronic government, purchase Purchase educational technology equipment for use by school districts, cooperative educational service agencies, and public educational institutions in this state and permit the districts, agencies, and institutions to purchase or lease the equipment, with an option to purchase the equipment at a later date. This paragraph subsection does not require the purchase or lease of any educational technology equipment from the board department.

33,1062d Section 1062d. 44.71 (2) (i) of the statutes is renumbered 16.993 (9).

33,1063 Section 1063. 44.71 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

33,1064 Section 1064. 44.72 (title) of the statutes is repealed.

33,1065 Section 1065. 44.72 (1) of the statutes is repealed.

33,1066 Section 1066. 44.72 (2) of the statutes is repealed.

33,1067 Section 1067. 44.72 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

33,1068d Section 1068d. 44.72 (4) (title) of the statutes is renumbered 16.995 (title).

33,1069d Section 1069d. 44.72 (4) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 16.995 (1) and amended to read:

16.995 (1) Financial assistance authorized. The board department may provide financial assistance under this subsection section to school districts and charter school sponsors from the proceeds of public debt contracted under s. 20.866 (2) (zc) and to public library boards from the proceeds of public debt contracted under s. 20.866 (2) (zcm). Financial assistance under this subsection section may be used only for the purpose of upgrading the electrical wiring of school and library buildings in existence on October 14, 1997, and installing and upgrading computer network wiring. The department may not provide any financial assistance under this section after the effective date of this subsection .... [revisor inserts date].

33,1070d Section 1070d. 44.72 (4) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 16.995 (2) and amended to read:

16.995 (2) Financial assistance applications, terms, and conditions. The board department shall establish application procedures for, and the terms and conditions of, financial assistance under this subsection, including a condition requiring a charter school sponsor to use financial assistance under this subsection for wiring upgrading and installation that benefits pupils attending the charter school section. The board department shall make a loan to a school district, charter school sponsor, or public library board, or to a municipality on behalf of a public library board, in an amount equal to 50% of the total amount of financial assistance for which the board department determines the school district or public library board is eligible and provide a grant to the school district or public library board for the remainder of the total. The terms and conditions of any financial assistance under this subsection section may include the provision of professional building construction services under s. 16.85 (15). The board department shall determine the interest rate on loans under this subsection section. The interest rate shall be as low as possible but shall be sufficient to fully pay all interest expenses incurred by the state in making the loans and to provide reserves that are reasonably expected to be required in the judgment of the board department to ensure against losses arising from delinquency and default in the repayment of the loans. The term of a loan under this subsection section may not exceed 10 years.

33,1071d Section 1071d. 44.72 (4) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 16.995 (3) and amended to read:

16.995 (3) Repayment of loans. The board department shall credit all moneys received from school districts and charter school sponsors for repayment of loans under this subsection section to the appropriation account under s. 20.275 (1) (h) 20.505 (4) (ha). The board department shall credit all moneys received from public library boards or from municipalities on behalf of public library boards for repayment of loans under this subsection section to the appropriation account under s. 20.275 (1) 20.505 (4) (hb).

33,1072d Section 1072d. 44.72 (4) (d) of the statutes is renumbered 16.995 (4) and amended to read:

16.995 (4) Funding for financial assistance. The board, with the approval of the governor and department, subject to the limits of s. 20.866 (2) (zc) and (zcm), may request that the building commission contract public debt in accordance with ch. 18 to fund financial assistance under this subsection section.

33,1073d Section 1073d. 44.73 (title) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (title).

33,1074d Section 1074d. 44.73 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (1) and amended to read:

16.997 (1) Except as provided in s. 196.218 (4t), the board, in consultation with the department and subject to the approval of the department of electronic government, department shall promulgate rules establishing an educational telecommunications access program to provide educational agencies with access to data lines and video links.

33,1075d Section 1075d. 44.73 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (2) (intro.).

33,1076d Section 1076d. 44.73 (2) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (2) (a) and amended to read:

16.997 (2) (a) Allow an educational agency to make a request to the board department for access to either one data line or one video link, except that any educational agency may request access to additional data lines if the agency shows to the satisfaction of the board department that the additional data lines are more cost-effective than a single data line and except that a school district that operates more than one high school or a public library board that operates more than one library facility may request access to both a data line and a video link and access to more than one data line or video link.

33,1077d Section 1077d. 44.73 (2) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (2) (b).

33,1078d Section 1078d. 44.73 (2) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (2) (c).

33,1079d Section 1079d. 44.73 (2) (d) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (2) (d).

33,1080d Section 1080d. 44.73 (2) (e) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (2) (e).

33,1081d Section 1081d. 44.73 (2) (f) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (2) (f).

33,1082d Section 1082d. 44.73 (2g) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (2g).

33,1083d Section 1083d. 44.73 (2r) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (2r), and 16.997 (2r) (c), as renumbered, is amended to read:

16.997 (2r) (c) A public library board shall provide the technology for educational achievement in Wisconsin board department with written notice within 30 days after entering into or modifying a shared service agreement under par. (a).

