February 14, 2020 - Introduced by Representatives Shankland, Pope, Hebl,
Anderson, Billings, Brostoff, Emerson, Fields, Neubauer, Sargent,
Spreitzer, C. Taylor, Zamarripa, Cabrera, Considine, Doyle, Gruszynski,
Hesselbein, Kolste, Milroy, Ohnstad, Sinicki, Stubbs, Subeck and Vruwink,
cosponsored by Senators Miller, Smith, Risser, Erpenbach, Larson,
Ringhand and Schachtner. Referred to Committee on Agriculture.
AB919,1,6 1An Act to amend 92.14 (6) (gm), 281.16 (2) (a), 281.16 (3) (a) (intro.), 281.65 (7m)
2and 281.65 (8) (f); and to create 20.115 (7) (d), 20.115 (7) (f), 20.370 (6) (ac),
393.61 and 281.65 (8) (gr) of the statutes; relating to: providing farmers
4technical assistance related to water quality, organic production, and soil
5health; increasing cost-share rates; granting rule-making authority; and
6making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill does the following regarding water quality, organic production, soil
health, and county conservation staffing:
1. Authorizes two positions in the Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection for providing technical and administrative support to
producer-led watershed protection groups. Under current law, producer-led
watershed protection groups conduct nonpoint source pollution abatement activities
with assistance from grants from DATCP.
2. Authorizes three laboratory positions in DATCP.
3. Authorizes a position for DATCP to connect farmers with technologies that
address water quality concerns.
4. Authorizes a position for DATCP to provide technical assistance to farmers
to become certified as an organic operation.
5. Authorizes two positions in DATCP to implement soil health programs. The
bill requires DATCP to assist farmers in promoting soil health, provide soil health

training to agronomists, establish a nutrient stewardship certification program, and
provide grants for farmers to purchase equipment necessary for reducing surface
runoff from farm fields.
6. Increases the amount of cost-sharing available, from 70 percent to up to 100
percent of costs, under the nonpoint source pollution abatement program for projects
that are located in sensitive areas, as determined by the Department of Natural
Resources by rule.
7. Specifically directs DNR to promulgate targeted runoff standards if
statewide standards are insufficient to meet water quality standards.
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:
AB919,1 1Section 1 . 20.115 (7) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
AB919,2,52 20.115 (7) (d) Soil and water resource management program; increased
3cost-share.
A sum sufficient to provide an increased amount of cost-sharing for
4grants and assistance for projects that are located in sensitive areas under the soil
5and water resource management program under s. 92.14.
AB919,2 6Section 2. 20.115 (7) (f) of the statutes is created to read:
AB919,2,97 20.115 (7) (f) Certain technical assistance. A sum sufficient for laboratory
8equipment and supplies and for the assistance programs relating to water quality,
9transitioning to organic production, and soil health under s. 93.61.
AB919,3 10Section 3 . 20.370 (6) (ac) of the statutes is created to read:
AB919,2,1411 20.370 (6) (ac) Environmental aids; nonpoint source increased cost-share. A
12sum sufficient to provide an increased amount of cost-sharing for grants and
13assistance for projects that are located in sensitive areas under the nonpoint source
14water pollution abatement program under s. 281.65.
AB919,4 15Section 4 . 92.14 (6) (gm) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB919,3,5
192.14 (6) (gm) A county may not provide cost-sharing funds using funds
2provided under this section in an amount that exceeds 70 percent of the cost of a
3project, except in cases of economic hardship, as defined by the department by rule,
4or except for projects that will implement best management practices in sensitive
5areas, as determined by the department of natural resources by rule
.
AB919,5 6Section 5. 93.61 of the statutes is created to read:
AB919,3,10 793.61 Certain technical assistance. (1) Water quality. The department
8shall connect farmers with technologies that address water quality concerns,
9including technologies developed by the University of Wisconsin System, private
10sector companies, and other agricultural partners.
AB919,3,13 11(2) Transitioning to organic production. The department shall provide direct
12technical assistance to farmers to understand the requirements and documentation
13necessary for obtaining certification as an organic operation.
AB919,3,16 14(3) Soil health. (a) The department shall develop technical resources to assist
15farmers in promoting soil health, including by helping nonoperating landowners
16understand soil health practices.
AB919,3,1817 (b) The department shall provide soil health training to agronomists and
18related agricultural professionals.
AB919,3,2219 (c) The department shall establish a nutrient stewardship certification
20program for agricultural cooperatives, fertilizer dealers, and other agricultural
21businesses to help farmers implement soil health and nutrient management
22principles.
AB919,4,323 (d) The department shall provide grants for farmers to purchase new or
24innovative equipment necessary for reducing surface runoff of agricultural fertilizer
25and manure from farm fields, including for the purchase of injectors, conservation

1tillage equipment such as no-till drills, precision agriculture equipment such as flow
2meters and data loggers, and phosphorous removal equipment such as solid
3separators for manure.
AB919,6 4Section 6 . 281.16 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB919,4,145 281.16 (2) (a) The department shall, by rule, prescribe performance standards
6for nonpoint sources that are not agricultural facilities or agricultural practices. The
7performance standards shall be designed to achieve water quality standards by
8limiting nonpoint source water pollution. If the department finds that substantial
9implementation of the statewide performance standards and prohibitions by
10nonpoint sources that are not agricultural facilities or agricultural practices will not
11achieve water quality standards or groundwater standards, and that the
12implementation of targeted performance standards is likely to attain water quality
13standards or groundwater standards, the department shall, by rule, prescribe
14targeted performance standards.
AB919,7 15Section 7 . 281.16 (3) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB919,5,316 281.16 (3) (a) (intro.) The department of natural resources, in consultation with
17the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, shall promulgate
18rules prescribing performance standards and prohibitions for agricultural facilities
19and agricultural practices that are nonpoint sources. The performance standards
20and prohibitions shall be designed to achieve water quality standards by limiting
21nonpoint source water pollution. If the department finds that substantial
22implementation of the statewide performance standards and prohibitions by
23nonpoint sources that are agricultural facilities or agricultural practices will not
24achieve water quality standards or groundwater standards, and that the
25implementation of targeted performance standards is likely to attain water quality

1standards or groundwater standards, the department shall, by rule, prescribe
2targeted performance standards.
At a minimum, the statewide performance
3standards and
prohibitions shall include all of the following:
AB919,8 4Section 8 . 281.65 (7m) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB919,5,105 281.65 (7m) The state share of a grant for local administration under this
6section may not exceed 70 percent of the cost of the activities for which the grant is
7provided if the department first provides a grant to fund those activities after June
830, 1998, except that the department may exceed this limit for projects that will
9implement best management practices in sensitive areas, as determined by the
10department by rule
.
AB919,9 11Section 9 . 281.65 (8) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB919,5,1712 281.65 (8) (f) A cost-sharing grant shall equal the percentage of the cost of
13implementing the best management practice that is determined by the department
14in providing a cost-sharing grant under sub. (4e) (a) or by the governmental unit
15submitting the application under sub. (4c) (a) or (4e) (a) and is approved by the board,
16except that a cost-sharing grant may not exceed 70 percent of the cost of
17implementing the best management practice unless par. (gm) or (gr) applies.
AB919,10 18Section 10 . 281.65 (8) (gr) of the statutes is created to read:
AB919,5,2119 281.65 (8) (gr) The department may exceed the limit under par. (f) for projects
20that will implement best management practices in sensitive areas, as determined by
21the department by rule.
AB919,11 22Section 11. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB919,6,323 (1) Support for producer-led watershed protection groups. The authorized
24FTE positions for the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection,
25funded from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (7) (qf), are increased by 2.0 GPR

1positions for providing an environmental analysis and review specialist and an
2operations program associate to provide technical and administrative support to
3producer-led watershed protection groups under s. 93.59.
AB919,6,84 (2) Water quality specialist. The authorized FTE positions for the department
5of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, funded from the appropriation under
6s. 20.115 (7) (f), are increased by 1.0 GPR position for providing a water quality
7specialist to connect farmers with technologies that address water quality concerns
8under s. 93.61 (1).
AB919,6,149 (3) Organic transition specialist. The authorized FTE positions for the
10department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, funded from the
11appropriation under s. 20.115 (7) (f), are increased by 1.0 GPR position for providing
12a organic transition specialist to assist farmers under s. 93.61 (2) to understand the
13requirements and documentation necessary for obtaining certification as an organic
14operation.
AB919,6,1815 (4) Laboratory positions. The authorized FTE positions for the department of
16agriculture, trade and consumer protection, funded from the appropriation under s.
1720.115 (7) (f), are increased by 3.0 GPR positions for providing 2 chemists and one
18lab supervisor.
AB919,6,2219 (5) Soil health specialists. The authorized FTE positions for the department
20of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, funded from the appropriation under
21s. 20.115 (7) (f), are increased by 2.0 GPR positions for providing soil health
22specialists to implement the soil health programs under s. 93.61 (3).
AB919,6,2323 (End)
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