MR8 AB1: Bill Text

Assembly BILL 1

March 16, 2018 - Introduced by Committee on Assembly Organization and Representative Novak, by request of Governor Scott Walker. Referred to Committee on Education.

AB1,1,4 An Act to create 20.455 (2) (f) and 165.88 of the statutes; relating to: grants to schools for school safety and safety-related upgrades to school buildings, equipment, and facilities; providing an exemption from rule-making procedures; and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill creates a grant program, administered by the Department of Justice, to award grants to school districts, operators of independent charter schools, governing bodies of private schools, and tribal schools to improve school safety. Under the bill, DOJ must, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, develop a plan for awarding the grants. The plan must include what expenditures are eligible to be funded by a grant, including expenditures related to the employment of armed school safety officers and safety-related upgrades to school buildings, equipment, and facilities.

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:

AB1,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

AB1,2 Section 2. 20.455 (2) (f) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1,2,3 20.455 (2) (f) School safety. As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule to provide grants under s. 165.88 (2).

AB1,3 Section 3. 165.88 of the statutes is created to read:

AB1,2,5 165.88 Grants for school safety. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB1,2,7 (a) “Former officer” means a person who was formerly employed as a law enforcement officer to whom s. 941.23 (2) (c) 1. to 7. applies.

AB1,2,9 (b) “Independent charter school” means a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x).

AB1,2,12 (c) “Law enforcement officer” means a person who is employed in this state by a public agency as a law enforcement officer and to whom s. 941.23 (1) (g) 2. to 5. and (2) (b) 1. to 3. applies.

AB1,2,13 (d) “Private school” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (3r).

AB1,2,14 (e) “School board” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (7).

AB1,2,15 (f) “Tribal school” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (15m).

AB1,2,20 (2) Grants for school safety. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.455 (2) (f), the department of justice shall award grants for expenditures related to improving school safety. The department shall accept applications for a grant under this subsection from school boards, operators of independent charter schools, governing bodies of private schools, and tribal schools.

AB1,3,10 (b) The department of justice, in consultation with the department of public instruction, shall develop a plan for use in awarding grants under this subsection. The department of justice shall include in the plan a description of what types of expenditures are eligible to be funded by grant proceeds. Eligible expenditures shall include expenditures to comply with the model practices created in s. 165.28 (1); expenditures for training under s. 165.28 (3); subject to par. (c), expenditures to employ armed school safety officers; expenditures for safety-related upgrades to school buildings, equipment, and facilities; and expenditures necessary to comply with s. 118.07 (4) (cm). Notwithstanding s. 227.10 (1), the plan need not be promulgated as rules under ch. 227.

AB1,3,24 (c) If a grant under this subsection is awarded to employ armed school safety officers, the grant money may be used to employ only law enforcement officers or former law enforcement officers as armed school safety officers and may not be used to supplant existing resources used for this purpose. A school that receives a grant to employ armed school safety officers shall demonstrate that the moneys are not supplanting existing resources used for this purpose by submitting an accounting of the previous year expenditures used to employ, hire, or retain armed school safety officers. A school that receives a grant to employ armed school safety officers may receive a grant for 3 consecutive years without submitting a new application each year. In the first year, the grant shall cover 75 percent of the costs associated with employing armed school safety officers; in the 2nd year, the grant shall cover 50 percent of the costs associated with employing armed school safety officers; and in the 3rd year, the grant shall cover 25 percent of the costs associated with employing armed school safety officers.

AB1,4,2 (3) Application requirements. An application submitted for a grant under sub. (2) shall include all of the following:

AB1,4,3 (a) A school safety plan.

AB1,4,4 (b) Blueprints of each school building and facility.

AB1,4,5 (c) A proposed plan of expenditure of the grant moneys.

AB1,4,8 (4) Report. The department of justice shall submit an annual report to the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance providing an account of the grants awarded under sub. (2) and the expenditures made with the grant moneys.

AB1,4,9 (End)