AB782: Bill Text

LRB-5111/1

KMS:amn

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Assembly BILL 782

December 8, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives J. Anderson, Clancy, Drake, Jacobson, Joers, Moore Omokunde, Palmeri, Ratcliff, Shelton, Sinicki and Madison, cosponsored by Senators Larson, Hesselbein and Taylor. Referred to Committee on Education.

AB782,1,6 An Act to renumber 121.02 (1) (h); to amend 121.91 (7); and to create 118.40 (2r) (d) 3., 118.40 (2x) (d) 3., 118.60 (2) (a) 10., 119.23 (2) (a) 10., 121.02 (1) (h) 2. and 121.91 (4) (m) of the statutes; relating to: requiring public schools and private schools participating in a parental choice program to employ a full-time librarian and a school district revenue limit adjustment for the cost of employing full-time librarians.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under this bill, each school board must employ a licensed instructional library media specialist on a full-time basis for each school in the school district; each independent charter school must employ a licensed instructional library media specialist on a full-time basis; and each private school participating in a parental choice program must employ a licensed instructional library media specialist, or an individual with a degree in library science or an equivalent degree, on a full-time basis.

In addition, the bill creates a school district revenue limit adjustment for the costs of a school board to comply with this requirement. Current law generally limits the total amount of revenue per pupil that a school district may receive from general school aids and property taxes in a school year to the amount of revenue allowed per pupil in the previous school year plus a per pupil increase, if any, as provided by law. However, current law also includes several adjustments to the general revenue limit. For example, if a school district increases the services that it provides by adding responsibility for providing a service transferred to it from another governmental unit, the school district's revenue limit is increased by the cost of that service.

The bill creates a school district revenue limit adjustment for the amount a school district spent during the previous school year to employ a full-time librarian in any school in the district that did not already have a full-time librarian. Specifically, under the bill, a school board must state in a resolution for the revenue limit adjustment the extent to which the school board was already in compliance with the requirement to employ a full-time librarian for each school in the school district. If the school board adopts the resolution, the school district's revenue limit is increased by the amount the school board spent in the previous school year to reach full compliance with that requirement.

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:

AB782,1 Section 1. 118.40 (2r) (d) 3. of the statutes is created to read:

AB782,2,3 118.40 (2r) (d) 3. Ensure that all charter schools under this subsection employ a licensed instructional library media specialist on a full-time basis.

AB782,2 Section 2. 118.40 (2x) (d) 3. of the statutes is created to read:

AB782,2,7 118.40 (2x) (d) 3. Ensure that all charter schools established under this subsection employ a licensed instructional library media specialist on a full-time basis.

AB782,3 Section 3. 118.60 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:

AB782,2,11 118.60 (2) (a) 10. The private school employs a licensed instructional library media specialist, or an individual with a degree in library science or an equivalent degree, on a full-time basis.

AB782,4 Section 4. 119.23 (2) (a) 10. of the statutes is created to read:

AB782,3,3 119.23 (2) (a) 10. The private school employs a licensed instructional library media specialist, or an individual with a degree in library science or an equivalent degree, on a full-time basis.

AB782,5 Section 5. 121.02 (1) (h) of the statutes is renumbered 121.02 (1) (h) 1.

AB782,6 Section 6. 121.02 (1) (h) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

AB782,3,7 121.02 (1) (h) 2. Employ one licensed instructional library media specialist on a full-time basis for each school in the school district.

AB782,7 Section 7. 121.91 (4) (m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB782,3,14 121.91 (4) (m) 1. If a school board adopts a resolution to do so, and states in the resolution the extent to which the school board was already compliant with s. 121.02 (1) (h) 2. on the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date], the limit otherwise applicable to the school district under sub. (2m) in any school year is increased by the amount spent by the school district in the previous school year to reach full compliance with s. 121.02 (1) (h) 2.

AB782,3,17 2. Any additional revenue received by a school district under this paragraph shall not be included in the base for determining the school district's limit under sub. (2m) for the following school year.

AB782,8 Section 8. 121.91 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB782,3,25 121.91 (7) Except as provided in subs. (4) (f) 2. and (n) (m) to (qe) and (8), if an excess revenue is approved under sub. (3) for a recurring purpose or allowed under sub. (4), the excess revenue shall be included in the base for determining the limit for the next school year for purposes of this section. If an excess revenue is approved under sub. (3) for a nonrecurring purpose, the excess revenue shall not be included in the base for determining the limit for the next school year for purposes of this section.

AB782,9 Section 9. Initial applicability.

AB782,4,4 (1) The treatment of s. 121.91 (4) (m) and (7) first applies to the calculation of a school district's revenue limit for the school year beginning after the effective date of this subsection.

AB782,10 Section 10. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

AB782,4,9 (1) The treatment of ss. 118.40 (2r) (d) 3. and (2x) (d) 3., 118.60 (2) (a) 10., and 119.23 (2) (a) 10., the renumbering of s. 121.02 (1) (h), and the creation of s. 121.02 (1) (h) 2. take effect on the first day of the school year beginning after publication.

AB782,4,10 (End)