33,1084d Section 1084d. 44.73 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (3) and amended to read:

16.997 (3) The board shall submit an annual report to the department shall prepare an annual report on the status of providing data lines and video links that are requested under sub. (2) (a) and the impact on the universal service fund of any payment under contracts under s. 16.974.

33,1085d Section 1085d. 44.73 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (4).

33,1086 Section 1086. 44.73 (5) of the statutes is repealed.

33,1087d Section 1087d. 44.73 (6) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (6) (a) and amended to read:

16.997 (6) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.275 (1) 20.505 (4) (s) or (tm), the board department may award an annual grant to a school district or private school that had in effect on October 14, 1997, a contract for access to a data line or video link, as documented by the board department. The board department shall determine the amount of the grant, which shall be equal to the cost incurred by the state to provide telecommunications access to a school district or private school under a contract entered into under s. 16.974 (1) or (3) less the amount that the school district or private school would be paying under sub. (2) (d) if the school district or private school were participating in the program established under sub. (1), except that the amount may not be greater than the cost that a school district or private school incurs under the contract in effect on October 14, 1997. A school district or private school receiving a grant under this subsection is not eligible to participate in the program under sub. (1). No grant may be awarded under this subsection after December 31, 2005.

33,1088d Section 1088d. 44.73 (6) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 16.997 (6) (b) and amended to read:

16.997 (6) (b) Notwithstanding par. (a), the board department may award a school district that operates more than one high school and that had in effect on October 14, 1997, a contract for access to more than one data line or video link an annual grant for each data line or video link serving each high school covered by that contract.

33,1088m Section 1088m. 45.25 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.25 (title) Veterans' tuition and fee reimbursement program.

33,1088p Section 1088p. 45.25 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 45.25 (1m) and amended to read:

45.25 (1m) Administration. The department shall administer a tuition and fee reimbursement program for eligible veterans enrolling as undergraduates in any institution of higher education, as defined in s. 45.396 (1) (a), in this state, enrolling in a school that is approved under s. 45.35 (9m), enrolling in a proprietary school that is approved under s. 45.54, or receiving a waiver of nonresident tuition under s. 39.47.

33,1088r Section 1088r. 45.25 (1g) of the statutes is created to read:

45.25 (1g) Definition. In this section, "tuition," when referring to the University of Wisconsin System, means "academic fees," as described in s. 36.27 (1), and when referring to the technical colleges, means "program fees," as described in s. 38.24 (1m) (a) and (b).

33,1088t Section 1088t. 45.25 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.25 (2) Eligibility. (intro.) An individual is eligible for the tuition and fee reimbursement program if he or she meets all of the following criteria:

33,1089 Section 1089. 45.25 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.25 (2) (c) The individual applies for the tuition and fee reimbursement program for courses completed begun within 10 years after separation from the service.

33,1089c Section 1089c. 45.25 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.25 (2) (d) The individual is a resident at the time of application for the tuition and fee reimbursement program and was a Wisconsin resident at the time of entry or reentry into service or was a resident for any consecutive 12-month period after entry or reentry into service and before the date of his or her application. If a person applying for a benefit under this section meets the residency requirement of 12 consecutive months, the department may not require the person to reestablish that he or she meets that residency requirement when he or she later applies for any other benefit under this chapter that requires that residency.

33,1089e Section 1089e. 45.25 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.25 (3) (a) Except as provided in par. (am), an individual who meets the requirements under sub. (2), upon satisfactory completion of a full-time undergraduate semester in any institution of higher education, as defined in s. 45.396 (1) (a), in this state, any school that is approved under s. 45.35 (9m), any proprietary school that is approved under s. 45.54, or any institution from which the individual receives a waiver of nonresident tuition under s. 39.47, may be reimbursed an amount not to exceed the total cost of the individual's tuition and fees minus any grants or scholarships, including those made under s. 21.49, that the individual receives specifically for the payment of the tuition or fees, or 85% of the standard cost of tuition for a state resident for an equivalent undergraduate course semester at the University of Wisconsin-Madison per course, whichever is less. Reimbursement is available only for tuition and fees that are is part of a curriculum that is relevant to a degree in a particular course of study at the institution.

33,1089g Section 1089g. 45.25 (3) (am) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

45.25 (3) (am) Any individual who is eligible to receive reimbursement under par. (a) and received reimbursement under par. (a) or s. 45.25 (3) (am), 2001 stats., before the effective date of this paragraph .... [revisor inserts date], shall be reimbursed an amount not to exceed the amount determined under par. (a) or the amount determined under s. 45.25 (3) (a) or (am), 2001 stats., whichever is greater.

