AB444: Bill Text

7. $4,000,000 for a western Wisconsin forensic center.

8. $400,000 for new laboratory equipment for the Children's Research Institute.

9. $220,000 for improvements to the city of Reedsburg community center.

10. $5,000,000 for the relocation of coal piles currently located near the mouth of the Fox River in Green Bay and for the revitalization of the neighborhood from which the coal piles are to be relocated.

11. $400,000 to construct a machine shed and shop at the Wisconsin Cranberry Research Station.

12. $530,000 for a new water supply control system in the city of Waukesha.

13. $50,000,000 for veterans housing statewide.

14. $2,000,000 to assist in completion of the United Community Center's Ricardo Diaz Early Learning Academy in the city of Milwaukee.

Grant for psychiatric bed capacity expansion in Eau Claire and Chippewa Counties

This bill requires DHS to award a grant to a hospital in Eau Claire County, as specified in the bill, in the amount of $15,000,000 for the purpose of expanding capacity by 22 psychiatric beds between the hospital in Eau Claire County and a hospital in Chippewa County.

Emergency detention is a current law procedure for temporary involuntary commitment of individuals who are believed to be mentally ill, drug dependent, or developmentally disabled and who demonstrate a substantial probability of causing harm to themselves or others or an inability to satisfy certain basic needs due to a mental illness. The hospital that is awarded the grant under the bill must do all of the following: 1) give preference in admissions for the beds added under the bill to individuals who meet the criteria for emergency detention and who are from one of the counties specified in the bill; 2) identify measures it believes will serve the needs of residents with mental health needs, especially in reducing the burden on the Winnebago Mental Health Institute; and 3) report annually to the legislature on the services provided with grant moneys. The grant recipient is liable to repay the grant to the state if it fails to maintain continued expanded services and expanded numbers of psychiatric beds. The bill specifies that the determination of whether the hospital is meeting its requirement to provide expanded services must be based on findings that at least half of the expanded psychiatric beds are available for individuals admitted for emergency detention and that the hospital enters agreements containing terms specified in the bill with at least two-thirds of the specified counties.

Purchase of the Verso Paper Mill in Wisconsin Rapids

This bill authorizes the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to award a loan of up to $50,000,000 to the Consolidated Cooperative for the purchase of the Verso Paper Mill in the city of Wisconsin Rapids. The loan is to be for the term and upon the conditions as may be agreed upon between WEDC and the cooperative. Additionally, WEDC may not award the loan unless it determines that substantial additional funding for the purchase of the paper mill has been secured from both nonstate revenue sources and in the form of a loan issued by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands to an entity eligible for the loan.

Purchase of the Park Falls Pulp and Paper Mill in Park Falls

This bill authorizes the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to award a loan of up to $15,000,000 to the Park Falls Mill Multi-Stakeholder Cooperative for the purchase of the Park Falls Pulp and Paper Mill in the city of Park Falls. The loan is to be for the term and upon the conditions as may be agreed upon between WEDC and the cooperative. Additionally, WEDC may not award the loan unless it determines that substantial additional funding for the purchase of the pulp and paper mill has been secured from both nonstate revenue sources and in the form of a loan issued by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands to an entity eligible for the loan.

River North housing development grant

This bill requires that WEDC provide a grant of $500,000 to the River North housing development project in the city of Manitowoc.

Opioid and methamphetamine data system

This bill requires DOA to issue a request for proposals, subject to approval by the Joint Committee on Finance under its passive review process, to establish and maintain an opioid and methamphetamine data system to collect, format, analyze, and disseminate information on opioid and methamphetamine use as specified in the bill. DOA must collaborate with and collect data from DHS, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Justice, the Department of Safety and Professional Services, and the Department of Children and Families and any other applicable agencies for the opioid and methamphetamine data system. Under the bill, DOA administers the contract with a vendor to operate the opioid and methamphetamine data system, has access to the data contained in the opioid and methamphetamine data system, and works with the vendor to disseminate information and advanced analytics from the opioid and methamphetamine data system in as close to real time as possible. The opioid and methamphetamine data system must allow the state agencies that submit data to the opioid and methamphetamine data system access to the data in the opioid and methamphetamine data system as appropriate for the agency to fulfill its functions and as allowed by state and federal confidentiality laws. The bill requires DOA to submit a report to JCF summarizing the information from the opioid and methamphetamine data system and analyzing trends in that information across years of data collection.

Private on-site wastewater treatment systems grant program and study

2017 Wisconsin Act 59 repealed, effective June 30, 2021, a program DSPS administers to provide grants to persons or businesses that are served by failing private on-site wastewater treatment systems (POWTS), which are commonly known as septic tanks. The bill eliminates the repeal of this program.

The bill also requires DSPS to fund a study that analyzes and makes recommendations on practices that mitigate the risk of contaminating ground and surface waters with septage. The Department of Soil and Waste Resources of the College of Natural Resources of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point must conduct the study and submit a report to the legislature by December 31, 2022.

PFAS municipal grant program

The bill creates a municipal grant program, administered by the Department of Natural Resources, to address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and provides $10,000,000 in general purpose revenue for this purpose. Under the program, DNR must provide grants to cities, towns, villages, counties, utility districts, lake protection districts, sewerage districts, and municipal airports. DNR may award a grant only if the applicant tested or trained with a PFAS-containing fire fighting foam in accordance with applicable state and federal law, or if a third party tested or trained with PFAS-containing fire fighting foam within the boundaries of the municipality; the applicant applied biosolids to land under a water pollution permit issued by DNR; or PFAS are impacting the applicant's drinking water supply or surface water or groundwater within the municipality and the responsible party is unknown or is unwilling or unable to take the necessary response actions.

Under the bill, grants provided under this program may be used to investigate potential PFAS impacts in order to reduce or eliminate environmental contamination; treat or dispose of PFAS-containing fire fighting foam containers; sample a private water supply within three miles of a site or facility known to contain PFAS or to have caused a PFAS discharge; provide a temporary emergency water supply, a water treatment system, or bulk water to replace water contaminated with PFAS; conduct emergency, interim, or remedial actions to mitigate, treat, dispose of, or remove PFAS contamination; or remove or treat PFAS in public water systems in areas where PFAS levels exceed the maximum contaminant level for PFAS in drinking water or an enforcement standard for PFAS groundwater or in areas where the state has issued a health advisory for PFAS.

An applicant that receives a grant under this program must contribute matching funds equal to at least 20 percent of the amount of the grant. The applicant must apply for a grant on a form prescribed by DNR and must include any information that DNR finds is necessary to determine the eligibility of the project, identify the funding requested, determine the priority of the project, and calculate the amount of a grant. In awarding grants under this program, DNR must consider the applicant's demonstrated commitment to performing and completing eligible activities, including the applicant's financial commitment and ability to successfully administer grants; the degree to which the project will have a positive impact on public health and the environment; and any other criteria that DNR finds necessary to prioritize the funds available for awarding grants.

DNR grants for land acquisition and redevelopment

This bill appropriates $5,394,395 from the general fund for DNR to finance various land acquisition and redevelopment projects by DNR and certain local governments and nonprofit conservation organizations for conservation and recreational purposes.

Local supplement grant program

This bill creates a local supplement grant program under which the Department of Transportation provides discretionary grants to political subdivisions for projects related to bridge construction or reconstruction or local road improvement or to local governments for projects related to transportation alternatives, including construction of pedestrian and bicycle facilities and environmental mitigation of highway construction. The bill also appropriates $100,000,000 for grants under the program.

Destination marketing grants

This bill requires the Department of Tourism to award grants to nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is the promotion and development of tourism in Wisconsin to assist those organizations to remain operational in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The bill also requires the department to award grants to such nonprofit organizations and to certain governmental organizations also having that same primary purpose for purposes of tourism marketing in connection with Wisconsin's recovery from the COVID-19 global pandemic. A nonprofit or governmental organization may not receive grants totaling more than the lesser of $1,000,000 or 50 percent of the organization's average annual tourism marketing budget over the previous three years, not including 2020. The bill appropriates $25,000,000 for the grants.

Victim services grants

Under current law, DOJ administers a grant program to award grants to organizations that provide services to victims of sexual assault. Under this bill, DOJ must administer a grant program to award grants to organizations that provide services, such as advocacy, counseling, and crisis phone services, to victims of crimes. The bill provides $5,000,000 for the grants in each fiscal year of the 2021-23 biennium.

Funding for broadband expansion grant program

This bill appropriates $200,000,000 in general purpose revenue for the broadband expansion grant program administered by the Public Service Commission.

The Literacy Lab; support

This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to annually distribute the amount appropriated to The Literacy Lab to provide evidence-based literacy interventions to prekindergarten to third grade pupils in this state. The bill appropriates $1,500,000 for this purpose in each of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 fiscal years.

University of Wisconsin System application fee exemption for service members

This bill creates an application fee exemption for veterans and members of the U.S. armed forces applying for admission to University of Wisconsin System schools.

Under current law, a student who is a service member must be given priority in registering for courses at UW System schools. A “service member” is defined as a person who has served or is serving on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces, in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces, in the national guard, or in a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces.

Under this bill, a UW System school may not charge an application fee to a service member applying for admission to the UW System school or to any program offered at the school.

Partnership program for the Lake Superior Research Institute

This bill requires the Board of Regents of the UW System to establish a partnership program between UW-Superior's Lake Superior Research Institute and northern Wisconsin communities. The program must be designed to accomplish specified objectives. The bill provides funding and 5.0 positions for the program through a new annual appropriation.

Grant to Mid-State Technical College for Apprenticeship Center

This bill requires the Technical College System Board to award a grant of $9,600,000 in the 2021-22 fiscal year to Mid-State Technical College for a manufacturing engineering apprenticeship center. The bill also provides funding for the grant through a continuing appropriation.

Black women's health and infant and maternal mortality

This bill instructs DHS to annually award $1,750,000 in grants to community-serving organizations that are led by Black women that improve Black women's health in Dane, Milwaukee, Rock, and Kenosha Counties. Further, the bill directs DHS to annually award $1,750,000 in grants to organizations that work to reduce racial disparities related to infant and maternal mortality. Additionally, this bill instructs DHS to award a grant totaling $500,000 in fiscal year 2021-22 and another grant totaling $500,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 to an entity to coordinate efforts among the state, public and private sector organizations, and community organizations to support a statewide strategy to advance Black women's health.

Grants for community health workers

This bill directs DHS to annually award grants in the amount of $15,000,000 for community health workers.

Grants for federally qualified health centers in Racine County

This bill directs DHS to award grants in the total amount of $53,000,000 to create federally qualified health centers in Racine County before June 30, 2023. Federally qualified health centers are community-based health care providers that serve an underserved area or population.

Funding for rural emergency medical services

This bill provides $5,500,000 in each fiscal year of the 2021-23 biennium to support emergency medical services in rural areas.

Grant to Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County

This bill appropriates $4,000,000 in general purpose revenue for DHS to give the county-owned Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County in Darlington a grant for its facility planning, expansion, and construction.

Mental health bed capacity in north central Wisconsin

This bill requires DHS to award a grant to an organization that applies to DHS and that provides mental and behavioral health services in north central Wisconsin and has a campus in Marathon County. The grant is in the amount of $5,000,000 for the purpose of expanding mental health bed capacity. The organization that is awarded the grant under the bill must do all of the following: 1) agree to renovate or expand its existing mental health campus to provide additional capacity for mental health treatment; 2) identify measures that it believes will serve the needs of area residents with mental health needs, especially, as a critical component of the measures, in reducing the burden on state-operated facilities; and 3) report annually to the legislature the services provided with the resources funding by the grant. The organization that receives the grant is liable to repay the grant funds to the state if the organization fails to continue to maintain the expanded mental health services for an agreed upon period.

Mental health funding

This bill provides $25,000,000 general purpose revenue in each fiscal year of the 2021-23 biennium to fund DHS mental health services, initiatives, programs, and facilities.

Grants for community health centers

This bill increases by $3,000,000 in each fiscal year the funding for grants to community health centers. Under current law, DHS must award grants to each community health center that receives federal grants in an amount calculated by multiplying the amount of state funds available for all community health centers by the fraction obtained by dividing the amount of federal grant moneys that the particular community health center receives by the total amount of federal grant moneys paid to all Wisconsin community health centers. The additional funding provided in the bill is to be divided among community health centers in the same manner as current law.

Grants to free and charitable clinics

This bill incorporates into statutory language the allocation made in 2019 Wisconsin Act 9, the biennial budget act, that requires DHS to give $500,000 in grants annually to free and charitable clinics. The bill also increases the annual grant to free and charitable clinics from $500,000 to $3,500,000

Suicide prevention programming grants

This bill requires DHS to award grants to organizations or coalitions of organizations, including cities, villages, towns, counties, and federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands for suicide prevention programming. A grant recipient must contribute matching funds or in-kind services having a value equal to at least 20 percent of the grant amount.

Grants to prevent suicide by firearm

This bill requires DHS to award grants to organizations or coalitions of organizations, including cities, villages, towns, counties, and federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands, for 1) training staff at a firearm retailer or firearm range on how to recognize a person who may be considering suicide; 2) providing suicide prevention materials for distribution at a firearm retailer or firearm range; or 3) providing voluntary, temporary firearm storage. A grant recipient must contribute matching funds or in-kind services having a value equal to at least 20 percent of the grant amount.

Farmer tuition assistance grants

This bill appropriates $500,000 from the general fund for the creation and funding of a tuition assistance grant program under which the Technical College System Board shall award grants to current or prospective farmers in the state for the purpose of paying no more than 50 percent of tuition costs for enrolling in Wisconsin technical college courses on farm management or farm finance. A current or prospective farmer may receive no more than $1,000 in these grants per year for no more than three years.

Lead service line replacement

This bill appropriates $100,000,000 from the general fund to the environmental improvement program for projects involving forgivable loans to private users of public water systems to cover not more than 50 percent of the cost to replace lead service lines.

Under current law, DOA and DNR administer the safe drinking water loan program (SDWLP), which provides financial assistance from the environmental improvement program to local governmental units and to the private owners of community water systems that serve local governmental units for projects for the planning, designing, construction, or modification of public water systems. DNR establishes a funding list for SDWLP projects and DOA allocates funding for those projects.

Wisconsin Historical Society

This bill increases funding by $2,000,000 for general program operations of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum

This bill increases funding by $300,000 for the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum.

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:

AB444,1 Section 1. 13.48 (26m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB444,10,6 13.48 (26m) Lead service line replacement. The legislature finds and determines that the prevalence of lead service lines in connections to public water systems poses a public health hazard and that processes for reducing lead entering drinking water from such pipes requires additional treatment of wastewater. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state, to assist private users of public water systems in replacing lead service lines.

AB444,2 Section 2. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table - See PDF for table - See PDF for table

AB444,3 Section 3. 20.155 (3) (a) of the statutes is created to read:

AB444,12,3 20.155 (3) (a) Broadband expansion grants; general purpose revenue. The amounts in the schedule for broadband expansion grants under s. 196.504 (2).

AB444,4 Section 4. 20.165 (2) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

AB444,13,3 20.165 (2) (d) Private on-site wastewater treatment system grants and septage study. As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for financial assistance under the private on-site wastewater treatment system replacement and rehabilitation program under s. 145.245 and for the septage characterization study under 2021 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), section 9138 (1).

AB444,5 Section 5. 20.192 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read: