AN ACT ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Commerce and economic development
Economic development
This bill creates a biennial appropriation from the recycling fund. Under the bill, the Department of Commerce may award a grant or loan to a business for technology to increase renewable fuel or energy production or for new renewable fuel or energy technology. A grant recipient must provide at least 50 percent of the cost of a project funded by a grant. The bill also requires the Department of Commerce to make grants from the appropriation totaling up to $5,000,000 to a person who plans to construct a cellulosic ethanol plant in the state. The person must submit a plan for the use of the grant proceeds and agree to reporting and auditing requirements. Under the bill, the department may also make grants and loans from the appropriation under current programs that are funded by the Wisconsin development fund.
In addition, the bill creates an annual appropriation from the recycling fund for administering the new renewable fuel and energy grant and loan program and current economic development programs funded by the Wisconsin development fund.
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:
SECTION 1. 20.115 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
20.115 (4) (c) Agricultural investment aids. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for agricultural research and development grants under s. 93.46 (2) and (3) and sustainable agriculture grants under s. 93.47.
SECTION 2. 20.115 (4) (r) of the statutes is repealed.
****NOTE: This SECTION involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.
SECTION 3. 20.143 (1) (tm) of the statutes is created to read:
20.143 (1) (tm) Wisconsin development fund grants and loans; recycling fund. Biennially, from the recycling fund, the amounts in the schedule for grants and loans under ss. 560.126 and 560.61 (1) and for grants under 2007 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), section 9108 (1).
****NOTE: This SECTION involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.
SECTION 4. 20.143 (1) (um) of the statutes is created to read:
20.143 (1) (um) Wisconsin development fund, administration; recycling fund. From the recycling fund, the amounts in the schedule for administering the programs under s. 560.126 and subch. V of ch. 560.
****NOTE: This SECTION involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.
SECTION 5. 26.385 of the statutes is repealed.
SECTION 6. 28.085 of the statutes is amended to read:
28.085 Timber. The department shall allocate for private forest grants under s. 26.38, for forestry research and development grants under s. 26.385, for the forestry education grant program under s. 26.40, for school forest transportation funding under s. 26.39 (5), for transfer to the appropriation under s. 20.292 (1) (km) for master logger apprenticeship grants under s. 38.04 (29), or for forestry internships under s. 26.39.
SECTION 7. 93.46 (3) of the statutes is repealed.
SECTION 8. 560.126 of the statutes is created to read:
560.126 Renewable energy grants and loans. (1) The department may award a grant or loan from the appropriation under s. 20.143 (1) (dg), (ie), or (tm) to a business or researcher to fund the development of new technologies to increase renewable fuel or energy production or to fund the commercialization of new renewable fuel or energy technologies.
(2) A grant under this section may not exceed 50 percent of the costs of an eligible project.
(3) The department may promulgate rules necessary to administer this section, except that the department may not promulgate such rules unless the department has consulted with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, the department of natural resources, and the public service commission.
SECTION 9. 560.607 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
560.607 Miscellaneous and administrative expenditures. (intro.) In each biennium, the department may expend or encumber up to a total of 1% of the moneys appropriated under s. 20.143 (1) (c) and (tm) for that biennium for any of the following:
SECTION 9108. Nonstatutory provisions; Commerce.
(1) GRANT FOR CELLULOSIC ETHANOL PLANT. Notwithstanding section 560.126 of the statutes, as created by this act, the department of commerce shall award grants totaling not more than $5,000,000 from the appropriation under section 20.143 (1) (tm) of the statutes, as created by this act, to a person who plans to construct a cellulosic ethanol plant in this state, if all of the following apply:
(a) The person submits a plan to the department specifying the proposed use of the grant and the secretary of commerce approves the plan.
(b) The department enters into a written agreement with the person that specifies the conditions for the use of the grant, including reporting and auditing requirements.
(c) The person agrees in writing to submit to the department, within 6 months after spending the grant proceeds, a report detailing how the grant proceeds were spent.
(End)
LRB-1452LRB-1452/1
RCT:wlj:jf
2007 - 2008 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Grinde, BB0321 - Transfer from recycling fund
For 2007-09 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
2007 BILL
AN ACT ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Environment
Other environment
This bill transfers $13,000,000 in fiscal year 2007-08 and $20,000,000 in fiscal year 2008-09 from the recycling fund to the general fund.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SECTION 9235. Fiscal changes; Natural Resources.
(1) RECYCLING FUND TRANSFER. There is transferred from the recycling fund to the general fund $13,000,000 in fiscal year 2007-08 and $20,000,000 in fiscal year 2008-09.
(End)
LRB-1453LRB-1453/1
RCT:wlj:jf
2007 - 2008 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Grinde, BB0322 - Increase recycling tipping fee
For 2007-09 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
2007 BILL
AN ACT ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Environment
Other environment
Current law imposes a recycling fee of $3 per ton on solid waste, other than certain kinds of high-volume industrial waste, disposed of at a landfill or other waste disposal facility. This type of fee is often called a tipping fee. The recycling fee is deposited into the recycling fund. This bill increases the recycling fee to $6 per ton.
For further information see the state and local 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:
SECTION 1. 289.645 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
289.645 (3) AMOUNT OF RECYCLING FEE. The fee imposed under this section is $3 $6 per ton for all solid waste other than high-volume industrial waste.
SECTION 9335. Initial applicability; Natural Resources.
(1) RECYCLING TIPPING FEE. The treatment of section 289.645 (3) of the statutes first applies to solid waste disposed of on July 1, 2007.
(End)
LRB-1454LRB-1454/4
RCT:wlj:nwn
2007 - 2008 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Miner, BB0370 - Bonding for contaminated sediment removal
For 2007-09 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
2007 BILL
AN ACT ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Environment
Water quality
Current federal law authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out projects to clean up contaminated sediment in the Great Lakes and tributaries of the Great Lakes. The federal law requires a portion of the funding for a project to be provided from a source other than the federal government.
This bill authorizes DNR to pay a portion of the costs of a project to remove contaminated sediment from Lake Michigan or Lake Superior or a tributary of Lake Michigan or Lake Superior if federal funds are provided for the project by EPA. The bill provides $17,000,000 in bonding authority for this purpose. The principal and interest on the bonds will be repaid from the environmental fund.
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:
SECTION 1. 20.370 (7) (br) of the statutes is created to read:
20.370 (7) (br) Principal repayment and interest -- contaminated sediment. From the environmental fund, a sum sufficient to reimburse s. 20.866 (1) (u) for the principal and interest costs incurred in financing projects to remove contaminated sediment under s. 20.866 (2) (ti), to make the payments determined by the building commission under s. 13.488 (1) (m) that are attributable to the proceeds of obligations incurred in financing those projects, and to make payments under an agreement or ancillary arrangement entered into under s. 18.06 (8) (a).
****NOTE: This is reconciled s. 20.370 (7) (br). This SECTION has been affected by drafts with the following LRB numbers: -1454 and -1621.
****NOTE: This SECTION involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.
SECTION 2. 20.866 (2) (ti) of the statutes is created to read:
20.866 (2) (ti) Natural resources; contaminated sediment removal. From the capital improvement fund, a sum sufficient for the department of natural resources to fund removal of contaminated sediment under s. 281.87. The state may contract public debt in an amount not to exceed $17,000,000 for this purpose.
SECTION 3. 281.87 of the statutes is created to read:
281.87 Great Lakes contaminated sediment removal. The department may expend funds from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ti) to pay a portion of the costs of a project to remove contaminated sediment from Lake Michigan or Lake Superior or a tributary of Lake Michigan or Lake Superior if federal funds are provided for the project under 33 USC 1268 (c) (12).
(End)
LRB-1457LRB-1457/3
PJK&CMH:wlj&lmk:pg
2007 - 2008 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Jablonsky, BB0326 - Procedural terminology codes and detailed explanations for restricting or terminating coverage
AN ACT ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
insurance
Under current law, an insurer may not restrict or terminate coverage for chiropractic treatment under a health insurance policy that covers chiropractic treatment except on the basis of an examination or evaluation by, or the recommendation of, a chiropractor or a peer review committee (independent evaluation). If, on the basis of an independent evaluation, the insurer restricts or terminates a patient's coverage for chiropractic treatment and the patient then becomes liable for payment of the treatment, the insurer must provide to the patient and the treating chiropractor a written statement that includes, among other things, a reasonable explanation of the factual basis for the restriction or termination of coverage. Under this bill, the written statement must provide a detailed, rather than merely reasonable, explanation of the clinical rationale, rather than the factual basis, for the restriction or termination of coverage. The bill also provides that, if an insurer restricts or terminates an insured's coverage for treatment, not limited to chiropractic treatment, and as a result the insured becomes liable for all of the cost of the treatment, the insurer must provide on the explanation of benefits form a detailed explanation of the clinical rationale and the basis in the policy or applicable law for the restriction or termination of coverage.
Current law does not regulate the use of current procedural terminology codes (numbers on a health insurance claim form that indicate the services that a health care provider performed). This bill requires an insurer who changes the current procedural terminology code that the health care provider put on the health insurance claim form to include on the explanation of benefits form the reason for the change and to cite the source for the change.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. 632.726 of the statutes is created to read:
632.726 Current procedural terminology code changes. (1) In this section, "current procedural terminology code" means a number established by the American Medical Association that a health care provider puts on a health insurance claim form to describe the services that he or she performed.
(2) If an insurer changes a current procedural terminology code that was submitted by a health care provider on a health insurance claim form, the insurer shall include on the explanation of benefits form the reason for the change to the current procedural terminology code and shall cite on the explanation of benefits form the source for the change.