33,1089j Section 1089j. 45.25 (3) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.25 (3) (b) (intro.) An application for reimbursement of tuition and fees under par. (a) or (am) shall meet all of the following requirements:

33,1089m Section 1089m. 45.35 (14) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.35 (14) (h) To provide grants to the governing bodies of federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (km) (vz) 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. 45.43 (5), except that the veteran shall report to the governing body of the tribe or band. The department may make annual grants of up to $2,500 under this paragraph and shall promulgate rules to implement this paragraph.

33,1090 Section 1090. 45.365 (7) of the statutes is created to read:

45.365 (7) The department may develop a program to provide stipends to individuals to attend school and receive the necessary credentials to become employed at the home or the southeastern facility. If the department does develop a stipend program under this subsection, the department shall promulgate administrative rules related to the program, including the application process, eligibility criteria, stipend amount, repayment provisions, and other provisions that the department determines are necessary to administer the program.

33,1091 Section 1091. 45.37 (11) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.37 (11) Disposition of property descending to state. If a member dies without a relative that is entitled to an interest in the property of the member under the rules of intestate succession and without leaving a will the existence of which is made known to the commandant of the home within 60 days of the member's death, the member's property shall be converted to cash and turned over by the commandant of the home to the state treasurer secretary of administration to be paid into the appropriation under s. 20.485 (1) (h), without administration. The amount is subject to refund within 6 years to the estate of a veteran if it is subsequently discovered that the veteran left a will or a relative that is entitled to an interest in the property of the member under the rules of intestate succession or to any creditor of the veteran who establishes right to the fund or property or any portion thereof. The department, upon being satisfied that a claim out of such funds or property is legal and valid, shall pay the same out of such funds or property, except that payment of claims for a member's funeral and burial expenses may not exceed a total of $1,500 including any amount allowed by the United States for the member's funeral and burial and the right for burial and interment provided in sub. (15) (a).

33,1092 Section 1092. 45.37 (15) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.37 (15) (c) Expenses incident to the burial at the home of a member shall be paid from the estate of the decedent, except that if there is no estate or the estate is insufficient, the expense of burial, or necessary part thereof, shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (1) (gk) and the amount expended therefor shall not exceed the amount established for funeral and burial expenses under s. 49.30 49.785 (1) (b).

33,1092g Section 1092g. 45.396 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

45.396 (1) (c) "Tuition" has the meaning given in s. 45.25 (1g).

33,1092m Section 1092m. 45.396 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.396 (4) Enrolled part-time classroom study or direct correspondence courses from a qualified educational institution may be authorized and the veteran reimbursed in part by the department when such courses are related to one's occupational, professional or employment objectives, and to the extent that payment or reimbursement is not available from any other sources, or, in cases where reimbursement is not specifically for fees and tuition, to the extent that such reimbursement is insufficient to cover all educational costs.

33,1092p Section 1092p. 45.396 (5) of the statutes is renumbered 45.396 (5) (a) and amended to read:

45.396 (5) (a) Except as provided in sub. (9) par. (b), the amount of the reimbursement may not exceed 85% of the total cost of the individual's tuition and fees or 85% of the standard cost for a state resident for tuition and fees for an equivalent undergraduate course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison per course, whichever is less, and may not be provided to an individual more than 4 times during any consecutive 12-month period.

33,1092q Section 1092q. 45.396 (5) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

45.396 (5) (b) Any individual who is eligible to receive reimbursement under par. (a) and received reimbursement under par. (a) before the effective date of this paragraph .... [revisor inserts date], shall be reimbursed an amount not to exceed the amount determined under par. (a) or the amount determined under s. 45.396 (5) (a) , 2001 stats., whichever is greater.

33,1092r Section 1092r. 45.396 (9) of the statutes is repealed.

33,1093 Section 1093. 45.43 (7) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.43 (7) (b) The department shall award a grant annually to a county that meets the standards developed under this subsection and employs a county veterans' service officer who, if chosen after August 9, 1989, 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 division of merit recruitment and selection in the department of employment relations office of state human resources management, or is appointed under a civil service competitive examination procedure under ch. 63 or s. 59.52 (8). The 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 shall use the most recent Wisconsin official population estimates prepared by the demographic services center when making grants under this paragraph.

33,1094 Section 1094. 45.54 (10) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

45.54 (10) (a) Authority. All proprietary schools shall be examined and approved by the board before operating in this state. Approval shall be granted to schools meeting the criteria established by the board for a period not to exceed one year. No school may advertise in this state unless approved by the board. All approved schools shall submit quarterly reports, including information on enrollment, number of teachers and their qualifications, course offerings, number of graduates, number of graduates successfully employed, and such other information as the board deems necessary. If a school closure results in losses to students, parents, or sponsors, the board may authorize the full or partial payment of those losses from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (5) (gm).

33,1095 Section 1095. 45.54 (10) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:

45.54 (10) (c) 4. Specify a student protection fee.

33,1095m Section 1095m. 45.54 (10) (cm) of the statutes is created to read: