AB664: Bill Text

2019 Assembly BILL 664

December 5, 2019 - Introduced by Representatives Edming, Krug, Kulp, Kurtz, Magnafici, Mursau, Quinn, Sinicki, Thiesfeldt, Tranel, Tusler and VanderMeer, cosponsored by Senators Jacque and Schachtner. Referred to Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs.

AB664,1,3 An Act to repeal 45.82 (3); to amend 20.485 (1) (gk) and 45.82 (2); and to create 45.82 (3m) (a) and 45.82 (3m) (b) 1. to 5. of the statutes; relating to: grants to counties and tribes for veterans services and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, a county may apply annually to the Department of Veterans Affairs for a grant for the improvement of services provided to former military personnel of the county through the county veterans service office. Grants are awarded based on county population totals.

This bill changes the way grant funding is awarded by awarding grants using a formula that first ranks counties based on equalized assessed property values, veteran population density, and veteran population percentage, and then combines the results of those calculations to determine a grant award amount.

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:

AB664,1 Section 1 . 20.485 (1) (gk) of the statutes, as affected by 2019 Wisconsin Act 9, is amended to read:

AB664,2,15 20.485 (1) (gk) Institutional operations. The amounts in the schedule for the care of the members of the Wisconsin veterans homes under s. 45.50, for the payment of stipends under s. 45.50 (2m) (f), for the transfer of moneys to the appropriation account under s. 20.435 (4) (ky) for payment of the state share of the medical assistance costs related to the provision of stipends under s. 45.50 (2m) (f), for the payment of assistance to indigent veterans under s. 45.43 to allow them to reside at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove, and for the transfer of moneys to the appropriation accounts under pars. (kc) and (kj), and for the payment of grants under s. 45.82. Not more than 1 percent of the moneys credited to this appropriation account may be used for the payment of assistance to indigent veterans under s. 45.43. All moneys received under par. (m) and s. 45.51 (7) (b) and (8) and all moneys received for the care of members under medical assistance, as defined in s. 49.43 (8), shall be credited to this appropriation account. Except for the moneys transferred under this paragraph to the appropriation account under par. (kc), no moneys may be expended from this appropriation for the purposes specified in par. (kc).

AB664,2 Section 2. 45.82 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB664,3,4 45.82 (2) The department of veterans affairs shall award a grant annually to a county that meets the standards developed under this section if the county executive, administrator, or administrative coordinator certifies to the department that it employs a county veterans service officer who, if chosen after April 15, 2015, is chosen from a list of candidates who have taken a civil service examination for the position of county veterans service officer developed and administered by the bureau of merit recruitment and selection in the department of administration, or is appointed under a civil service competitive examination procedure under s. 59.52 (8) or ch. 63 elected or appointed under s. 45.80 (1). The grant shall be $8,500 for a county with a population of less than 20,000, $10,000 for a county with a population of 20,000 to 45,499, $11,500 for a county with a population of 45,500 to 74,999, and $13,000 for a county with a population of 75,000 or more to each county shall be in the amount calculated according to the formula in sub. (3m)(b).

AB664,3,8 (3m) (b) The department of veterans affairs shall use the most recent Wisconsin official population estimates prepared by the demographic services center when making grants calculating a grant amount under this subsection. Each county shall receive a grant in the amount determined in the following manner:

AB664,3 Section 3. 45.82 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

AB664,4 Section 4. 45.82 (3m) (a) of the statutes is created to read:

AB664,3,11 45.82 (3m) (a) In this subsection:

AB664,3,15 1. “County ranking for equalized assessed property values” means the county ranking for equalized assessed property values where the county with the lowest equalized assessed county property value is ranked 72 and the county with the highest equalized assessed county property value is ranked one.

AB664,3,19 2. “County ranking for veteran population density” means the county ranking for veteran population density as measured in number of veterans per square mile, where the county with the highest veteran population density is ranked 72 and the county with the lowest veteran population density is ranked one.

AB664,3,24 3. “County ranking for veteran population percentage” means the county ranking for veteran population as a percentage of total county population, where the county with the highest veteran population as a percentage of total county population is ranked 72 and the county with the lowest veteran population as a percentage of total county population is ranked one.

AB664,5 Section 5. 45.82 (3m) (b) 1. to 5. of the statutes are created to read:

AB664,4,2 45.82 (3m) (b) 1. Multiply the county ranking for equalized assessed property values by two.

AB664,4,4 2. Add the county ranking for veteran population density to the value under subd. 1.

AB664,4,6 3. Add the county ranking for veteran population percentage to the value under subd. 2.

AB664,4,7 4. Divide the value under subd. 3. by 10,512.

AB664,4,8 5. Multiply the value under subd. 4. by $2,000,000.

AB664,4,9 (End)