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LRB-1427/P3
MPG:jld:jm
2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Lawrence, BB0435 - Grants for certain veterans service organizations and for Camp American Legion; increased payments to the Wisconsin department of Disabled American Veterans
For 2013-2015 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
veterans
Under current law, DVA is required to make annual payments to certain federally recognized state veterans organizations in Wisconsin. The amount of a given payment is based on the amount the state veterans organization paid in salaries and travel expenses during the organization's last fiscal year to its employees who provide certain services to veterans through a regional office of the federal Department of Veterans Affairs located in Wisconsin. Specifically, current law requires DVA to make the following annual payments:
1. If a state veterans organization paid from $1 to $2,499 in salaries and travel expenses to such employees, an amount equal to the amount paid.
2. If the state veterans organization paid from $2,500 to $9,999 in salaries and travel expenses to such employees, $2,500.
3. If the state veterans organization paid from $10,000 to $119,999 in salaries and travel expenses to such employees, an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount paid.
4. If the state veterans organization paid $120,000 or more in salaries and travel expenses to such employees, $30,000.
This bill replaces those payments with the requirement that DVA make the following annual payments:
1. If the state veterans organization paid from $1 to $119,999 in salaries and travel expenses to such employees, an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount paid.
2. If the state veterans organization paid $120,000 or more in salaries and travel expenses to such employees, $70,000.
The bill also authorizes DVA to audit the records of a state veterans organization that receives such a payment from DVA.
Also under current law, DVA is required to pay $100,000 annually to the Wisconsin department of the Disabled American Veterans for the provision of transportation services to veterans. The bill increases that annual payment to $120,000.
The bill also authorizes DVA to grant up to $50,000 annually to the Wisconsin department of the American Legion for the operation of Camp American Legion located in the town of Lake Tomahawk.
Finally, under current law, DVA may make annual grants of up to $8,500 to American Indian tribes or bands for the improvement of a tribe's or band's services to veterans. A tribe or band must satisfy certain requirements to be eligible for a grant, including appointing a veteran to serve as the tribe's or band's tribal veterans service officer. The bill increases that authorization to up to $15,000 for each grant DVA makes to an American Indian tribe or band.
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:
Section 1. 20.485 (2) (vw) of the statutes is amended to read:
20.485 (2) (vw) Payments to veterans organizations for claims service; grants for the operation of Camp American Legion; grants to American Indian tribes and bands. The amounts in the schedule to pay for payments to veterans organizations for claims services as prescribed in under s. 45.41 (2) and (3m), for grants to the Wisconsin department of the American Legion under s. 45.41 (5) to operate Camp American Legion, and for grants to American Indian tribes and bands under s. 45.82 (4).
****Note: This Section involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.
****Note: This is reconciled s. 20.485 (2) (vw). This Section has been affected by drafts with the following LRB numbers: -1208; -1427.
Section 2. 45.41 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.41 (2) (a) If the total amount paid under sub. (3) is from $1 to $2,499 $119,999, the organization shall receive an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount paid.
Section 3. 45.41 (2) (b) of the statutes is repealed.
Section 4. 45.41 (2) (c) of the statutes is repealed.
Section 5. 45.41 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.41 (2) (d) If the total amount paid under sub. (3) is $120,000 or more, the organization shall receive $30,000 $70,000.
Section 6. 45.41 (2) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
45.41 (2) (e) An organization that receives a payment under par. (a) or (d) shall maintain records as required by the department concerning the organization's expenditure of the payment. That organization shall give the department access to those records upon request of the department, and the department may audit those records.
Section 7. 45.41 (3m) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.41 (3m) If the total amount of payments required to be paid under sub. (2) (a) to (c) and (d) exceeds the amount available for the payments from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (vw), the department shall prorate the reimbursement payments among the state veterans organizations receiving the payments.
Section 8. 45.41 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 45.41 (4) (a) and amended to read:
45.41 (4) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (s), the department shall annually provide a payment of $100,000 $120,000 to the Wisconsin department of the Disabled American Veterans for the provision of transportation services to veterans.
Section 9. 45.41 (4) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
45.41 (4) (b) The Wisconsin department of the Disabled American Veterans shall maintain records as required by the department concerning its expenditure of the payment under par. (a). The Wisconsin department of the Disabled American Veterans shall give the department access to those records upon request of the department and the department may audit those records to ensure that the Wisconsin department of the Disabled American Veterans is using the payment under par. (a) to provide transportation services to veterans.
Section 10. 45.41 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
45.41 (5) From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (vw), the department may annually grant up to $50,000 to the Wisconsin department of the American Legion for the operation of Camp American Legion.
Section 11. 45.82 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.82 (4) The department shall provide grants to the governing bodies of federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (km) or (vw) if that governing body enters into an agreement with the department regarding the creation, goals, and objectives of a tribal veterans service officer, appoints a veteran to act as a tribal veterans service officer, and gives that veteran duties similar to the duties described in s. 45.80 (5), except that the veteran shall report to the governing body of the tribe or band. The department may make annual grants of up to $8,500 $15,000 per grant under this subsection and shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection.
Section 9331. Initial applicability; Military Affairs.
(1) Payments to certain state veterans organizations. The treatment of section 45.41 (2) (a), (b), (c), and (d) of the statutes first applies to an application for payment that the department of veterans affairs receives from a state veterans organization under section 45.41 (2) of the statutes on the effective date of this subsection.
(End)