AB1078: Bill Text

LRB-5871/1

SWB:cjs/cdc/skw

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Assembly BILL 1078

February 9, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives Summerfield, Hurd, Moses, Petryk, Pronschinske, Armstrong and Rozar, cosponsored by Senators James and Quinn. Referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care.

AB1078,1,1 An Act relating to: funding for hospital emergency department services.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill specifies that the Joint Committee on Finance may provide up to $15,000,000 in funding in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, from the JCF supplemental appropriation, for grants to fund health systems that commit to providing hospital emergency department services in Chippewa County or Eau Claire County, and that, in addition, agree to use any grant funds for capital expenditures to aid in providing hospital emergency department services in Chippewa County or Eau Claire County.

Under the bill, the Department of Health Services may submit a request to JCF for this funding with a plan that identifies each health system requesting funding, describes the types of expenditures for which the requested funding would be used, and prioritizes grant awards to support hospital emergency department services in Chippewa County. The bill provides that if JCF determines that the requirements set forth in the bill are satisfied, JCF may approve the plan and request for funding, as proposed or as modified, and may provide funding, not exceeding a total of $15,000,000, to DHS to provide grants to health systems as provided in the approved plan. The bill requires a report to the legislature that includes the amount of funding received, a detailed description of all expenditures for which the funding was used, and the impact of the funding on the hospital emergency department services of the health systems that received a grant.

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:

AB1078,1 Section 1 . Nonstatutory provisions.

AB1078,2,2 (1) Grants for hospital emergency department services.

AB1078,2,6 (a) The department of health services may submit to the joint committee on finance a request for funding in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, in a total amount not exceeding $15,000,000, to award grants to fund one or more health systems that apply for a grant and meet all of the following requirements:

AB1078,2,8 1. The health system commits to providing hospital emergency department services in Chippewa County or Eau Claire County.

AB1078,2,11 2. The health system agrees to use any grant moneys received to fund capital expenditures to aid in providing hospital emergency department services in Chippewa County or Eau Claire County.

AB1078,2,16 (b) The department of health services shall include in the request for funding under par. (a) a plan that identifies each health system that requests funding, describes the types of capital expenditures for which the requested funding would be used, and prioritizes grant awards to support hospital emergency department services in Chippewa County.

AB1078,2,19 (c) If the joint committee on finance determines that the requirements under pars. (a) and (b) are satisfied, the joint committee on finance may approve the plan and request for funding, as proposed or as modified.

AB1078,3,3 (d) Upon approval under par. (c), the joint committee on finance may supplement the appropriation to the department of health services under s. 20.435 (1) (bd) from the appropriation under s. 20.865 (4) (a), in an amount determined by the joint committee on finance, but not exceeding a total of $15,000,000, to provide grants to health systems as provided in the approved plan.

AB1078,3,12 (e) Not later than March 1, 2025, a health system that is a recipient of a grant under this subsection shall report to the department of health services the amount of funding received, a detailed description of all capital expenditures for which the funding was used, and the impact of the funding on the health system's hospital emergency department services. Not later than June 1, 2025, the department of health services shall submit to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees in the manner set forth under s. 13.172 (3) a report summarizing this information received from the grant recipients.

AB1078,3,13 (End)