1. Under current law, the Radiography Examining Board regulates the practice
of radiographers and limited X-ray machine operators in Wisconsin, the Podiatry
Affiliated Credentialing Board, which is attached to the Medical Examining Board,
regulates the practice of podiatrists, and the Optometry Examining Board regulates
the practice of optometrists. This bill eliminates each of those boards and transfers
their functions to the Medical Examining Board.
2. Under current law, physical therapists and physical therapist assistants are
regulated by the Physical Therapy Examining Board, occupational therapists and
occupational therapy assistants are regulated by the Occupational Therapists
Affiliated Credentialing Board, athletic trainers are regulated by the Athletic
Trainers Affiliated Credentialing Board, and massage therapists and bodywork
therapists are regulated by the Massage Therapy and Bodywork Therapy Affiliated
Credentialing Board. This bill eliminates the aforementioned boards and transfers
their functions to a newly created Medical Therapy Examining Board.
3. Under current law, a license is generally required to perform sign language
interpretation services, and a license to act as a sign language interpreter is issued
by DSPS. However, also under current law, there is a Sign Language Interpreter
Council that is required to perform certain duties, including advising DSPS on rule
making regarding sign language interpreting and promulgating certain rules for
sign language interpreters. This bill eliminates the Sign Language Interpreter
Council and transfers the duties of both DSPS and the Sign Language Interpreter
Council regarding sign language interpreters to the Hearing and Speech Examining
Board. In addition, the bill eliminates one of the hearing instrument specialist
members on the Hearing and Speech Examining Board and adds to that board two
sign language interpreters and one additional public member.
4. Under current law, there are four councils created to serve the Medical
Examining Board in an advisory capacity regarding certain professions for which
licenses or certificates are issued by the Medical Examining Board: 1) the
Perfusionists Examining Council; 2) the Council on Physician Assistants; 3) the
Council on Anesthesiologist Assistants; and 4) the Respiratory Care Practitioners
Examining Council. This bill eliminates these four councils and transfers their
duties to a newly created council called the Medical Assistants Council. Under the
bill, the Medical Assistants Council includes two licensed anesthesiologist
assistants; two certified respiratory care practitioners; two licensed perfusionists;
one physician; two physician assistants; and one public member.
This bill creates the Occupational License Review Council. The council is
created in DSPS and consists of the following members:
1. Eight members appointed by the governor to serve at the pleasure of the
governor.
2. One majority party member and one minority party member from each house
of the legislature, appointed as are the members of standing committees in their
respective houses.
3. The secretary of safety and professional services or his or her designee, who
serves as the council's chair. The secretary or designee is a nonvoting member, except
that he or she may vote in the case of a tie.
The council is required to submit a report by December 31, 2018, to the
governor, the chief of the LRB, and the legislature that includes the council's
recommendations for the elimination of occupational licenses in this state and the
reduction or elimination of occupational license continuing education requirements.
The council's recommendations for the elimination of occupational licenses must
take into account a number of considerations, including an evaluation of whether the
unregulated practice of the profession, occupation, or trade can clearly harm or
endanger the health, safety, or welfare of the public.
The LRB is required to prepare legislation based on the council's
recommendations, and the proposed legislation is required to be introduced without
change. The proposed legislation may not be amended, and the legislature must take
final action on the proposed legislation no later than June 30, 2019.
For purposes of this bill, the term “occupational license” means not only any
license, permit, certification, registration, or other approval granted by DSPS or a
board under DSPS but also any other license, permit, certification, registration, or
approval granted to a person by this state in order that the person may engage in a
profession, occupation, or trade or use a title in association with his or her profession,
occupation, or trade.
The council and the bill's requirements sunset effective July 1, 2019.
This bill also requires DOA to prepare a report containing certain information
on any bill that is introduced in the legislature that requires an individual to obtain
a license in order to engage in a particular profession or occupation or that requires
that a license be obtained in order for a particular type of business to be owned or
operated. The LRB must submit any bill to which the requirement applies to DOA,
and the report must be distributed before certain actions are taken on the bill in the
legislature.
Under current law, DSPS and various credentialing boards in DSPS have the
authority to discipline credential holders that are credentialed by DSPS or a
credentialing board. This bill allows DSPS and various credentialing boards in
DSPS that do not otherwise currently have the authority to assess administrative
forfeitures against credential holders to, in addition to or in lieu of any disciplinary
action imposed against a credential holder, assess a forfeiture of not more than
$1,000 for each separate offense against a person who commits a violation that is
grounds for professional discipline if the violation presents a serious risk to public
health or public safety. The bill provides that each day of continued violation
constitutes a separate offense.
