AB173: Bill Text

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Assembly BILL 173

April 10, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives Sortwell, S. Johnson, Doyle, Andraca, Armstrong, Dittrich, Edming and Shankland, cosponsored by Senators James, Ballweg, Cabral-Guevara, Carpenter, Spreitzer and Taylor. Referred to Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention.

AB173,1,2 An Act to create 20.435 (5) (eh) and 51.73 of the statutes; relating to: grants to prevent suicide by firearm and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Health Services to award grants to organizations or coalitions of organizations, including cities, villages, towns, counties, and federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands, for 1) training staff at a firearm retailer or firearm range on how to recognize a person that may be considering suicide; 2) providing suicide prevention materials for distribution at a firearm retailer or firearm range; or 3) providing voluntary, temporary firearm storage for the lawful owner of a firearm. A grant recipient must contribute matching funds or in-kind services having a value equal to at least 20 percent of the grant 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:

AB173,1 Section 1 . 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

AB173,2 Section 2 . 20.435 (5) (eh) of the statutes is created to read:

AB173,2,3 20.435 (5) (eh) Grants to prevent suicide by firearm. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for grants related to preventing suicide by firearm under s. 51.73.

AB173,3 Section 3 . 51.73 of the statutes is created to read:

AB173,2,9 51.73 Grants to prevent suicide by firearm. (1) From the appropriation under s. 20.435 (5) (eh), the department shall award grants to organizations or coalitions of organizations, which may include a city, village, town, county, or federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state, for any of the following purposes:

AB173,2,11 (a) To train staff at a firearm retailer or firearm range on how to recognize a person that may be considering suicide.

AB173,2,13 (b) To provide suicide prevention materials for distribution at a firearm retailer or firearm range.

AB173,2,15 (c) To provide voluntary, temporary firearm storage for the lawful owner of a firearm.

AB173,2,18 (2) The department may not award a grant under sub. (1) unless the recipient contributes matching funds or in-kind services having a value equal to at least 20 percent of the grant.

AB173,3,8 (3) The department may not award a grant to a recipient under sub. (1) for an amount that exceeds $5,000. The department may not award a grant under sub. (1) having a duration of more than one year and may not automatically renew a grant awarded under sub. (1). This subsection shall not be construed to prevent an organization or coalition of organizations from reapplying for a grant in consecutive years. In awarding grants under sub. (1), the department shall give preference to organizations or coalitions of organizations that have not previously received a grant under this section.

AB173,4 Section 4. Effective date.

AB173,3,11 (1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2023 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

AB173,3,12 (End)