SB710: Bill Text

LRB-5019/1

SWB:emw&cdc

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Senate BILL 710

November 21, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Pfaff, Smith, Spreitzer, Hesselbein, Roys and Taylor, cosponsored by Representatives Shankland, Shelton, Jacobson, Considine, C. Anderson, J. Anderson, Bare, Clancy, Conley, Drake, Emerson, Joers, Madison, Ohnstad, Palmeri, Sinicki, Snodgrass and Subeck. Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Tourism.

SB710,1,3 An Act to create 20.435 (4) (bu) and 49.79 (7s) of the statutes; relating to: payment processing equipment and services for farmers and farmers' markets and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Health Services to provide electronic benefit transfer and credit and debit card processing equipment and services to farmers' markets and farmers who sell directly to consumers as a payment processing program. The bill specifies that the electronic benefit transfer processing equipment and services must include equipment and services for the food stamp program, which is known as FoodShare. Under the bill, the vendor that processes the electronic benefit transfer and credit and debit card transactions must also process any local purchasing incentives. The bill provides $735,000 for this payment processing program, and included in that amount is funding for a portion of a full-time employee position for DHS to coordinate and provide other services for the payment processing program.

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:

SB710,1 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

SB710,2 Section 2. 20.435 (4) (bu) of the statutes is created to read:

SB710,2,7 20.435 (4) (bu) Payment processing program for farmers. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule to provide electronic benefit transfer and credit and debit card processing equipment and services to farmers' markets and farmers who sell directly to consumers under s. 49.79 (7s).

SB710,3 Section 3. 49.79 (7s) of the statutes is created to read:

SB710,2,16 49.79 (7s) Payment processing program. The department shall administer a payment processing program to provide to farmers' markets and farmers who sell directly to consumers electronic benefit transfer and credit and debit card processing equipment and services, including electronic benefit transfer for the food stamp program. To participate in the payment processing program, the vendor that is under contract to process the electronic benefit transfer and credit and debit card transactions shall also process any local purchasing incentives, even if those local purchasing incentives are funded by a local third-party entity.

SB710,4 Section 4. Nonstatutory provisions.

SB710,3,2 (1) Payment processing program; position. The authorized FTE positions for the department of health services are increased by 0.625 GPR position, to be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.435 (4) (bu), for the purpose of coordinating the payment processing program and providing other services under s. 49.79 (7s).

SB710,3,3 (End)