SB785,1,5 1An Act to amend 79.05 (2) (c); and to create 20.370 (6) (ad), 66.0602 (3) (e) 10.,
271.07 (8g), 71.10 (4) (em), 196.37 (6), 281.61 (8) (c), 281.62 (1) (am) and 281.62
3(5) of the statutes; relating to: providing funding, creating an individual
4income tax credit, and providing a levy limit exception for lead service line
5replacement and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates at the Department of Natural Resources a program to provide
financial assistance to municipalities for the replacement of public water system
service lines containing lead. The bill also creates a nonrefundable state income tax
credit and levy limit exception related to the replacement of lead service lines.
Under current law, DNR administers a safe drinking water loan program that
provides financial assistance for projects for the planning, designing, construction,
or modification of public water systems, if the projects will facilitate compliance with
national primary drinking water regulations.
The bill appropriates funds to DNR for the purpose of providing financial
assistance to municipalities to replace service lines containing lead. The amount
allocated to a municipality under the bill is required to be based on the estimated
number of lead service lines in the municipality. The bill provides that, as a condition
of receiving financial assistance, a municipality is required to provide matching
funds in an amount equal to at least 25 percent of the financial assistance received.
Generally under current law, local levy limits are applied to the property tax
levies that are imposed in December of each year. Current law prohibits any political

subdivision from increasing its levy by a percentage that exceeds its “valuation
factor," which is defined as the greater of either zero percent or the percentage change
in the political subdivision's equalized value due to new construction, less
improvements removed. Current law contains a number of exceptions to the levy
limit, such as amounts a county levies for a countywide emergency medical system,
for a county children with disabilities education board, and for certain bridge and
culvert construction and repair. In addition, a political subdivision may exceed the
levy limit that is otherwise applicable if its governing body adopts a resolution to do
so and if that resolution is approved by the electors in a referendum.
The bill creates another exception to local levy limits. Under the bill, amounts
levied by a political subdivision for costs related to lead water service line
replacement do not apply to the levy limit that is otherwise applicable. With regard
to amounts that are levied for such costs, the amounts may be used only to benefit
homeowners. If the political subdivision imposes a fee or charge on homeowners for
such costs, the fee or charge may not result in a lien on their property if the fee or
charge is unpaid, notwithstanding current-law provisions under which such unpaid
amounts would otherwise become a lien against the property.
The bill creates a nonrefundable individual income tax credit for qualifying
expenses incurred by an individual to replace a lead pipe that carries water to the
individual's principal dwelling. The maximum amount of credit that may be claimed
each year for an individual dwelling is $200 and the amount may be claimed for not
more than 10 years. Because the credit is nonrefundable, it may be claimed only up
to the amount of the claimant's tax liability.
The bill provides that an increase in water service rates proposed by a water
public utility is not unjust, unreasonable, insufficient, unfairly discriminatory, or
preferential or otherwise unreasonable or unlawful if the water public utility uses
the revenues from the rate increase to pay for replacing service lines containing lead.
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:
SB785,1 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 PDF
SB785,2 1Section 2. 20.370 (6) (ad) of the statutes is created to read:
SB785,3,42 20.370 (6) (ad) Environmental aids — lead service line replacement grants. As
3a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for lead service line
4replacement grants.
SB785,3 5Section 3. 66.0602 (3) (e) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
SB785,3,116 66.0602 (3) (e) 10. The amount that a political subdivision levies in that year
7for costs related to the replacement of lead water service lines. Any amount so levied
8may be used only to benefit homeowners for such costs. If the political subdivision
9imposes a fee or charge on homeowners to pay for the replacement of lead water
10service lines, the fee or charge may not result in a lien on real property if unpaid,
11notwithstanding ss. 66.0627 (4) and 66.0701 (1).
SB785,4 12Section 4. 71.07 (8g) of the statutes is created to read:
SB785,3,1413 71.07 (8g) Lead pipe replacement tax credit. (a) Definitions. In this
14subsection:
SB785,3,1515 1. “Claimant" means an individual who files a claim under this subsection.
SB785,3,1616 2. “Household” means an individual and his or her spouse.
SB785,3,1817 3. “Lead pipe” means a pipe that contains lead and carries water to a principal
18dwelling from a municipal water main.
SB785,3,1919 4. “Municipality” means any city, village, or town.
SB785,4,3
15. “Order” means a municipality's requirement to a homeowner to replace a
2lead pipe that carries water to the homeowner's principal dwelling that is located in
3the municipality.
SB785,4,54 6. “Principal dwelling” means any dwelling that is used by the owner of the
5dwelling as his or her primary residence.
SB785,4,86 7. “Replacement costs” means costs incurred by an individual to replace a lead
7pipe that carries water to the individual's principal dwelling, provided that the costs
8are incurred due to an order.