Also under current law, DSPS, which regulates barbers, and the Cosmetology
Examining Board, which regulates cosmetologists and other related professionals,
may assess such forfeitures, in addition to or in lieu of certain disciplinary actions,
for violations of the laws relating to barbering or cosmetology. This bill limits the
circumstances under which such forfeitures may be assessed to when the violation
presents a serious risk to public health or public safety.
In addition, this bill exempts an individual who has completed an
apprenticeship program that satisfies certain requirements from an examination
required for licensure as a cosmetologist or barber.
This bill eliminates mandatory annual and semiannual meeting requirements
for examining boards, affiliated credentialing boards, and other boards and councils
under DSPS, except for the Medical Examining Board, which is required to meet 12
times each year. Under the bill, those boards and councils are instead generally
required to meet on the call of the chairperson or a majority of the members of the
board or council.
This bill provides that, except as otherwise permitted by law, DSPS and various
credentialing boards in DSPS may require a credential holder to submit proof of
completion of continuing education programs or courses only if a complaint is made
against the credential holder.
shared revenue
This bill reduces the annual county and municipal aid payment to a county
receiving certain settlement proceeds from DOA by $1,950,000 beginning with the
payments in 2018 and ending with the payments in 2027. If in any year the amount
of the county and municipal aid payment is less than $1,950,000, DOA will reduce
the county's county and municipal aid payment and its public utility aid payment by
a total of $1,950,000.
State government
Administrative rules; guidance documents
This bill makes various changes regarding the rule-making procedures
established under current law and the adoption by state agencies of guidance
documents. Significant changes are described below.
Preliminary public hearings and comment periods on scope statements
Current law requires an agency to prepare a statement of the scope of a
proposed rule (scope statement), which must be approved by the governor and the
agency head before any state employee or official may perform any activity in
connection with the drafting of the proposed rule. Scope statements must be
published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register after approval by the governor,
and an agency head may not approve a scope statement until at least ten days after
publication of the scope statement in the register.
This bill eliminates the ten-day waiting period for the agency head to approve
a scope statement. The bill also requires an agency, following approval of a scope
statement by the governor, to hold a preliminary public hearing and comment period
on a scope statement if directed to do so by a cochairperson of the Joint Committee
for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR). Following such a directive, the agency
must hold a preliminary public hearing on the scope statement and submit all
comments and feedback received to the agency head. A preliminary public hearing
and comment period under the bill is in addition to the public hearing required under
current law for certain rules. The bill allows an agency to work on a proposed rule
after the scope statement is approved by the governor, but requires the agency to stop
work on a proposed permanent rule if JCRAR requests a preliminary public hearing
and comment period. In that case, the agency may resume work on the proposed
permanent rule once the preliminary public hearing and comment period are
concluded.
Passage of bill required for certain rules
This bill provides that if an economic impact analysis, a revised economic
impact analysis, or an independent economic impact analysis for a proposed rule
indicates that $10,000,000 or more in implementation and compliance costs are
reasonably expected to be incurred by or passed along to businesses, local
governmental units, and individuals over any two-year period as a result of the
proposed rule, the agency must stop work on the proposed rule and may not continue
to promulgate the rule except as follows:
1. The agency may resume the rule-making procedure for the proposed rule
upon enactment of a bill that authorizes its promulgation.
2. The agency may resume the rule-making procedure for the proposed rule if
the agency modifies the proposed rule to address the proposed rule's implementation
and compliance costs, as verified by a revised economic impact analysis and any
subsequently prepared independent economic impact analyses.
Independent economic impact analyses
This bill allows a cochairperson of JCRAR or DOA, at certain times during the
rule-making process, to request that an independent economic impact analysis be
prepared for a proposed rule. In that case, DOA must contract with a vendor for the
preparation of the independent economic impact analysis. The vendor must
complete the independent economic impact analysis within 60 days and must include
most of the same information and analysis that is required for an economic impact
analysis prepared by an agency. If an independent economic impact analysis is
requested for a proposed rule, an agency may not submit the proposed rule to the
governor for final approval until the agency receives the completed analysis. The bill
specifies circumstances under which either the agency promulgating the proposed
rule or the legislature must pay the costs of the independent economic impact
analysis.
