2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
September 20, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Quinn, Ballweg, James and
Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives Novak, Kitchens, Allen,
Andraca, Armstrong, Behnke, Considine, Edming, Green, Jacobson,
Mursau, Oldenburg, Rozar, Shankland, Spiros and Tusler. Referred to
Committee on Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry.
SB448,1,2
1An Act to create 20.380 (3) (dm) and 41.567 of the statutes;
relating to: rural
2creative economy grant program and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a grant program administered by the Arts Board in the
Department of Tourism. The bill requires the Arts Board to award grants on a
competitive basis to businesses, whether operated for profit or not for profit, local
governmental agencies, tribal governmental agencies, and business development
organizations or associations that work to promote creative businesses, products, or
services in rural areas in Wisconsin, including by fostering any of the following:
1. Job and business creation and capacity building.
2. Workforce training and development.
3. Community and sector planning, development, and engagement.
4. Products or services with artistic, cultural, creative, or aesthetic qualities.
Under the bill, such a grant may not exceed $50,000 and must be expended
solely for the benefit of rural areas. Additionally, the bill prohibits the Arts Board
from awarding a grant unless the grant recipient matches the amount of the grant
with moneys raised from nonstate sources.
For further information see the state 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:
SB448,1
1Section
1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
2the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
-
See PDF for table 
SB448,2
3Section
2. 20.380 (3) (dm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB448,2,64
20.380
(3) (dm)
Rural creative economy grant program. As a continuing
5appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for rural creative economy development
6grants under s. 41.567.
SB448,3
7Section
3. 41.567 of the statutes is created to read:
SB448,2,8
841.567 Rural creative economy grant program. (1) In this section:
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(a) “Creative business, product, or service” means a business, product, or
10service having an artistic, cultural, creative, or aesthetic value.
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(b) “Rural area" means any of the following:
SB448,2,1212
1. A city, town, or village in this state that has a population of less than 20,000.
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2. An area in this state that is not an urbanized area, as defined by the federal
14bureau of the census.
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3. A county in this state that has a population of less than 25,000.
SB448,3,2
16(2) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.380 (3) (dm), the board shall award
17rural creative economy development grants on a competitive basis to businesses,
18whether operated for profit or not for profit, municipal and county governmental
19agencies, tribal governmental agencies, and business development organizations or
1associations that work to promote and assist creative businesses, products, or
2services in rural areas in this state, including by fostering any of the following:
SB448,3,33
1. Job and business creation and capacity building.
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2. Workforce training and development.
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3. Community and sector planning, development, and engagement.
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4. Products or services with artistic, cultural, creative, or aesthetic qualities.
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(b) A grant awarded under par. (a) may not exceed $50,000 and shall be
8expended solely for the benefit of rural areas in this state.
SB448,3,11
9(3) The board may not award a grant under sub. (2) unless the business,
10governmental agency, or business development organization or association has
11secured from nonstate sources an amount equal to the amount of the proposed grant.
SB448,4
12Section
4.
Nonstatutory provision.
SB448,3,1713
(1)
Effectiveness report. The arts board shall develop a matrix to evaluate
14the effectiveness of rural creative economy development grants awarded under s.
1541.567 and shall submit a report on the effectiveness of the rural creative economy
16development grants, as determined using the matrix developed under this
17subsection, to the joint committee on finance no later than May 1, 2025.