SB785,4,139 (b) Filing claims. Subject to the limitations and conditions provided in this
10subsection, for a taxable year in which a claimant makes a payment to a municipality
11for replacement costs, the claimant may claim as a credit against the tax imposed
12under s. 71.02, up to the amount of those taxes, an amount equal to the amount the
13claimant paid for replacement costs.
SB785,4,1514 (c) Limitations and conditions. 1. The maximum credit that may be claimed
15under this subsection each year is $200.
SB785,4,1716 2. The maximum number of taxable years for which a claimant may file a claim
17under this subsection for a particular principal dwelling is 10 years.
SB785,4,1918 3. No credit may be allowed under this subsection unless it is claimed within
19the period specified in s. 71.75 (2).
SB785,4,2120 4. Part-year residents and nonresidents of this state are not eligible for the
21credit under this subsection.
SB785,4,2222 5. Only one credit may be claimed under this subsection by a household.
SB785,4,2523 6. No credit may be allowed under this subsection for a taxable year covering
24a period of less than 12 months, except for a taxable year closed by reason of the death
25of the taxpayer.
SB785,5,2
1(d) Administration. Subsection (9e) (d), to the extent that it applies to the credit
2under that subsection, applies to the credit under this subsection.
SB785,5 3Section 5. 71.10 (4) (em) of the statutes is created to read:
SB785,5,44 71.10 (4) (em) Lead pipe replacement tax credit under s. 71.07 (8g).
SB785,6 5Section 6. 79.05 (2) (c) of the statutes, as affected by 2017 Wisconsin Act 58,
6is amended to read:
SB785,5,247 79.05 (2) (c) Its municipal budget; exclusive of principal and interest on
8long-term debt and exclusive of revenue sharing payments under s. 66.0305,
9expenditures from the amounts levied as described under s. 66.0602 (3) (e) 10.,
10recycling fee payments under s. 289.645, expenditures of grant payments under s.
1116.297 (1m), unreimbursed expenses related to an emergency declared under s.
12323.10, expenditures from moneys received pursuant to P.L. 111-5, and expenditures
13made pursuant to a purchasing agreement with a school district whereby the
14municipality makes purchases on behalf of the school district; for the year of the
15statement under s. 79.015 increased over its municipal budget as adjusted under
16sub. (6); exclusive of principal and interest on long-term debt and exclusive of
17revenue sharing payments under s. 66.0305, expenditures from the amounts levied
18as described under s. 66.0602 (3) (e) 10.,
recycling fee payments under s. 289.645,
19expenditures of grant payments under s. 16.297 (1m), unreimbursed expenses
20related to an emergency declared under s. 323.10, expenditures from moneys
21received pursuant to P.L. 111-5, and expenditures made pursuant to a purchasing
22agreement with a school district whereby the municipality makes purchases on
23behalf of the school district; for the year before that year by less than the sum of the
24inflation factor and the valuation factor, rounded to the nearest 0.10 percent.
SB785,7 25Section 7. 196.37 (6) of the statutes is created to read:
SB785,6,6
1196.37 (6) A rate increase proposed by a water public utility is not unjust,
2unreasonable, insufficient, unfairly discriminatory, or preferential or otherwise
3unreasonable or unlawful if the proceeds from the proposed increase are used for
4private infrastructure improvements with the purpose of replacing lead service lines
5containing lead or providing water filters or other public health measures related to
6lead in the water supply of residential customers with service lines containing lead.
SB785,8 7Section 8. 281.61 (8) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
SB785,6,108 281.61 (8) (c) Funds appropriated for the purpose of replacing service lines
9containing lead shall be allocated based on the estimated number of lead service lines
10in the city, village, or town in which the recipient of the funds is located.
SB785,9 11Section 9. 281.62 (1) (am) of the statutes is created to read:
SB785,6,1212 281.62 (1) (am) “Municipality” means a city, village, or town.
SB785,10 13Section 10. 281.62 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
SB785,6,1714 281.62 (5) (a) The department shall allocate funds from the appropriation
15account under s. 20.370 (6) (ad) to municipalities for the purposes of replacing service
16lines containing lead. The amount allocated to a municipality under this paragraph
17shall be based on the estimated number of lead service lines in the municipality.
SB785,6,2018 (b) As a condition of receiving financial assistance under par. (a), a municipality
19shall provide matching funds in an amount equal to at least 25 percent of the
20financial assistance received under par. (a).
SB785,11 21Section 11. Initial applicability.
SB785,6,2322 (1) Levy limit exception. The treatment of section 66.0602 (3) (e) 10. of the
23statutes first applies to a levy that is imposed in December 2017.
SB785,7,3
1(2) Lead pipe replacement tax credit. The treatment of sections 71.07 (8g) and
271.10 (4) (em) of the statutes first applies to taxable years beginning after December
331, 2017.
SB785,7,44 (End)
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