This bill also allows JCRAR, when a proposed rule is before JCRAR for final
review, to request an independent economic impact analysis for the proposed rule.
The analysis must similarly be completed within 60 days, and JCRAR's review
period is extended to the tenth working day following receipt by JCRAR of the
completed analysis.
Other duties of DOA related to economic impact analyses and rule making
This bill requires DOA to do all of the following with respect to the rule-making
process:
1. Review and approve each initial economic impact analysis prepared by an
agency before a proposed rule is submitted to the Legislative Council staff, including
by reviewing the economic data and analyses used by the agency in preparing the
analysis. If DOA determines that the agency's analysis does not accurately gauge
the economic impact of a proposed rule, DOA must recommend any modifications to
revise the analysis. An agency may not submit a proposed rule to the Legislative
Council Staff for review unless DOA has approved the agency's economic impact
analysis. DOA may approve an economic impact analysis only upon determining
that the economic impact analysis accurately gauges the economic impact of the
proposed rule.
2. Provide training to agencies on appropriate data collection and methods of
analysis for purposes of preparing economic impact analyses of proposed rules.
3. Attend JCRAR hearings and present testimony on proposed rules that DOA
determines will have an economic impact on specific businesses, business sectors,
public utility ratepayers, local governmental units, regulated individuals and
entities, or the state's economy as a whole.
Approval of germane modifications to proposed rules
Current law permits an agency to make a germane modification to a proposed
rule at certain points during the legislative rules review process. Under this bill, if
an agency makes a germane modification to a proposed rule at any time during that
review process, the agency must also submit that modification to the governor for
approval under a passive review procedure. If the governor does not approve the
modification, the agency may not promulgate the proposed rule with that
modification.
Emergency rules
This bill provides that emergency rules promulgated by a state agency take
effect upon publication in the Wisconsin Administrative Register. Current law
provides that emergency rules take effect upon publication in the official state
newspaper.
This bill also modifies JCRAR's authority under current law to extend the
effective period of an emergency rule so that JCRAR is not limited to 60 days in
granting an extension of an emergency rule and may grant any number of
extensions, subject to the 120-day limit under current law. In addition, the bill also
permits JCRAR, within 30 days before the last floorperiod of the biennial legislative
session, to extend the effective period of an emergency rule for a period not to extend
beyond March 31 of the following year. JCRAR may, if applicable, grant both types
of extensions for a particular emergency rule.
Expedited procedure for repealing unauthorized rules
This bill provides for an alternate, expedited procedure an agency can use to
repeal a rule that the agency determines it no longer has the authority to promulgate
because of the repeal or amendment of the law that previously authorized its
promulgation (unauthorized rule). Under the bill, an agency, instead of using the
normal rule-making procedure, may repeal an unauthorized rule using the
following procedure:
1. The agency submits a petition along with certain information to the
Legislative Council staff for review.
2. The Legislative Council staff reviews the petition and proposed rule and
submits to JCRAR the petition and proposed rule with a written report that includes
a statement of the Legislative Council staff's determination of whether the proposed
rule proposes to repeal an unauthorized rule.
3. Following receipt of the petition and proposed rule submitted by the
Legislative Council staff, JCRAR reviews the petition and proposed rule and may 1)
approve the agency's petition if JCRAR determines that the proposed rule would
repeal an unauthorized rule; 2) deny the petition; or 3) request that the agency make
changes to the proposed rule and resubmit the petition and proposed rule as
described above.
If JCRAR approves the petition, the agency may repeal the unauthorized rule
by filing a certified copy of the rule with the LRB, together with a copy of JCRAR's
decision.
Sunset of rule-making authority for certain agencies
This bill prohibits a commission or board, including a credentialing board, that
has not taken any action with respect to the promulgation of a rule in ten years or
more from taking any such action in the future unless a subsequent law specifically
authorizes it to do so.
Guidance documents
This bill requires each agency to post proposed guidance documents on the
agency's Internet site and submit them to the LRB for publication in the register and
to provide comment periods for proposed guidance documents. The agency must
consider comments submitted during the public comment period in determining
whether to adopt a guidance document as originally proposed or take other action.
The bill also requires each adopted guidance document, while valid, to remain
available on the agency's Internet site to permit continuing public comment.
