2021-07-08 Assembly Journal (Extraordinary Session)

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Provides $100,000 annually for a sexual assault victim services grant.

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Provides $455,000 in fiscal year 2021-22 to purchase equipment for the State Crime Laboratories to test for synthetic drugs and drug analogs.

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Provides $227,400 annually to purchase and maintain body-worn cameras for conservation wardens.

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Provides $700,000 in fiscal year 2021-22 to purchase and maintain body-worn cameras for State Patrol troopers.

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Provides $2 million for grants to law enforcement agencies to purchase body-worn cameras.

What’s Best for Kids

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Provides two-thirds funding to our schools for the first time in two decades.

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Invests an additional $408 million in general school aids, building upon the $330 million increase in the last budget.

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Provides $89 million over the biennium to increase reimbursement for students with disabilities in fiscal year 2022-23.

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Invests an additional $19 million in school mental health programs.

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Doubles state resources for gifted and talented students.

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Fully funds high cost transportation aid and increases the number of districts eligible to receive it.

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Increases the number of small, rural school districts eligible for sparsity aid.

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Increases funding by $600,000 annually for the Housing Assistance Program to provide housing and support services to move more persons and families experiencing homelessness to independent living.

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Ensures child care is more affordable and accessible for parents by providing over $46 million Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in fiscal year 2021-22 and over $53 million TANF in fiscal year 2022-23 for a targeted rate increase to bring all maximum reimbursement rates in Wisconsin Shares within the 65th percentile of market rates.

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Provides nearly $2.4 million TANF in fiscal year 2021-22 and over $4.8 million TANF in fiscal year 2022-23 to raise kinship care monthly rates from $254 to $300, consistent with the increase for foster care level 1 rates.

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Increases funding to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America – Wisconsin Chapter by $132,000 TANF in each year to expand the Be GREAT: Graduate Program to two additional clubs in Wausau and Sheboygan to support Wisconsin’s youth in achieving academic success.

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Provides $500,000 TANF in each fiscal year for Jobs for America’s Graduates – Wisconsin Program to provide educational support and job or post-secondary readiness for TANF-eligible youth.

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Invests in juvenile justice youth aids to counties with an additional $4.7 million GPR in each year.

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Invests an additional $1 million TANF in each year in child welfare safety services to reduce the number of children entering the out-of-home care system. 

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Supports permanency for some of Milwaukee’s most vulnerable children in out-of-home care by increasing funding for the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Adoption Recruitment Program with $300,000 in fiscal year 2021-22.

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Invests in quality care for children in the state’s child welfare system by providing a total of $577,800 in fiscal year 2022-23 for provider training and nursing services in Qualified Residential Treatment Programs as part of Wisconsin’s implementation of the federal Families First Prevention Act.

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Provides $2.4 million in fiscal year 2021-22 and $5.2 million in fiscal year 2022-23 for the Department of Children and Families to make subsidized guardianship payments, which will allow counties currently making those payments to use Children and Family Aids on other important child welfare services.

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Improves collection of delinquent child support in the state by providing over $5 million annually to local child support agencies. 

Higher Education and Workforce Development

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Addresses the shortage of professors in nursing disciplines by providing $5 million in fiscal year 2021-22 for a new nurse educator fellowship and financial aid program administered by the Higher Educational Aids Board. This program also will help to increase the number of nursing professionals in the state, ultimately improving access to healthcare.

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Helps protect the water quality of lakes and rivers by providing $5 million over the biennium to support the University of Wisconsin System’s Freshwater Collaborative, which trains water managers and scientists to address clean water and climate change challenges through a multidisciplinary approach.

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Boosts the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension’s ability to conduct outreach and education by providing $2 million over the biennium.

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Supports technical education by providing $2.25 million in each year to the Wisconsin Technical College System in general aid plus $2.25 million in each year for grants to district boards.

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Achieves property tax relief across state technical college districts by providing $72 million over the biennium in property tax relief aid.

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Enhances the ability of the Department of Workforce Development to provide employment services to individuals with disabilities.

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Bolsters the skilled workforce of the future by increasing support for youth and adult apprenticeship programs.

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Strengthens the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund by providing $120 million over the biennium for the payment of unemployment benefits.

Agriculture, Tourism and Economic Development

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Provides $129 million in funding over the biennium to support the expansion of the Broadband Expansion Grant program, compared to $48 million during the 2019‑21 biennium. The $129 million is comprised of $125 million in general fund supported general obligation bonding, plus the statutorily required minimum of at least $2 million annually in funding from the state's universal service fund. 

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Creates a $200,000 annual meat processor grant program to help meat processing facilities expand and modernize.

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Provides $558,400 annually for the Wisconsin Initiative for Agricultural Exports.

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Continues $100,000 annually in funding for farmer mental health assistance.

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Increases funding for producer-led watershed protection grant awards from $750,000 annually to $1 million annually.

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Provides $7 million over the biennium for Soil and Water Resource Management Program.

