560.17(1)(d)1.
1. A city, town or village that is located in a county with a population density of less than 150 persons per square mile.
560.17(1)(d)2.
2. A city, town or village with a population of 6,000 or less.
560.17(2)(a)(a) At the request of the board, the department shall make a grant or loan to a business to which the board has awarded a grant or loan under this section.
560.17(3)
(3) Subject to
sub. (4m), the board may award a grant under this subsection to a business if all of the following apply:
560.17(3)(a)
(a) The amount of the grant does not exceed $15,000.
560.17(3)(b)
(b) The business, together with any affiliate, subsidiary or parent entity, has fewer than 50 employes.
560.17(3)(c)
(c) The business is located in a rural municipality.
560.17(3)(d)
(d) The business is starting or expanding its operations.
560.17(3)(e)
(e) The proceeds of the grant will be used by the business as provided in
sub. (5).
560.17(4)
(4) Before awarding a grant under
sub. (3), the board shall consider all of the following:
560.17(4)(a)
(a) The extent to which the start-up or expansion of the business will create new jobs.
560.17(4)(b)
(b) The economic condition of the rural municipality.
560.17(4)(c)
(c) The number of new jobs created by the business in relation to the amount of the grant.
560.17(4)(cm)
(cm) In relation to the amount of the grant, the number of existing jobs that will be retained by the business if the grant is awarded and that likely would not be retained if the grant is not awarded.
560.17(4)(d)
(d) The degree to which the new or expanded operations of the business will provide beneficial services to the rural municipality where it is located.
560.17(4)(e)
(e) Whether financing is available from other sources.
560.17(4)(f)
(f) Whether the business would be able to start or expand its operations without a grant.
560.17(4m)
(4m) Of the total amount awarded in grants in a fiscal biennium under
sub. (3), the board shall award not less than 25% and not more than 50% for purposes related to an agricultural business. The board shall give priority under this subsection for grants that will be used for purposes related to a dairy farm, as defined in
s. 97.22 (1) (a).
560.17(5)
(5) A business shall use the proceeds of a grant under
sub. (3) to pay for any of the following:
560.17(5)(a)
(a) Professional services related to starting or expanding the business.
560.17(5)(b)
(b) Management assistance continuing after the start-up or expansion.
560.17(5c)(a)(a) Subject to
par. (b), the board may award a grant under this subsection to a person or business proposing to start up, modernize or expand in this state a dairy farm, as defined in
s. 97.22 (1) (a), or other agricultural business if all of the following apply:
560.17(5c)(a)1.
1. The dairy farm or other agricultural business is or will be owned by the person or business.
560.17(5c)(a)3.
3. The grant proceeds will be used to pay for services related to the start-up, modernization or expansion of the dairy farm or other agricultural business, or for management assistance, as defined in
s. 560.20 (1) (cf), continuing after the completion of the start-up, modernization or expansion of the dairy farm or other agricultural business.
560.17(5c)(a)4.
4. The grant is likely to result in the start-up, modernization or expansion of the dairy farm or other agricultural business.
560.17(5c)(b)
(b) The total amount of grants awarded under this subsection in any fiscal year may not exceed $500,000.
560.17(5m)(a)(a) Subject to
par. (cm), the board may award a grant or loan under this subsection that does not exceed $100,000 to a business if all of the following apply:
560.17(5m)(a)1.
1. The business, together with any affiliate, subsidiary or parent entity, has fewer than 50 employes.
560.17(5m)(a)4.
4. The business successfully demonstrates the feasibility of the project.
560.17(5m)(a)5.
5. Financing is unavailable from any other source on reasonably equivalent terms.
560.17(5m)(b)
(b) A business shall use the proceeds of a grant or loan under this subsection for any of the following:
560.17(5m)(bm)
(bm) If a business receives a grant or loan under this subsection for the purpose specified in
par. (b) 3., the department shall ensure that an employe of the business has the option of accepting or declining any relocation assistance that is available as a result of the grant or loan.
560.17(5m)(cm)
(cm) Of the total amount awarded in grants and loans in a fiscal biennium under this subsection, the board shall award not less than 25% and not more than 50% for purposes related to an agricultural business. The board shall give priority under this paragraph for grants or loans that will be used for purposes related to a dairy farm, as defined in 97.22 (1) (a).
560.17(6)
(6) Before awarding a loan under this section, the board shall do all of the following:
560.17(6)(a)
(a) Determine the terms for repayment of the principal amount of the loan.
560.17(6)(c)
(c) Establish all other terms and conditions of the loan after considering the circumstances of the particular business.
560.17(6m)
(6m) In order to receive a grant or loan under this section a person or business shall contribute cash, from a source other than the state, in an amount that equals at least 25% of the total cost of the project.
560.17(6r)
(6r) The board shall give priority for grants or loans under this section for projects related to brownfields redevelopment.
560.17(7)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (am), the department shall designate staff to evaluate applications for grants or loans and assist the board under this section. The board shall act on an application for a grant or loan at its next regularly scheduled meeting after the department determines that the application is complete.
560.17(7)(am)
(am) The department of commerce and the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection shall designate staff to evaluate applications for grants or loans for purposes related to agricultural businesses and to make recommendations and assist the board with respect to those applications.
560.17(7)(b)
(b) The board or department shall deposit all interest or principal payments received for loans made under this section in the appropriation under
s. 20.143 (1) (ir).
560.17(7)(d)
(d) The department or board may not limit the time period during which applications for grants and loans under this section may be accepted.