This bill provides that a guidance document does not have the force of law and
does not provide the authority for implementing or enforcing a standard,
requirement, or threshold, including as a term or condition of any license. An agency
that proposes to rely on a guidance document to the detriment of a person in any
administrative proceeding must afford the person an adequate opportunity to
contest the legality or wisdom of a position taken in the guidance document, and an
agency may not use a guidance document to foreclose consideration of any issue
raised in the guidance document. The bill also contains other provisions with respect
to agency use of and reliance upon guidance documents, and allows certain persons
to petition an agency to promulgate a rule in place of a guidance document.
Subject to various exceptions, this bill defines “guidance document" as any
formal or official document or communication issued by an agency, including a
manual, handbook, directive, or informational bulletin, that 1) explains the agency's
implementation of a statute or rule enforced or administered by the agency, including
the current or proposed operating procedure of the agency; or 2) provides guidance
or advice with respect to how the agency is likely to apply any statute or rule enforced
or administered by the agency, if that guidance or advice is likely to apply to a class
of persons similarly affected.
Procurement
Under current law, if a state agency makes a purchase for which the estimated
cost exceeds $50,000, DOA must invite bids or solicit proposals. This bill increases
that threshold to $100,000 and allows agencies to which DOA has delegated
purchasing authority to invite the bids or solicit the proposals. Current law requires
governor approval if the secretary of administration determines it is in the best
interest of the state to waive general bidding requirements in state procurement and
purchase supplies, material, equipment, or contractual services from a private
source. Under the bill, the secretary may waive the requirements and make the
purchase without governor approval if the cost of the purchase is between $25,000
and $150,000. The bill also requires the approval of the secretary of administration
before an executive branch agency other than the Board of Regents may enter into
a contract relating to information technology or telecommunications if the total
amount of the contract exceeds $150,000.
Public utility regulation
This bill makes changes to funding for grants made by the PSC for constructing
broadband infrastructure in underserved areas. Under current law, $6,000,000 was
transferred from the universal service fund (USF) for making the grants, but current
law also limits the total grants made in a fiscal year to $1,500,000. The bill
eliminates that limit. The bill also provides additional funding for the grants by
doing the following: 1) transferring an additional $6,000,000 from the USF; 2)
transferring $5,000,000 from moneys received under a federal program for assisting
schools and libraries in obtaining telecommunications services and Internet access,
which is commonly known as the federal e-rate program; and 3) at the end of each
fiscal year, transferring the unencumbered balances from other USF-funded
appropriations. Also, beginning July 1, 2018, the bill allows the PSC to fund its
duties regarding broadband expansion from contributions made by
telecommunications providers to the USF.
During fiscal year 2017-18, this bill allows the PSC to allocate a portion of the
funding provided under the bill to make the grants described above to
telecommunications utilities that are receiving support for broadband deployment
under certain federal programs administered by the Federal Communications
Commission. During that fiscal year, the bill allows the PSC to evaluate applications
and award the grants to those telecommunications utilities on an expedited basis.
This bill eliminates a requirement under current law for the PSC to establish
and administer a program for regulation, education, inspection, and investigation
related to stray voltage. The bill also eliminates the PSC's authority to impose
assessments on certain large electric utilities to fund the program and to charge fees
for services provided under the program. In addition, the bill eliminates DATCP's
duties related to the program, including the requirement to impose annual fees on
rural electric cooperatives to fund those duties.
This bill requires the PSC to ensure an increase in spending on incentives for
projects for improving energy efficiency at elementary, secondary, and postsecondary
schools under the statewide energy efficiency and renewable resources programs
that are funded by investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities under current
law. Those programs are commonly referred to as the Focus on Energy programs.
The bill requires the PSC to ensure that the amount spent annually on the incentives
is at least $10,000,000 more than the amount spent in fiscal year 2016-17. The bill
also requires the PSC to ensure that public elementary and secondary schools are
given a priority in the spending on the incentives.
State employment
This bill eliminates the three offices of commissioner at the Employment
Relations Commission. Under the bill, the commission consists of a full-time
chairperson, who is appointed by the governor for a six-year term.
Current law provides generally that no individual may be employed or retained
in a full-time position or capacity with a state agency or authority and hold another
position or be retained in any other capacity with an agency or authority from which
the individual receives compensation of more than $12,000 during the same year.
This bill clarifies that year means any 12-month period and exempts licensed health
care professionals from this dual employment restriction, provided that they are
employed or retained in the other position for less than 1,040 hours during any
12-month period.
