SB774: Bill Text

LRB-5099/1

MCP:skw

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Senate BILL 774

December 8, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Smith, Larson, Roys, Hesselbein, Agard, Taylor and Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives Doyle, Palmeri, Ratcliff, Considine, Stubbs, Moore Omokunde, Conley, Emerson, Joers, Subeck, Jacobson, J. Anderson, Neubauer, Baldeh, Ohnstad, Clancy, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Vining, C. Anderson and Madison. Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Tourism.

SB774,1,3 An Act to amend 92.14 (3) (intro.) and 92.14 (5r); and to create 20.115 (7) (f) and 92.14 (3) (am) of the statutes; relating to: county conservation staff for climate change resiliency purposes and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, as part of the Soil and Water Resource Management program, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection provides funding to counties for county conservation staffing. Current law specifies the activities that county conservation staff may engage in with funding provided under this program. This bill provides that this program may be used to fund county conservation staff who focus on climate change and climate change resiliency. The bill provides $1,800,000 in GPR funding for this purpose. Under the bill, a county that seeks funding for this purpose must specifically indicate so in its annual grant request.

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:

SB774,1 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

SB774,2 Section 2. 20.115 (7) (f) of the statutes is created to read:

SB774,2,5 20.115 (7) (f) Soil and water management; climate change personnel. The amounts in the schedule for support of county land conservation personnel under the soil and water resource management program for the purpose described under s. 92.14 (3) (am).

SB774,3 Section 3 . 92.14 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB774,2,15 92.14 (3) Basic allocations to counties. (intro.) To help counties fund their land and water conservation activities, the department shall award an annual grant from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (7) (c), (f), (qe), or (qf) or s. 20.866 (2) (we) to any county land conservation committee that has a land and water resource management plan approved by the department under s. 92.10 (4) (d), and that, by county board action, has resolved to provide any matching funds required under sub. (5g). The county may use the grant for land and water resource management planning and for any of the following purposes, consistent with the approved land and water resource management plan:

SB774,4 Section 4 . 92.14 (3) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

SB774,2,18 92.14 (3) (am) County land conservation personnel who primarily focus on climate change and climate change resiliency.

SB774,5 Section 5. 92.14 (5r) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB774,3,9 92.14 (5r) Annual grant request. Every land conservation committee shall prepare annually a grant request that describes the land and water resource staffing needs and activities to be undertaken or funded by the county under this chapter and ss. 281.65 and 281.66 and the funding needed for those purposes. The grant request shall specifically state any request for funding for climate change personnel under sub. (3) (am). The grant request shall be consistent with the county's plan under s. 92.10. The land conservation committee shall submit the grant request to the department.

SB774,6 Section 6 . Effective date.

SB774,3,12 (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.

SB774,3,13 (End)