SB49: Bill Text

SB49,12,11 196.504 (2) (c) To establish criteria for evaluating applications and awarding grants under this section. The criteria shall prohibit grants that have the effect of subsidizing the expenses of a provider of telecommunications service, as defined in s. 182.017 (1g) (cq), or the monthly bills of customers of those providers. The criteria shall give priority to projects that include matching funds, that involve public-private partnerships, that affect areas with no broadband service providers unserved areas, that are scalable, that promote economic development, that will not result in delaying the provision of broadband service to areas neighboring areas to be served by the proposed project, or that affect a large geographic area or a large number of underserved individuals or communities. When evaluating grant applications under this section, the commission shall consider the degree to which the proposed projects would duplicate existing broadband infrastructure, information about the presence of which is provided to the commission by the applicant or another person within a time period designated by the commission; the impacts of the proposed projects on the ability of individuals to access health care services from home and the cost of those services; and the impacts of the proposed projects on the ability of students to access educational opportunities from home.

SB49,32 Section 32. 196.504 (2) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

SB49,12,13 196.504 (2) (e) To designate areas of the state as unserved areas.

SB49,33 Section 33. 2015 Wisconsin Act 55, section 800d is repealed.

SB49,34 Section 34. 2015 Wisconsin Act 55, section 9401 (1f) is amended to read:

SB49,12,19 [2015 Wisconsin Act 55] Section 9401 (1f) Information technology block grants; sunset. The treatment of sections 20.505 (4) (s) (by Section 800d) and section 196.218 (5) (a) 12. (by Section 3532d) of the statutes and the repeal of section 16.994 of the statutes take effect on July 1, 2017 2019.

SB49,35 Section 35 . Nonstatutory provisions.

SB49,12,22 (1) Additional one-time information technology infrastructure block grants.

SB49,13,6 (a) Before July 1, 2017, from the appropriation under section 20.505 (4) (s) of the statutes, the department of administration may award grants on a competitive basis to eligible school districts for the purpose of improving information technology infrastructure. In awarding grants under this subsection, the department of administration shall give priority to applications for school districts in which the percentage of pupils who satisfy the income eligibility criteria under 42 USC 1758 (b) (1) for a free or reduced-price lunch is greater than in other applicant school districts. The department of administration shall require an applicant for a grant under this subsection to provide all of the following:

SB49,13,8 1. A description of the specific information technology infrastructure, including any equipment, that the applicant intends to purchase with grant proceeds.

SB49,13,10 2. The applicant's plan to purchase, install, and use the information technology infrastructure described in subdivision 1 .

SB49,13,12 3. A description of the applicant's readiness to use information technology infrastructure purchased with grant proceeds.

SB49,13,14 (b) A school district is eligible for a grant under this subsection if all of the following apply:

SB49,13,16 1. The school district's membership in the previous school year divided by the school district's area in square miles is 16 or less.

SB49,13,18 2. The school district's membership in the previous school year was 2,500 or less.

SB49,13,20 (c) The total amount the department of administration may award to an eligible school district under this subsection may not exceed the following:

SB49,13,22 1. If the membership of the eligible school district is fewer than 750 pupils, $30,000.

SB49,13,24 2. If the membership of the eligible school district is 750 pupils to 1,500 pupils, $40 multiplied by the school district's membership.

SB49,14,2 3. If the membership of the eligible school district is more than 1,500 pupils, $60,000.

SB49,14,5 (d) The department of administration may not count a grant awarded under this subsection towards the maximum amount a school district may receive under section 16.994 (3) of the statutes.

SB49,36 Section 36 . Fiscal changes.

SB49,14,9 (1) There is transferred from the universal service fund to the appropriation account under section 20.155 (3) (r) of the statutes $6,000,000 in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

SB49,14,12 (2) There is transferred from the appropriation account under section 20.505 (4) (mp) of the statutes to the appropriation account under section 20.155 (3) (r) of the statutes $5,000,000 in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

SB49,14,15 (3) There is transferred from the appropriation account under section 20.505 (4) (mp) of the statutes to the universal service fund $7,500,000 in fiscal year 2016-17.

SB49,14,19 (4) In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of administration under section 20.505 (4) (s) of the statutes, the dollar amount for fiscal year 2016-17 is increased by $7,500,000 for the purpose for which the appropriation is made.

SB49,37 Section 37. Initial applicability.

SB49,14,23 (1) Fee waivers. The treatment of sections 24.40 (3) and 86.16 (6) of the statutes first applies to easements granted or construction permits issued on the effective date of this subsection.

SB49,38 Section 38. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

SB49,15,3 (1) The treatment of section 20.155 (1) (q) of the statutes takes effect on July 1, 2017, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2017 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

SB49,15,5 (2) The treatment of section 20.505 (4) (s) (by Section 13) of the statutes takes effect on July 1, 2017.

SB49,15,7 (3) The repeal and recreation of section 20.505 (4) (s) of the statutes takes effect on July 1, 2019.

SB49,15,9 (4) The repeal and recreation of section 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. of the statutes takes effect on July 1, 2017.

SB49,15,10 (End)