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Supports the Department of Tourism’s efforts to promote Wisconsin as a premier travel destination in new, targeted advertising markets by providing ongoing funding of $781,800 in each year of the biennium. Increasing the number of visitors to the state will bolster our local economies as they recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

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Sustains funding and staff for the Office of Outdoor Recreation in the Department of Tourism, which will allow the office to continue to forge relationships among the outdoor industry’s stakeholders to strengthen our outdoor economy.

Transportation

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Provides a 2 percent increase for general transportation aids to counties in both 2022 and 2023.

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Provides a 2 percent increase for general transportation aids to municipalities in both 2022 and 2023. 

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Provides a $250,000 annual increase for the Wisconsin Employment Transportation Program.

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Provides $100 million for a one-time local road improvement program.

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Provides a 2.5 percent increase in both fiscal year 2021-22 and 2022-23 to Paratransit Aids.

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Provides a 2.5 percent increase in both years to seniors and individuals with disabilities aid payments.

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Provides $15.3 million in new bonding for the Harbor Assistance Program.

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Provides $20 million for the Freight Rail Preservation Program.

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Maintains project timelines for the Southeast Mega Projects program and the Major Highway Development program.

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Maintains purchasing power of the State Highway Rehabilitation program.

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Provides more than $1 million in fiscal year 2022-23 to install Hoan Bridge fencing improvements.

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Provides $3.4 million in fiscal year 2021-22 and $5.4 million in fiscal year 2022-23 for increased salt costs.

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Authorizes $20 million in bonding for the contracting method known as design-build.

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Enumerates and funds the expansion of I-94 East/West from three to four lanes between the Marquette and the Zoo interchange with geometric improvements to exits along the corridor.

Tax Fairness

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Provides over $1 billion annually in ongoing tax relief by reducing the third individual income tax bracket. This action will reduce taxes for the median income family of four by $550 – and when combined with the tax rate reductions in the preceding legislative session, raises total tax relief for the median family of four to $800.

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Reduces property taxes on the typical homeowner to levels below the 2020-21 property tax year in each year of the biennium.

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Fully funds the video service provider fee replacement aid appropriation for municipalities.

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Increases the refundable research credit rate from 10 percent to 15 percent to provide additional incentives for businesses to engage in research and development in Wisconsin.

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Creates a new nonrefundable tax credit equal to 50 percent of the federal child and dependent care credit beginning in tax year 2022.

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Provides $40 million in tax relief for servicemembers to cover all basic, special and incentive active duty pay.

Clean Communities

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Reauthorizes the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program for an additional four years at the current annual funding level of $33.25 million per year.

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Provides $3 million for the restoration of the Pierce Islands Wildlife Area on the Mississippi River.

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Provides $1 million for the removal and reconstruction of the dam on the Sheboygan River at Sheboygan Marsh.

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Increases funding for state ATV and UTV trail maintenance by $250,000 annually.

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Increase aids for local ATV and UTV trails by $750,000 annually.

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Provides $200,000 annually for snowmobile trail mapping.

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Increases funding for the well compensation program by $1 million annually.

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Provides $4 million for Urban Nonpoint Source and Storm Water Management Program and the Municipal Flood Control Program.

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Provides $6.5 million for the Targeted Runoff Management Program.

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Provides $10 million for the Municipal Dam Safety Grant Program to repair and remove dams.

Good Government

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Provides $87.5 million GPR over the biennium for a general wage adjustment for most state employees at state agencies and the University of Wisconsin System of 2 percent in January of 2022, and an additional 2 percent in January of 2023.

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Provides $2 million GPR over the biennium for targeted market and parity wage adjustments for employees within certain classifications in state agencies to better align their wages to those paid by private and other public sector employers.

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Provides $1.2 million GPR in fiscal year 2022-23 to increase hourly night and weekend differential rates for employees of state agencies that qualify for such payments, beginning in January 2023.

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Provides over $1.3 million in state funds over the biennium to extend the long-term service award program for protective positions within the Department of Corrections and Department of Health Services.

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Provides $1.75 million in state funds over the biennium to support a $5 hourly wage add-on for correctional officers and sergeants working within an institution with greater than a 40 percent vacancy rate.

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Provides $2.7 million over the biennium for pay progression for assistant district attorneys, deputy district attorneys and assistant state public defenders.

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Provides $25 million over the biennium for the NG911 system implementation and Public Safety Answering Point grants.

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Requires the Department of Military Affairs to oversee the development and operation of a statewide interoperable radio network to replace WISCOM.

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Requires a study in fiscal year 2022-23 to determine the feasibility of constructing an electric microgrid system at Truax Field in Madison, to include the Joint Force Headquarters, the State Emergency Operations Center and the Joint Operations Center.

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Provides $7 million in fiscal year 2021-22 in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation for discretionary grants made to each of the state’s tribes, based on the number of employees working for each tribe.

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Continues funding to support the creation of the tribal youth wellness center with $350,000 of one-time funding in each year.

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Provides an additional $109,300 of one-time funding in each year to University of Wisconsin Green Bay to provide summer camp programs in cooperation with the Oneida Nation.

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Increases funding for Veterans Service Office grants by $152,400 over the biennium.