560.18
560.18
Forestry education grant program. 560.18(1)
(1) From the appropriation under
s. 20.143 (1) (t), the department may award grants to nonprofit organizations, as defined in
s. 560.20 (1) (d), to develop forestry educational programs and instructional materials for use in the public schools. The department may not award a grant unless it enters into a memorandum of understanding with the grant recipient and the director of the timber management program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point regarding the use of the funds.
560.18(2)
(2) The recipient of a grant under
sub. (1) shall submit the programs and materials developed with the funds to the department and the director of the timber management program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources for approval. Upon request, the grant recipient shall provide approved programs and materials to school districts free of charge.
560.18 History
History: 1997 a. 27.
560.183
560.183
Physician loan assistance program. 560.183(1)(ac)
(ac) "Clinic hours" means hours spent working with patients in a clinic.
560.183(1)(ag)
(ag) "Eligible practice area" means a primary care shortage area, a mental health shortage area, an American Indian reservation or trust lands of an American Indian tribe.
560.183(1)(aj)
(aj) "Health professional shortage area" means an area that is designated by the federal department of health and human services under
42 CFR part 5, appendix A, as having a shortage of medical care professionals.
560.183(1)(ap)
(ap) " Mental health shortage area" means an area that is designated by the federal department of health and human services under
42 CFR part 5, appendix C, as having a shortage of psychiatric professionals, excluding a state or federal prison and a state or county mental hospital.
560.183(1)(b)
(b) "Physician" means a physician, as defined in
s. 448.01 (5), who specializes in family practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, or psychiatry.
560.183(1)(cm)
(cm) "Primary care shortage area" means an area that is in a primary care health professional shortage area as determined by the federal department of health and human services under
42 CFR part 5, appendix A, excluding a state or federal prison.
560.183(2)(a)(a) The department may repay, on behalf of a physician, up to $50,000 in educational loans obtained by the physician from a public or private lending institution for education in an accredited school of medicine or for postgraduate medical training.
560.183(2)(b)
(b) A physician who is a participant in the national health service corps scholarship program under
42 USC 254n, or a physician who was a participant in that program and who failed to carry out his or her obligations under that program, is not eligible for loan repayment under this section.
560.183(3)(a)(a) The department shall enter into a written agreement with the physician. In the agreement, the physician shall agree to practice at least 32 clinic hours per week for 3 years in one or more eligible practice areas in this state, except that a physician specializing in psychiatry may only agree to practice psychiatry in a mental health shortage area and a physician in the expanded loan assistance program under
sub. (9) may only agree to practice at a public or private nonprofit entity in a health professional shortage area. The physician shall also agree to care for patients who are insured or for whom health benefits are payable under medicare, medical assistance or any other governmental program.
560.183(3)(b)
(b) The agreement shall specify that the responsibility of the department to make the payments under the agreement is subject to the availability of funds in the appropriations under
s. 20.143 (1) (f),
(jc) and
(jm).
560.183(4)
(4) Loan repayment. Principal and interest due on loans, exclusive of any penalties, may be repaid by the department at the following rate:
560.183(4)(a)
(a) Up to 40% of the principal of the loan or $20,000, whichever is less, during the first year of participation in the program under this section.
560.183(4)(b)
(b) Up to an additional 40% of the principal of the loan or $20,000, whichever is less, during the 2nd year of participation in the program under this section.
560.183(4)(c)
(c) Up to an additional 20% of the principal of the loan or $10,000, whichever is less, during the 3rd year of participation in the program under this section.
560.183(5)
(5) Availability of funds; right of action against state. 560.183(5)(a)(a) The obligation of the department to make payments under an agreement entered into under
sub. (3) (b) is subject to the availability of funds in the appropriations under
s. 20.143 (1) (f),
(jc) and
(jm).
560.183(5)(b)
(b) If the cost of repaying the loans of all eligible applicants, when added to the cost of loan repayments scheduled under existing agreements, exceeds the total amount in the appropriations under
s. 20.143 (1) (f),
(jc) and
(jm), the department shall establish priorities among the eligible applicants based upon the following considerations:
560.183(5)(b)1.
1. The degree to which there is an extremely high need for medical care in the eligible practice area or health professional shortage area in which the physician desires to practice.
560.183(5)(b)2.
2. The likelihood that a physician will remain in the eligible practice area or health professional shortage area in which he or she desires to practice after the loan repayment period.
560.183(5)(b)3.
3. The per capita income of the eligible practice area or health professional shortage area in which a physician desires to practice.
560.183(5)(b)4.
4. The financial or other support for physician recruitment and retention provided by individuals, organizations, or local governments in the eligible practice area or health professional shortage area in which a physician desires to practice.
560.183(5)(b)5.
5. The geographic distribution of the physicians who have entered into loan repayment agreements under this section and the geographic distribution of the eligible practice areas or health professional shortage areas in which the eligible applicants desire to practice.
560.183(5)(b)6.
6. Other considerations that the department may specify by rule.
560.183(5)(d)
(d) An agreement under
sub. (3) does not create a right of action against the state on the part of the physician or the lending institution for failure to make the payments specified in the agreement.
560.183(6)
(6) Local participation. The department shall encourage contributions to the program under this section by counties, cities, villages and towns. Funds received under this subsection shall be deposited in the appropriation under
s. 20.143 (1) (jm).
560.183(6m)(a)(a) The department shall, by rule, establish penalties to be assessed by the department against physicians who breach an agreement entered into under
sub. (3) (a). The rules shall do all of the following:
