LRB-4166/1
CTS:kjf:pg
2005 - 2006 LEGISLATURE
March 9, 2006 - Introduced by Senators Robson, Wirch, Breske and Jauch,
cosponsored by Representatives
Sheridan, Benedict, Fields, Davis, Boyle,
Towns, Berceau and
Sherman. Referred to Committee on Veterans,
Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government
Reform.
SB664,1,5
1An Act to renumber and amend 560.075 (1);
to amend 20.143 (1) (gm); and
2to create 20.143 (1) (cs), 560.075 (1) (a) and 560.141 of the statutes;
relating
3to: grants to border counties, to businesses in border counties, and to
4municipalities in border counties, granting rule-making authority, and making
5appropriations.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a Border Incentive Grant Program (program) administered by
the Department of Commerce (department), under which the department is
authorized to make two types of grants.
First, under the bill, the department may award a grant to a business in a
county on the border with another state (border county) if both of the following apply:
1) the business will begin or expand operations in a border county or relocate to a
border county from another state; and 2) the business will create at least 100
full-time jobs with an average wage equal to at least 200 percent of the federal
poverty line and that result in a significant capital investment in a municipality
located in a border county.
The bill provides that a business may use the proceeds of a grant for working
capital, except overhead costs; for fixed asset financing; or for labor training costs
(eligible costs). In making grants to businesses, the bill directs the department to
consider a number of factors, including whether the project is not likely to occur in
this state without a grant under the program.
Second, under the bill, the department may award a grant to a border county,
municipality in a border county (border municipality), or entity involved in
administering regional economic development funds (regional development
administrator) for reimbursing a business for eligible costs of a project that will
create at least 25 jobs in a border county or border municipality that is economically
distressed. The bill specifies certain criteria for determining whether a border
county or border municipality is distressed, including high unemployment levels or
a median income below the statewide average.
Under the bill, a border county, border municipality, or regional development
administrator that receives a grant may, after a competitive award process, award
the proceeds of a grant to a business for a project in a border county or border
municipality if the project is likely to occur in another state without grant funding.
The bill specifies that a business that receives the first type of grant or the
proceeds of the second type of grant must agree to contribute at least 25 percent of
the cost of the project, spend the grant or grant proceeds in this state, and repay the
full amount of a grant or grant proceeds if within five years the business ceases
operations in the location of the project. Also under the bill, in the first 18 months
of a biennium, the amount of a grant or grant proceeds received by a business, border
county, border municipality, or regional development administrator may not exceed
50 percent of the amounts appropriated for grants in the biennium.
The bill appropriates $2,500,000 in general purpose revenues for grants under
the program in fiscal year 2006-07.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB664, s. 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](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/assets/image/file_acrobat.gif)
SB664, s. 2
3Section
2. 20.143 (1) (cs) of the statutes is created to read:
SB664,2,54
20.143
(1) (cs)
Border incentive grant program. Biennially, the amounts in the
5schedule for border incentive grants under s. 560.141.
SB664, s. 3
6Section
3. 20.143 (1) (gm) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB664,3,5
120.143
(1) (gm)
Wisconsin development fund and border incentive grant
2program, administration of grants and loans. All moneys received from origination
3fees under s. 560.68 (3) for administering the programs under subch. V of ch. 560 and
4for the costs of underwriting grants and loans awarded under subch. V of ch. 560
, and
5all moneys received from origination fees under s. 560.141 (4) (b).
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560.075
(1) In this section
, "tax
:
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9(b) "Tax benefits" means the credits under ss. 71.07 (2dd), (2de), (2di), (2dj),
10(2dL), (2dm), (2dr), (2ds), (2dx), (3g), and (3t), 71.28 (1dd), (1de), (1di), (1dj), (1dL),
11(1dm), (1ds), (1dx), (3g), and (3t), and 71.47 (1dd), (1de), (1di), (1dj), (1dL), (1dm),
12(1ds), (1dx), (3g), and (3t).
SB664, s. 5
13Section
5. 560.075 (1) (a) of the statutes is created to read:
SB664,3,1514
560.075
(1) (a) "Grant" includes an award of grant proceeds under s. 560.141
15(3) (b).
