SB596: Bill Text

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2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 Senate BILL 596

January 22, 2016 - Introduced by Senators Kapenga, Stroebel and Gudex, cosponsored by Representatives Bernier, Kuglitsch, Rodriguez, Horlacher, Kremer, Vorpagel, Spiros, Jarchow, R. Brooks, Duchow, Kerkman, Tranel, Krug, Petryk, Edming, Steffen, Weatherston, Tittl and Kulp. Referred to Committee on Workforce Development, Public Works, and Military Affairs.

SB596,1,9 An Act to repeal 20.445 (1) (d), 20.445 (1) (e), 20.445 (1) (fg) and 20.445 (1) (fm); to amend 20.445 (1) (b), 20.445 (1) (bm), 106.05 (2) (b) (intro.), 106.05 (3) (a), 106.13 (1), 106.13 (3m) (b) (intro.), 106.18 and 106.26 (3) (c) (intro.); and to repeal and recreate 106.273 of the statutes; relating to: consolidation of various appropriations to the Department of Workforce Development for various workforce training programs into a single appropriation to that department for workforce training, restructuring of the career and technical education incentive grant program administered by that department, and making appropriations.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill consolidates various appropriations to the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) for various workforce training programs into a single appropriation to that department for workforce training programs and restructures the career and technical education incentive grant program administered by DWD.

Under current law, there is appropriated to DWD, as separate appropriations, general purpose revenue for apprenticeship completion awards, local youth apprenticeship grants, employment transit assistance grants, and youth summer jobs programs in 1st class cities (currently only the city of Milwaukee). This bill repeals the separate appropriations for those awards, grants, and programs, transfers the unencumbered balances in those appropriation accounts to an appropriation to DWD for workforce training grants (commonly referred to as Wisconsin fast forward grants), and permits moneys in the Wisconsin fast forward grants appropriation to be expended for those awards, grants, and programs.

Current law allocates $3,000,000 in each fiscal year from the Wisconsin fast forward grant appropriation for DWD to award career and technical education incentive grants to school districts in the amount of $1,000 per each pupil in the school district who, in the prior school year, obtained a diploma from a school in the school district and successfully completed an industry-recognized certification program approved by DWD. This bill eliminates that grant program and instead permits DWD to provide grants to school districts for the development of programs that are designed to mitigate workforce shortages in industries and occupations that are experiencing a workforce shortage, as determined by DWD, and to assist pupils in graduating with industry-recognized certifications in those industries and occupations.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB596,1 Section 1. 20.445 (1) (b) of the statutes, as affected by 2015 Wisconsin Act 55, is amended to read:

SB596,2,9 20.445 (1) (b) Workforce training program;; programs, grants and services. As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for the apprenticeship completion award program under s. 106.05 (2), local youth apprenticeship grants under s. 106.13 (3m), youth summer jobs programs under s. 106.18, employment transit assistance grants under s. 106.26, workforce training grants and services under s. 106.27 (1) and (1g), and for career and technical education incentive grants under s. 106.273.

SB596,2 Section 2. 20.445 (1) (bm) of the statutes, as affected by 2015 Wisconsin Act 55, is amended to read:

SB596,3,5 20.445 (1) (bm) Workforce training program; administration. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for the administration of the apprenticeship completion award program under s. 106.05 (2), the local youth apprenticeship grant program under s. 106.13 (3m), the youth summer jobs program under s. 106.18, the employment transit assistance grant program under s. 106.26, the workforce training program under s. 106.27, and the career and technical education incentive grant program under s. 106.273.

SB596,3 Section 3. 20.445 (1) (d) of the statutes is repealed.

SB596,4 Section 4. 20.445 (1) (e) of the statutes is repealed.

SB596,5 Section 5. 20.445 (1) (fg) of the statutes is repealed.

SB596,6 Section 6. 20.445 (1) (fm) of the statutes is repealed.

SB596,7 Section 7. 106.05 (2) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB596,3,16 106.05 (2) (b) (intro.) Subject to par. (c) and sub. (3), from the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (d) (b), the department shall may provide to an apprentice described in par. (a) 1. or the apprentice's sponsor a completion award equal to 25 percent of the cost of tuition incurred by the apprentice or sponsor or $1,000, whichever is less,. If the department provides a completion award under this subsection, the department shall pay the award as follows:

SB596,8 Section 8. 106.05 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB596,3,24 106.05 (3) (a) If the amount of funds to be distributed under sub. (2) exceeds the amount available in the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (d) (b) for completion awards under sub. (2), the department may reduce the reimbursement percentage or deny applications for completion awards that would otherwise qualify under sub. (2). In that case, the department shall determine the reimbursement percentage and eligibility on the basis of the dates on which apprentices and sponsors become eligible for completion awards.

SB596,9 Section 9. 106.13 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 2015 Wisconsin Act 55, is amended to read:

SB596,4,5 106.13 (1) The department shall may provide a youth apprenticeship program that includes. If the department provides that program, the program may include under that program the grant program under sub. (3m).

SB596,10 Section 10. 106.13 (3m) (b) (intro.) of the statutes, as affected by 2015 Wisconsin Act 55, is amended to read:

SB596,4,18 106.13 (3m) (b) (intro.) From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (e) (b), the department may award grants to applying local partnerships for the implementation and coordination of local youth apprenticeship programs. A local partnership shall include in its grant application the identity of each public agency, nonprofit organization, individual, and other person who is a participant in the local partnership, a plan to accomplish the implementation and coordination activities specified in subds. 1. to 6., and the identity of a fiscal agent who shall be responsible for receiving, managing, and accounting for the grant moneys received under this paragraph. Subject to par. (c), a local partnership that is awarded a grant under this paragraph may use the grant moneys awarded for any of the following implementation and coordination activities:

SB596,11 Section 11. 106.18 of the statutes is amended to read:

SB596,4,22 106.18 Youth programs in 1st class cities. From the appropriation account under s. 20.445 (1) (fm) (b), the department shall implement and operate youth summer jobs programs in 1st class cities.

SB596,12 Section 12. 106.26 (3) (c) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB596,5,2 106.26 (3) (c) (intro.) To make grants from the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (b) to eligible applicants to conduct projects or to match a federal grant awarded to an eligible applicant to conduct a project. Grants by the department are subject to all of the following requirements:

SB596,13 Section 13. 106.273 of the statutes, as affected by 2015 Wisconsin Act 55, is repealed and recreated to read:

SB596,5,10 106.273 Career and technical education incentive grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department may provide grants to school districts for the development of programs that are designed to mitigate workforce shortages in industries and occupations that are experiencing a workforce shortage, as determined by the department, and to assist pupils in graduating with industry-recognized certifications in those industries and occupations.

SB596,14 Section 14. Fiscal changes.

SB596,6,12 (1) Workforce training; programs, grants, and services. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of workforce development under section 20.445 (1) (b) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 2015, the dollar amount for fiscal year 2015-16 is increased by an amount equal to the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (d), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (d), 2013 stats., the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (e), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (e), 2013 stats., the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (fg), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (fg), 2013 stats., and the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (fm), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (fm), 2013 stats. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of workforce development under section 20.445 (1) (b) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 2015, the dollar amount for fiscal year 2016-17 is increased by an amount equal to the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (d), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (d), 2013 stats., the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (e), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (e), 2013 stats., the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (fg), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (fg), 2013 stats., and the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (fm), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (fm), 2013 stats.

SB596,6,24 (2) Workforce training; transfer of unencumbered balances in repealed appropriations. The unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (d), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (d), 2013 stats., the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (e), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (e), 2013 stats., the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (fg), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (fg), 2013 stats., and the unencumbered balance in the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (fm), 2013 stats., immediately before the effective date of the repeal of section 20.445 (1) (fm), 2013 stats., are transferred to the appropriation account under section 20.445 (1) (b) of the statutes, as affected by this act.

SB596,6,25 (End)