5. The department may not provide reimbursement under this subsection for any semester for which the veteran received reimbursement under s. 45.20.
6. The department may not provide reimbursement under this subsection for any semester in which the veteran fails to receive at least a 2.0 grade point average or an average grade of "C."
7. The department shall reduce the reimbursement amount under par. (c) by the amount of any grant or scholarship the veteran receives specifically for the payment of college tuition.
(3) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this section.
20,774k
Section 774k. 45.41 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.41 (2) (intro.) Upon application the department shall may make a payment to any state veterans organization that establishes that it, or its national organization, or both, has maintained a full-time service office at the regional office for 5 consecutive years out of the 10-year period immediately preceding the application. The
Any payment shall be as follows, calculated based on the total amount of all salaries and travel expenses under sub. (3) paid during the previous fiscal year by the state veterans organization to employees engaged in veterans claims service and stationed at the regional office. The payment shall be as follows:
20,775
Section
775. 45.41 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.41 (2) (a) If the total amount paid under sub. (3) is from $1 to $2,499 $119,999, the organization shall may receive an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount paid.
20,776
Section
776. 45.41 (2) (b) of the statutes is repealed.
20,777
Section
777. 45.41 (2) (c) of the statutes is repealed.
20,778
Section
778. 45.41 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.41 (2) (d) If the total amount paid under sub. (3) is $120,000 or more, the organization shall may receive $30,000 $70,000.
20,779
Section
779. 45.41 (2) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
45.41 (2) (e) An organization that receives a payment under par. (a) or (d) shall maintain records as required by the department concerning the organization's expenditure of the payment. That organization shall give the department access to those records upon request of the department, and the department may audit those records.
20,780
Section
780. 45.41 (3m) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.41 (3m) If the total amount of payments committed to be paid under sub. (2) (a) to (c) and (d) exceeds the amount available for the payments from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (vw), the department shall prorate the reimbursement payments among the state veterans organizations receiving the payments.
20,781
Section
781. 45.41 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 45.41 (4) (a) and amended to read:
45.41 (4) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (s), the department shall annually provide a payment of $100,000 $120,000 to the Wisconsin department of the Disabled American Veterans for the provision of transportation services to veterans.
20,782
Section
782. 45.41 (4) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
45.41 (4) (b) The Wisconsin department of the Disabled American Veterans shall maintain records as required by the department concerning its expenditure of the payment under par. (a). The Wisconsin department of the Disabled American Veterans shall give the department access to those records upon request of the department and the department may audit those records to ensure that the Wisconsin department of the Disabled American Veterans is using the payment under par. (a) to provide transportation services to veterans.
20,783
Section
783. 45.41 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
45.41 (5) From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (vw), the department may annually grant up to $50,000 to the Wisconsin department of the American Legion for the operation of Camp American Legion.
20,784
Section
784. 45.43 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.43 (1) The department shall administer a program to provide assistance to persons who served in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces and who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. The department shall provide assistance under this section to persons whose need for services is based upon homelessness, incarceration, or other circumstances designated by the department by rule. The eligibility requirements under s. 45.02 (2) do not apply to a person applying for assistance under this section. The department shall designate the assistance available under this section, which may include assistance in receiving medical care, dental care, education, employment, single room occupancy housing, and transitional housing. The department may provide payments to facilitate the provision of services under this section. From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (ac), the department shall provide $15,000 annually during fiscal years 2007-08 and 2008-09 to the Center for Veterans Issues, Ltd., of Milwaukee, to provide outreach services to homeless veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
20,785
Section
785. 45.43 (3) of the statutes is repealed.
20,786
Section
786. 45.44 (1) (a) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
45.44 (1) (a) 5. A license, certification, registration, or permit issued under s. 94.10 (2), (3), or (3g), 94.50 (2), 94.704, 95.60, 97.17 (2), 97.175 (2), 97.22 (2), 98.145, 98.146, or 98.18 (1) (a), or 168.23 (3).
20,787
Section
787. 45.44 (1) (a) 11m. of the statutes is created to read:
45.44 (1) (a) 11m. A registration issued under s. 202.13 or 202.14.
20,788
Section
788. 45.45 of the statutes is created to read:
45.45 Grant to VETransfer, Inc. (1) Payment. From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (vm), the department shall pay $500,000 to VETransfer, Inc., in fiscal year 2013-14, subject to the requirements under subs. (2) to (5).