SB664, s. 6
16Section
6. 560.141 of the statutes is created to read:
SB664,3,17
17560.141 Border incentive grant program.
(1) Definitions. In this section:
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(a) "Border county" means a county that is located on the geographic border
19between this state and another state.
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(b) "Border municipality" means a city, village, or town located in a border
21county.
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(c) "Business" means a private business that is operated for profit.
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(d) "Eligible costs" means any of the following:
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1. Working capital, except overhead costs.
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2. Fixed asset financing.
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13. Labor training costs.
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(e) "Poverty line" has the meaning given in s. 49.001 (5).
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(f) "Regional development administrator" means an entity that is involved in
4administering regional economic development funds and that represents a
5geographic area that includes a border county or border municipality.
SB664,4,9
6(2) Grants to businesses. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.143 (1) (cs),
7the department may award a grant to a business in a border county for reimbursing
8eligible costs of a project, if the business will create not less than 100 full-time jobs
9and any of the following apply:
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1. The jobs have an average wage of not less than 200 percent of the poverty
11line.
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2. The jobs result in a significant capital investment in a border municipality.
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(b) A business is eligible for a grant under this subsection if the business will
14begin or expand operations in a border county or relocate to a border county from
15another state.
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(c) In determining whether to award a grant under this subsection, the
17department shall consider all of the following:
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1. Whether the project is not likely to occur in this state without a grant under
19this subsection.
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2. Whether the project serves a public purpose.
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3. Whether the project will lead to a significant capital investment or will
22contribute to the economic growth and well-being of the community where the
23project is located.
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4. Whether the project will create new jobs.
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5. Whether the project will displace workers in this state.
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16. Whether the business is financially sound.
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7. Whether the business intends to provide benefits to its employees.
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8. The anticipated wages the business will offer to its employees.
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4(3) Grants to border counties, border municipalities, and regional
5development administrators. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.143 (1) (cs),
6the department may award a grant to a border county, border municipality, or
7regional development administrator for reimbursing a business for eligible costs of
8a project that will create not less than 25 jobs, if the project is located in a distressed
9border county or in a distressed border municipality. For purposes of this paragraph,
10a border county or border municipality is distressed if any of the following apply:
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1. The county or municipality has high levels of unemployment.
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2. The median income for a family of 4 in the county or municipality is below
13the statewide average.
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3. Any 2 of the following are true:
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a. The percentage of residents of the county or municipality who are living in
16poverty is higher than the statewide average.
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b. Property values in the county or municipality have declined significantly in
18the 3-year period immediately preceding the application for a grant under this
19section.
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c. A significant number of workers in the county or municipality have been
21permanently laid off by their employers or public notice has been given of a plant
22closing or a substantial reduction in force that will result in a significant number of
23workers in the county or municipality being permanently laid off.
SB664,6,3
1(b) A recipient of a grant under this subsection may distribute the proceeds of
2the grant only after a competitive award process and only to a business for a project
3to which all of the following apply:
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1. The project will occur in a distressed border county or border municipality.
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2. Without funding from the recipient of a grant under this subsection, the
6project is likely to occur in another state that borders this state.
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(c) In distributing the proceeds of a grant under this subsection, a recipient of
8a grant shall consider the factors specified in sub. (2) (c) 2. to 8.
SB664,6,11
9(4) Limitations. (a) A business may not receive a grant under sub. (2) or an
10award under sub. (3) (b) unless the business enters into an agreement with the
11department under which the business agrees to do all of the following:
SB664,6,1312
1. Contribute matching funds of not less than 25 percent of the total cost of the
13project and identify the source of the matching funds.
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2. Spend the proceeds of a grant under sub. (2) or an award under sub. (3) (b)
15in this state.
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(b) The amount of grants and grant proceeds awarded to a business, border
17county, border municipality, or regional development administrator in the first 18
18months of a biennium may not exceed 50 percent of the amounts in the schedule for
19that biennium for the appropriation under s. 20.143 (1) (cs).
SB664,6,21
20(5) Administration. (a) The department shall promulgate rules establishing
21all of the following:
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1. Standards and procedures for grant applications.