State employee benefits
For purposes of the Wisconsin Retirement System, this bill limits domestic
partners to only those individuals who submitted an affidavit of domestic
partnership to DETF before the effective date of the bill. This bill also prohibits the
Group Insurance Board from covering an eligible employee's domestic partner or
stepchild under a domestic partnership in a group health insurance plan offered by
the GIB and eliminates the option for a surviving domestic partner to purchase
health insurance coverage under a group health insurance plan offered by GIB.
Finally, for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2018, the bill provides that a
surviving domestic partner is not a default beneficiary for purposes of a deferred
compensation plan and is not eligible to receive duty disability survivorship benefits.
Under current law, participants who are in a domestic partnership may file an
affidavit of domestic partnership with DETF and have their domestic partners
treated like spouses for benefit purposes under the WRS, unless otherwise
prohibited by federal law.
State finance
This bill increases from $5,285,000,000 to $6,785,000,000 the amount of state
public debt that may generally be contracted to refund any unpaid indebtedness used
to finance tax-supported or self-amortizing facilities. The bill also decreases from
$2,400,840,000 to $2,127,540,000 the authorized bonding authority of DVA to make
mortgage loans, and the bill decreases from $686,743,200 to $646,283,200 the
authorized bonding authority of DNR to provide financial assistance for projects to
control water pollution.
This bill transfers $20,000,000 from the general fund to the budget stabilization
fund in fiscal year 2017-18. The bill also requires the Division of Personnel
Management in DOA to lapse to the general fund $2,800,000 in fiscal year 2018-19.
This bill provides that if the Group Insurance Board executes a contract to
provide self-insured group health plans to state employees for the 2018 and 2019
calendar years, the secretary of administration must lapse to the general fund
during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 fiscal years, from GPR appropriations made to fund
the Compensation Reserves, an amount equal to the state agency GPR savings for
state employee health insurance. The bill provides that the Board of Regents of the
UW System savings are not included in the lapse. If the lapse occurs, school districts
that satisfy certain conditions will receive additional per pupil aid.
Other state government
This bill makes changes regarding compliance of governmental entities with
certain statutory requirements for mailing, printing, or publishing certain
documents. A statute is subject to the bill if the statute applies to a “governmental
entity,” which the bill defines as any of the following: a state agency or other body
created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law; the governor's
office; the legislature or a legislative council, committee, or service agency; a court
or judicial branch agency; an authority; a city, village, town, or county; a special
purpose district; or an agency, corporation, combination, or subunit of a city, village,
town, county, or special purpose district. Also, the bill applies to statutes regarding
the mailing, printing, or publishing of documents, with the following exemptions: 1)
a notice and certificate of election, facsimile ballot, or referenda; 2) certain
election-related documents, including sample ballots and nomination forms; 3) a
notice of public hearing before a governmental body; or 4) a notice of meetings of
private and public bodies required by law. The bill also exempts the following
documents: a summons, order, citation, notice of sale or other notice that is intended
to inform a person of rights or duties that must be exercised or performed within a
designated period or by a designated date.
For mailing, this bill provides that a statute requiring a governmental entity
to mail a nonexempt document must be construed to allow the governmental entity
to mail the document electronically. However, that provision does not apply to a
statute requiring a governmental entity to use certified or registered mail or obtain
a certificate of mailing from the post office. For printing, the bill provides that a
statute requiring a governmental entity to print a nonexempt document must be
construed to allow the governmental entity to make the document available to the
public on its Internet site.
For publishing, this bill provides that a statute requiring a governmental entity
to publish a nonexempt document must be construed to allow the governmental
entity to publish the document electronically on its Internet site. The foregoing
applies even if the statute requires publication in a newspaper in a specified location.
Also, if a statute requires publication both on the Internet and in another form, the
bill provides that the statute must be construed to allow the governmental entity to
publish the document only on its Internet site. If a governmental entity publishes
a nonexempt document on its Internet site as allowed under the bill, the bill provides
that the date on which the governmental entity first publishes the document on its
Internet site is considered the date of the publication of the document.
This bill also allows the secretary of administration to waive in whole or in part
any statutory requirement for an executive branch agency to mail, print, or publish
any document, except for a document that is exempt from the provisions described
above. However, the bill allows the secretary to waive such a requirement only if the
secretary determines that the waiver will reduce spending while 1) keeping
information accessible to the public; and 2) protecting public health and welfare.
Under this bill, the state and local units of government are prohibited from
engaging in certain practices in letting bids for state procurement or public works
contracts. Under the bill, the state and local governments may not do any of the
following in specifications for bids for the contracts: 1) require that a bidder enter
into an agreement with a labor organization; 2) consider, when awarding a contract,
whether a bidder has or has not entered into an agreement with a labor organization;
or 3) require that a bidder enter into an agreement that requires that the bidder or
bidder's employees become or remain members of a labor organization or pay any
dues or fees to a labor organization.
Under this bill, the Building Commission may authorize money from the state
building trust fund to be available for any project costing $900,000 or less, and the
Building Commission may authorize the design and construction of any building, the
acquisition of land, or the repair or improvement of any building, structure, or
facility that costs more than $900,00 only if the project is enumerated in the state
building program. Under current law, each of those thresholds is set at $760,000.
Subject to limited exceptions, this bill also prohibits the state from entering into
a contract for the construction of or addition to any building in connection with a
building project involving a cost that exceeds $250,000 without the approval of the
Building Commission. Current law sets that threshold at $185,000.
Also, under this bill, the secretary of administration is required to establish a
committee for each construction project under the department's supervision, except
certain emergency projects, for the purpose of selecting a project architect or
engineer. If the estimated cost of a project is $6,800,000 or more, the selection
committee must use a request-for-proposal process established by the department
to select the architect or engineer.
This bill requires that DOA adjust on an annual basis all of the above and other
project cost thresholds based on the increase or decrease in construction costs over
time.
This bill eliminates a number of state entities based on the 2017-19 budget
request of DSPS. Current law requires DSPS to include in its agency budget request
a proposal to eliminate any council, board, or commission that has not held a meeting
since the preceding September 15, unless the council, board, or commission is
required to exist under federal law. The entities eliminated under the bill include
the Bioenergy Council; the Automatic Fire Sprinkler System Contractors and
Journeymen Council; and the Plumbers Council.
This bill also eliminates the Depository Selection Board and transfers its
powers and duties to the secretary of administration or his or her designee and
eliminates the Examining Board of Professional Geologists, Hydrologists and Soil
Scientists and transfers its powers and duties to DSPS.
This bill eliminates the Building Inspector Review Board and transfers its
powers and duties to the Uniform Dwelling Code Council. Under the bill, the
Uniform Dwelling Code Council, rather than the board, receives and reviews
complaints regarding building inspectors, may revoke a building inspector's
certification under certain circumstances, and may modify or reverse erroneous
decisions of a building inspector. The bill also eliminates the Contractor
Certification Council and the Manufactured Housing Code Council and transfers
their duties to the Uniform Dwelling Code Council.
This bill authorizes DOA to replace vehicles in the state fleet using certain
settlement proceeds specified in the bill. DOA may expend no more than $16,000,000
in the 2017-19 fiscal biennium for that purpose. The bill also requires, subject to
certain conditions, DOA to transfer $26,000,000 of the settlement proceeds to a
county having a population of 750,000 or more for the replacement of vehicles owned
by the county.
This bill requires DOA, beginning on July 1, 2018, to administer human
resources and payroll services for all executive branch agencies except DPI and DOJ
and for all independent agencies except the UW Board of Regents and the TCS board.
The bill also requires that DOA administer all printing and mailing services for all
agencies, except the Board of Regents of the UW System, unless the agency
demonstrates to the satisfaction of the secretary of administration that a valid
business reason exists for an exemption.
This bill requires that each server that an executive branch agency, except the
Board of Regents, uses for information technology purposes must be housed in the
data center located at 5830 Femrite Drive in the city of Madison, unless an executive
branch agency demonstrates to the satisfaction of the secretary of administration
that a valid business reason exists for an exemption.
This bill creates a grant program under which DOA may award a grant of up
to $75,000 to a municipality for the purpose of connecting homeless individuals with
permanent employment. The municipality must itself contribute at least $50,000 for
the purpose of the grant. In awarding a grant, DOA must give preference to a
municipality that obtains an agreement from a nonprofit organization to provide
additional employment and support services to homeless individuals participating
in the grant program. The bill also transfers from DOA to DHS a grant program for
providing certain mental health services to homeless individuals.
This bill makes the following changes to the service award program, which
provides length-of-service awards to volunteer fire fighters, first responders, and
volunteer emergency medical technicians:
