2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2695/1
MCP:ads&klm
June 6, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Novak, Tranel, Dittrich, Kitchens, Penterman and Wichgers, cosponsored by Senator Cabral-Guevara. Referred to Committee on Agriculture.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AB310,1,2
1An Act to create 93.58 of the statutes; relating to: creating a nutrient loss
2reduction grant program. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a nutrient loss reduction grant program, under which the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection may award grants to farmers for the purpose of purchasing enhanced efficiency fertilizer products, implementing variable rate technology, or preparing a nutrient management plan. Under the bill, an “enhanced efficiency fertilizer product” is a controlled-release or slow-release fertilizer formulation or a product, added to fertilizer, that includes a urease inhibitor or a nitrification inhibitor. “Variable rate technology” is defined under the bill as the practice of testing soil in sections of six acres or less using georeferenced data points and applying fertilizer at a prescribed rate for each section depending on the results of the soil samples. A “nutrient management plan” is a plan for using commercial fertilizer, manure, or organic byproducts in a manner that reduces nutrient loss.
Under the bill, if a grant will be used for purchasing and using an enhanced efficiency fertilizer product, the grant amount may not exceed the lesser of $7 per acre or 50 percent of the cost of the product. If a grant will be used for implementing variable rate technology, the grant amount may not exceed the lesser of $8 per acre or 50 percent of the cost of soil sampling. If a grant will be used for preparing a nutrient management plan, the grant may not exceed the lesser of $2 per acre or 50 percent of the cost of preparing the plan. In addition, a grant recipient may not receive more than $20,000 in any given year under the grant program.
The bill allows an applicant to receive a grant that covers multiple allowable activities in a single year. The bill also allows an agricultural retailer (a person that supplies resources, materials, and products to farmers) to submit an application for a grant on behalf of a farmer. Finally, the bill allows DATCP to request certain information and materials from a grant applicant or recipient, including land and field information, receipts and invoices, and an attestation that the applicant is not receiving any other funding or incentives for the activities funded by the grant.
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:
AB310,1
1Section 1. 93.58 of the statutes is created to read: AB310,2,2293.58 Nutrient loss reduction grant program. (1) In this section: AB310,2,43(a) “Agricultural retailer” means a person that supplies resources, materials, 4and products to agricultural producers. AB310,2,55(b) “Enhanced efficiency fertilizer product” means any of the following: AB310,2,661. A controlled-release or slow-release fertilizer formulation. AB310,2,872. A product, added to fertilizer, that contains compounds that inhibit the 8activity of urease or the process of nitrification. AB310,2,119(c) “Nutrient management plan” means a plan, developed for an agricultural 10producer, for using commercial fertilizer, manure, or organic byproducts in a 11manner that reduces nutrient loss. AB310,2,1512(d) “Variable rate technology” means the practice of testing soil on 13agricultural land in sections of 6 acres or less using georeferenced data points and 14applying fertilizer at a prescribed rate for each section depending on the results of 15each soil sample. AB310,3,2
1(2) The department may provide grants under this section to agricultural 2producers to cover the cost of one or more of the following activities: AB310,3,33(a) Purchasing an enhanced efficiency fertilizer product. AB310,3,44(b) Implementing variable rate technology. AB310,3,55(c) Preparing a nutrient management plan. AB310,3,76(3) A grant provided under this section may not exceed any of the following 7amounts: AB310,3,98(a) If the grant will be used for purchasing and using an enhanced efficiency 9fertilizer product, the lesser of $7 per acre or 50 percent of the cost of the product. AB310,3,1110(b) If the grant will be used for implementing variable rate technology, the 11lesser of $8 per acre or 50 percent of the cost of soil sampling. AB310,3,1312(c) If the grant will be used for preparing a nutrient management plan, the 13lesser of $2 per acre or 50 percent of the cost of preparing the plan. AB310,3,1514(4) For the purpose of awarding grants under this section, the department 15may request any of the following from a grant applicant or recipient: AB310,3,1616(a) Contact information. AB310,3,1817(b) An attestation that the applicant is not receiving any other funding or 18incentives for any of the activities under sub. (2) (a) to (c). AB310,3,2119(c) An acknowledgement that the department may aggregate and share 20information relating to land on which any of the activities under sub. (2) (a) to (c) 21are undertaken. AB310,3,2422(d) Receipts or invoices for any of the activities under sub. (2) (a) to (c) that 23show the completion date and the number of acres on which the activities were 24undertaken. AB310,4,2
1(e) Information about any land tract or field where the activities under sub. 2(2) (a) to (c) are undertaken. AB310,4,53(5) A grant under this section may cover multiple activities under sub. (2) (a) 4to (c) in the same year. No person may receive grants under this section totalling 5more than $20,000 per year. AB310,4,86(6) An agricultural retailer may, at the request of an agricultural producer, 7submit an application for a grant under this subsection on behalf of the agricultural 8producer.
