AB955: Bill Text

LRB-4800/1

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2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE

2017 Assembly BILL 955

February 16, 2018 - Introduced by Representative Pronschinske. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Sporting Heritage.

AB955,1,4 An Act to create 20.370 (1) (Lw), 20.370 (5) (hq), 20.370 (5) (hr), 23.0954, 29.563 (13m) and 29.599 of the statutes; relating to: a surcharge on nonresident hunting and fishing approvals for providing grant programs, granting rule-making authority, and making appropriations.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to add to any hunting or fishing approval issued to a nonresident who is at least 16 years of age a surcharge that is equal to 15 percent of the fee specified for the approval. The bill provides that moneys collected from this surcharge are credited to DNR, with one-third of the moneys to be used for habitat restoration and stocking, one-third to be used for school education programs, and one-third to be used for the purchase of emergency rescue equipment for counties and municipalities.

Under current law, DNR issues hunting and fishing licenses that allow the hunting or fishing of specified game animals and game fish. Current law specifies the fee for each license. The fee for a nonresident license for a particular game animal or game fish is higher than the fee for a resident license for the same game animal or game fish.

The bill requires DNR to establish a program to award grants to counties, municipalities, and American Indian tribes and bands for the purchase of emergency rescue equipment for responding to incidents involving hunting, fishing, and trapping and accidents involving all-terrain and utility terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, boats, and snowmobiles. The grant recipient is required to provide funding equal to 25 percent of the grant amount awarded. The bill increases DNR's authorized positions by 0.5 to administer this program.

The bill requires DNR to establish a program to award grants to public schools, private schools, and tribal schools to offer instructional programming on certain outdoor recreation activities and natural resources. The instructional programming may include instruction on any of the following subjects: the safe operation and use of a snowmobile, all-terrain or utility terrain vehicle, or motorboat; hunter safety; knowledge to identify and understand the habitat needs of fish and wild animals of this state; an introduction to the state park system and the value of state parks; and safely fishing on ice. A school that receives a grant under the bill may not charge a fee to any pupil who is participating in the course of instruction.

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:

AB955,1 Section 1 . 20.370 (1) (Lw) of the statutes is created to read:

AB955,2,5 20.370 (1) (Lw) Habitat restoration and species stocking. All moneys received as surcharge payments under s. 29.563 (13m) and credited to this appropriation for improving and maintaining wild animal habitat and for maintaining wild animal stock.

AB955,2 Section 2 . 20.370 (5) (hq) of the statutes is created to read:

AB955,2,9 20.370 (5) (hq) Resource aids — school education programs. All moneys received as surcharge payments under s. 29.563 (13m) and credited to this appropriation to provide courses of instruction under s. 29.599.

AB955,3 Section 3 . 20.370 (5) (hr) of the statutes is created to read:

AB955,2,14 20.370 (5) (hr) Resource aids — grants for purchase of emergency rescue equipment. All moneys received as surcharge payments under s. 29.563 (13m) and credited to this appropriation to provide grants for the purchase of emergency rescue equipment under s. 23.0954.

AB955,4 Section 4 . 23.0954 of the statutes is created to read:

AB955,3,6 23.0954 Grants for purchase of emergency rescue equipment. (1) The department shall establish a program to award grants to counties, municipalities, and federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands in this state for the purchase of emergency rescue equipment for responding to incidents involving hunting, fishing, and trapping and accidents involving all-terrain and utility terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, boats, and snowmobiles.

AB955,3,11 (2) From the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (hr), the department shall provide to each county, municipality, or federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state that submits an application an amount not to exceed $40,000 for the purchase of emergency rescue equipment. The department shall distribute grants in the order in which the applications are received.

AB955,3,18 (3) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a county, municipality, or federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state shall provide matching funding equal to 25 percent of the grant amount awarded. Two or more counties, municipalities, or federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands in this state may jointly provide matching funding if they have entered into an agreement regarding the provision of the matching funding and the use of the grant amount awarded.

AB955,3,25 (4) The department shall promulgate rules specifying what equipment may be purchased under the program under this section and shall allow the purchase of any equipment the department believes is necessary for the rescue of human beings and the recovery of human bodies from forests, waters, and any other natural areas of this state. The department may promulgate additional rules necessary to administer this section. The department may issue grants under this section prior to the promulgation of rules under this subsection.

AB955,4,2 (5) The department shall post information about the grant program under this section on the department's Internet site.

AB955,5 Section 5 . 29.563 (13m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB955,4,11 29.563 (13m) Nonresident approval surcharge. The surcharge for approvals listed under subs. (2) (b), (3) (b), and (4) (b) that are issued to a person who is at least 16 years of age is an amount equal to 15 percent of the fee specified for these approvals under subs. (2), (3), and (4) and shall be added to the specified fee. From the moneys received from collection of the surcharge added to approvals listed under subs. (2) (b), (3) (b), and (4) (b), one-third shall be credited to the appropriation under s. 20.370 (1) (Lw), one-third shall be credited to the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (hq), and one-third shall be credited to the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (hr).

AB955,6 Section 6 . 29.599 of the statutes is created to read:

AB955,4,14 29.599 Grants to schools to provide instructional programming about outdoor recreation and natural resources. (1) In this section:

AB955,4,15 (a) “Private school” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (3r).

AB955,4,16 (b) “Public school” includes a charter school, as defined in s. 115.001 (1).

AB955,4,17 (c) “Tribal school” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (15m).

AB955,4,21 (2) The department shall establish a program to award grants to public, private, and tribal schools for the purpose of offering a course of instruction in one or more of the following subject areas to pupils enrolled in any of the grades 5 to 12 at the public, private, or tribal school:

AB955,4,22 (a) The safe operation and use of an all-terrain or utility terrain vehicle.

AB955,4,23 (b) The safe operation and use of a snowmobile.

AB955,4,24 (c) The safe operation and use of a motorboat.

AB955,4,25 (d) Hunter safety.

AB955,5,2 (e) Knowledge to identify and understand the habitat needs of fish and wild animals in this state.

AB955,5,3 (f) An introduction to the state park system and the value of state parks.

AB955,5,4 (g) Safely fishing on ice.

AB955,5,8 (3) To receive a grant under this section, the school board of a school district, the governing board of a charter school, the governing body of a private school, or the governing body of a tribal school shall submit an application to the department that includes all of the following:

AB955,5,10 (a) The subject area or areas under sub. (2) to be included in the course of instruction.

AB955,5,13 (b) Whether the course of instruction will be offered during the school day, on school days but after school hours, on weekends, or during a combination of these days and times.

AB955,5,15 (c) Whether the course of instruction will require pupils to leave the school grounds to attend one or more field trips and, if so, the nature of the field trips.

AB955,5,17 (d) The estimated number of pupils who will participate in the course of instruction and the estimated per pupil cost to provide the instruction.

AB955,5,21 (e) A statement certifying that, if the school board, governing board, or governing body receives a grant under this section, the school board, governing board, or governing body will not charge a fee to any pupil that participates in the course of instruction.

AB955,6,2 (4) From the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (hq), the department shall provide to each school that submits an application that satisfies the requirements under sub. (3) an amount sufficient to ensure that each participating pupil receives the course of instruction at no cost. The department shall distribute grants to schools that satisfy the requirements under sub. (3) in the order in which the applications are received.

AB955,6,6 (5) The department shall post information about the grant program under this section on the department's Internet site and shall work with the department of public instruction to make information about the program available to public, private, and tribal schools.

AB955,7 Section 7 . Nonstatutory provisions.

AB955,6,11 (1) The authorized FTE positions for the department of natural resources, funded from the appropriation under section 20.370 (5) (hr) of the statutes, are increased by 0.5 SEG positions for the purpose of administering the emergency rescue equipment grant program under section 23.0954 of the statutes.

AB955,6,12 (End)