(2) Grants to veteran-owned start-up businesses. Of the moneys VETransfer, Inc., receives under sub. (1), VETransfer, Inc., shall grant at least $300,000 to veterans who are residents of this state or to businesses owned by veterans who are residents of this state. A veteran or a veteran's business that is awarded a grant under this subsection may use the grant only to pay for costs associated with the start-up of a business located in this state that the veteran owns.
(3) Veteran entrepreneurship training. Of the moneys VETransfer, Inc., receives under sub. (1), VETransfer, Inc., may use up to $200,000 to provide entrepreneurial training and related services to veterans who are residents of this state.
(4) Reporting and audit requirements. Annually, by March 1, until 2018 or one year following the date established by the department under sub. (5) (a), VETransfer, Inc., shall submit to the secretary, the governor, and the secretary of administration a report that includes all of the following:
(a) The most recent financial statement for VETransfer, Inc.
(b) A detailed description of the criteria VETransfer, Inc., used to determine who received a grant under sub. (2) during the previous year.
(c) A verified statement describing in detail the grants VETransfer, Inc., made under sub. (2), and the expenditures VETransfer, Inc., made under sub. (3), during the previous year, signed by an independent certified public accountant and the director or principal officer of VETransfer, Inc., to attest to the accuracy of the verified statement. The verified statement shall include all of the following concerning each award of a grant VETransfer, Inc., made under sub. (2) during the previous year:
1. The name and address of the grant recipient and the name and address of the start-up business.
2. The names and addresses of all of the start-up business's owners, including an identification of the business's owners who are veterans, and, if the grant recipient was a business other than the start-up business, the names and addresses of the grant recipient's owners, including an identification of the business's owners who are veterans.
3. The names and addresses of the start-up business's board of directors and key management employees and, if the grant recipient was a business other than the start-up business, the names and addresses of the grant recipient's board of directors and key management employees.
4. A description of the nature of the start-up business.
5. Any information the grant recipient submitted to VETransfer, Inc., to apply for the grant.
6. The amount of the grant and the date VETransfer, Inc., awarded the grant.
7. A statement of the number of employees the start-up business employed on January 1 of the previous year and the number of employees the start-up business employed on December 31 of the previous year.
(d) A summary of all investments and grants of any kind that VETransfer, Inc., made during the previous year.
(e) VETransfer, Inc., shall maintain records, as required by the department, concerning its expenditures of the moneys it receives under sub. (1). VETransfer, Inc., shall give the department access to those records upon request of the department, and the department may audit those records to ensure compliance with the requirements under this section.
(5) Sunset. (a) Except as provided under par. (b), VETransfer, Inc., may not expend any moneys it receives under sub. (1) after June 30, 2017, or a later date established by the department.
(b) VETransfer, Inc., shall pay to the secretary of administration for deposit in the general fund any moneys it receives under sub. (1) but does not expend by June 30, 2017, or by a later date established by the department under par. (a).
20,790
Section
790. 45.50 (11) of the statutes is created to read:
45.50 (11) Medical assistance assessment exemption. A Wisconsin veterans home is exempt from paying any assessment imposed on the licensed beds in the home under s. 50.14 (2) (am).
20,791
Section
791. 45.51 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is repealed.
20,792
Section
792. 45.51 (2) (b) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
45.51 (2) (b) 5. Has care needs that the veterans home is able to provide within the resources allocated for the care of members of the veterans home, including chronic alcoholism, drug addiction, psychosis, or active tuberculosis.
20,793
Section
793. 45.51 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 45.51 (3) (a) 2.
20,794
Section
794. 45.51 (3) (a) 1. of the statutes is created to read:
45.51
(3) (a) 1. In this paragraph, "physical care" includes skilled rehabilitation services following a hospital stay that meets the qualifications under
42 CFR 409.30.
20,794m
Section 794m. 45.51 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.51 (3) (b) Spouses, surviving spouses, and parents derive their eligibility from the eligibility of the person under sub. (2) (a) 1. or 2. Surviving spouses and parents of eligible persons under sub. (2) (a) 1. or 2. shall not be eligible for admission to the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove or, the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, or the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls unless a home's overall occupancy level is below an optimal level as determined by the board.
20,795
Section
795. 45.51 (3) (c) 1. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.51 (3) (c) 1. (intro.) The categories for the order of priority for admission to a veterans home shall be as follows:
20,796
Section
796. 45.51 (3) (c) 1m. of the statutes is created to read:
45.51 (3) (c) 1m. Within each category specified in subd. 1., the following order of priority shall apply:
a. A person who is a resident of the state on the date of application for membership in a veterans home and who has been residing continuously in the state for a period of more than 6 months immediately preceding the date of application for membership has first priority for admission.
b. A person who is a resident of the state on the date of application for membership in a veterans home and who has been residing continuously in the state for a period of 6 months or less immediately preceding the date of application for membership has 2nd priority for admission.
c. A person who is not a resident of the state on the date of application for membership in a veterans home has 3rd priority for admission.
20,797
Section
797. 45.51 (5) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.51 (5) Additional eligibility requirements of a surviving spouse. (intro.) The surviving spouse of a person under sub. (2) (a) 1. or 2. who was a resident of this state at the time of the veteran's death is eligible if the surviving spouse meets the requirements of sub. (2) (b) 3. to 5. and if the surviving spouse satisfies all of the following conditions:
20,798
Section
798. 45.51 (5) (f) of the statutes is repealed.
20,799
Section
799. 45.51 (6) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.51 (6) Additional eligibility requirements of parents. (intro.) The parent of a person under sub. (2) (a) 1. or 2. who was a resident of this state at the time of the person's death or, the parent of a living person under sub. (2) (a) 1. or 2. who is eligible for membership, or the parent of a person who died while in the service is eligible if the parent meets the requirements of sub. (2) (b) 3. to 5. and if the parent satisfies all of the following conditions:
20,800
Section
800. 45.51 (6) (b) of the statutes is repealed.
20,801
Section
801. 45.51 (6m) of the statutes is created to read:
45.51 (6m) Residency. In order to be eligible for benefits under this subchapter, a person specified under sub. (2) (a) 1., 2., or 3. does not have to be a resident of this state on the date of application for membership.
20,801f
Section 801f. 45.57 of the statutes is created to read:
45.57 Veterans homes; transfer of funding. (1)
On June 30 of each fiscal year, the department may transfer all or part of the unencumbered balance of any of the appropriations under s. 20.485 (1) (g), (gd), (gk), or (i) to the veterans trust fund or to the veterans mortgage loan repayment fund.
(2) The department may not transfer money under this section unless it first notifies the joint committee on finance in writing of the proposal. If the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the department within 14 working days after the date of the department's notification that the committee has scheduled a meeting to review the proposal, the department may transfer the money. If, within 14 working days after the date of the notification by the department, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the department that the committee has scheduled a meeting to review the proposal, the department may transfer the money only upon approval of the committee. A proposal as submitted by the department is approved unless a majority of the members of the committee who attend the meeting to review the proposal vote to modify or deny the proposal.
20,802m
Section 802m. 45.60 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.60 (2) Stipends. From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (dm) (sm), the department shall reimburse a local unit of a member organization of the council on veterans programs or a local unit of a veterans organization certified by the department to provide military funeral honors for the costs of providing military funeral honors in this state to a person described in sub. (1). The reimbursement may not exceed $50 for each funeral for which military honors are provided.
20,803
Section
803. 45.61 (2) (f) of the statutes is created to read:
45.61 (2) (f) A person who is a member of a veterans home under s. 45.50.
20,805
Section
805. 45.61 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 45.61 (4) (a).
20,806
Section
806. 45.61 (4) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
45.61 (4) (b) In processing applications for burial plots, the department shall maintain a waiting list for each of the cemeteries operated under sub. (1) and shall give priority to state residents on each waiting list.
20,808
Section
808. 45.70 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 45.70 (1m).
20,809
Section
809. 45.70 (1b) (title) of the statutes is created to read:
45.70 (1b) (title) Establishment and modifications of memorials.
20,810
Section
810. 45.70 (1b) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
45.70 (1b) (b) The board may act under par. (a) only if the department estimates that the cost of implementing the proposal for an established or future state memorial will exceed $25,000.
20,811
Section
811. 45.70 (2) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 45.70 (1b) (a) and amended to read:
