45.396(1)(b)
(b) "Part-time classroom study" means any of the following:
45.396(1)(b)1.
1. Enrollment by a graduate student in courses for which no more than 8 semester or the equivalent trimester or quarter credits will be given upon satisfactory completion.
45.396(1)(b)2.
2. Enrollment by a graduate student in courses that upon satisfactory completion will fulfill no more than the minimum semester or equivalent trimester or quarter credit requirements of the program or school in which the student is enrolled.
45.396(1)(b)3.
3. Enrollment by any other eligible student in courses for which no more than 11 semester or the equivalent trimester or quarter credits will be given upon satisfactory completion.
45.396(2)
(2) Any veteran upon the completion of any correspondence course or part-time classroom study from an institution of higher education located in this state, from a school that is approved under
s. 45.35 (9m), from a proprietary school that is approved under
s. 45.54, or from any public or private high school may be reimbursed in part for the cost of the course by the department upon presentation to the department of a certificate from the school indicating that the veteran has completed the course and stating the cost of the course and upon application for reimbursement completed by the veteran and received by the department no later than 60 days after the termination of the course for which the application for reimbursement is made. The department shall accept and process an application received more than 60 days after the termination of the course if the applicant shows good cause for the delayed receipt. The department may not require that an application be received sooner than 60 days after a course is completed. Benefits granted under this section shall be paid out of the appropriation under
s. 20.485 (2) (th).
45.396(3)
(3) A veteran who is a resident of this state and otherwise qualified to receive benefits under this section may receive the benefits under this section upon the completion of any correspondence courses or part-time classroom study from an institution of higher education located outside this state, from a school that is approved under
s. 45.35 (9m), or from a proprietary school that is approved under
s. 45.54, if any of the following applies:
45.396(3)(a)
(a) The part-time classroom study is not offered within 50 miles of the veteran's residence by any school or institution under
sub. (2) and the educational institution from which the study is offered is located not more than 50 miles from the boundary line of this state.
45.396(3)(b)
(b) The correspondence course is not offered in this state.
45.396(4)
(4) Enrolled part-time classroom study or direct correspondence courses from a qualified educational institution may be authorized and the veteran reimbursed in part by the department when such courses are related to one's occupational, professional or employment objectives, and to the extent that payment or reimbursement is not available from any other sources, or, in cases where reimbursement is not specifically for tuition, to the extent that such reimbursement is insufficient to cover all educational costs.
45.396(5)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (b), the amount of the reimbursement may not exceed the total cost of the veteran's tuition or the standard cost for a state resident for tuition for an equivalent undergraduate course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison per course, whichever is less, minus any grants or scholarships that the veteran receives specifically for the payment of tuition and may not be provided to a veteran more than 4 times during any consecutive 12-month period.
45.396(5)(b)
(b) Any individual who is eligible to receive reimbursement under
par. (a) shall be reimbursed an amount not to exceed the amount determined under
s. 45.396 (9).
45.396(5m)(a)(a) No veteran or eligible dependent who has obtained a master's degree or its equivalent is eligible for grants under this section.
45.396(5m)(b)
(b) No veteran or eligible dependent who has obtained at least a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent but not a master's degree or its equivalent is eligible for grants offered under this section if the person has remaining U.S. department of veterans affairs education benefits.
45.396(5m)(c)
(c) For the purpose of this section any student who has received a baccalaureate degree shall be deemed to be a graduate student whether he or she is taking graduate or undergraduate courses.
45.396(6)
(6) The department may make a grant under this section to an applicant whose name appears on the statewide support lien docket under
s. 49.854 (2) (b) only if the applicant provides the department with one of the following:
45.396(6)(a)
(a) A repayment agreement that the applicant has entered into, that has been accepted by the county child support agency under
s. 59.53 (5) and that has been kept current for the 6-month period immediately preceding the date of the application.
45.396(6)(b)
(b) A statement that the applicant is not delinquent in child support or maintenance payments and does not owe past support, medical expenses or birth expenses, signed by the department of workforce development or its designee within 7 working days before the date of the application.
45.396(7)(a)(a) No veteran may receive a grant under this section if the department determines that the income of the veteran and his or her spouse exceeds $50,000 plus $1,000 for each dependent in excess of 2 dependents.
45.396(7)(b)
(b) In determining eligibility for grants under this section, the department shall verify all reported income amounts by contacting the employer designated by the veteran or spouse, securing a copy of their prior year's income tax returns or obtaining a profit and loss statement from the veteran for at least 6 of the 12 months immediately preceding the loan application date.
45.396(8)
(8) The department may not make a grant under this section unless the department determines that a course for which an application is made is related to the applicant's occupational, professional or employment objectives.
45.396(9)
(9) A disabled veteran who meets the requirements under this section and whose disability is rated at 30% or more under
38 USC 1114 or
1134 may be reimbursed for up to 100% of the cost of tuition and fees, but that reimbursement is limited to 100% of the standard cost for a state resident for tuition and fees for an equivalent undergraduate course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison per course and may not be provided to an individual more than 4 times during any consecutive 12-month period.
45.396 History
History: 1971 c. 42;
1971 c. 125 s.
522 (1);
1971 c. 154,
198,
307;
1975 c. 39,
199,
224,
422;
1979 c. 34 ss.
819b,
2102 (56) (a);
1981 c. 20;
1983 a. 481,
503,
538;
1985 a. 29,
129;
1987 a. 27,
242;
1989 a. 31,
56;
1991 a. 39,
166;
1993 a. 16;
1995 a. 27,
404;
1997 a. 27,
115,
121;
1999 a. 9;
2001 a. 16,
38;
2003 a. 33,
83.
45.396 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
VA 2, Wis. adm. code.
45.397
45.397
Retraining grant program. 45.397(1)
(1)
Grant amount and application. The department may grant a veteran not more than $3,000 for retraining to enable the veteran to obtain gainful employment. The department shall determine the amount of the grant based on the veteran's financial need. A veteran may apply for a grant to the county veterans' service officer of the county in which the veteran is living. The department may, on behalf of a veteran who is engaged in a structured on-the-job training program and who meets the requirements under
sub. (2), pay a retraining grant under this subsection to the veteran's employer.
45.397(2)
(2) Eligibility. The department may make a grant under this section if all of the following apply:
45.397(2)(a)
(a) The veteran is enrolled in a training course in a technical college under
ch. 38 or in a proprietary school in the state approved by the educational approval board under
s. 45.54, other than a proprietary school offering a 4-year degree or 4-year program, or is engaged in a structured on-the-job training program that meets program requirements promulgated by the department by rule.
45.397(2)(b)
(b) The veteran meets the financial assistance criteria established under
sub. (3) (c).
45.397(2)(c)
(c) The veteran is unemployed, underemployed, as defined by administrative rule, or has received a notice of termination of employment.
45.397(2)(cm)
(cm) The veteran requesting a grant has not received reimbursement under
s. 45.25 or
45.396 for courses completed during the same semester for which a grant would be received under this section.
45.397(2)(d)
(d) The department determines that the veteran's proposed program will provide retraining that could enable the veteran to find gainful employment. In making its determination, the department shall consider whether the proposed program provides adequate employment skills and is in an occupation for which favorable employment opportunities are anticipated.
45.397(3)
(3) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules for the distribution of grants under this program, including all of the following:
45.397(3)(a)
(a) Standard budgets for single and married veterans.
45.397(3)(dg)
(dg) Coordination with other occupational training programs.
45.397(3)(e)
(e) Other provisions the department deems necessary to assure uniform administration of this program.
45.397(5)
(5) Report. Beginning in 1993, the department shall include in its biennial report under
s. 15.04 (1) (d) information relating to the veterans retraining grant program, including the number of veterans obtaining gainful employment after receiving a grant and a description of the veterans receiving grants, including their sex, age, race, educational level, service-connected disability status and income before and after obtaining gainful employment. This information may be based on a valid statistical sample.
45.42
45.42
Burial places compiled. 45.42(1)
(1) The department may compile a record of veteran's burial places located within the state that may, so far as practicable, indicate all of the following information:
45.42(1)(b)
(b) The service in which the deceased veteran was engaged.
45.42(1)(c)
(c) The appropriate designation of the deceased veteran's armed forces unit.
45.42(1)(d)
(d) The deceased veteran's rank and period of service.
45.42(1)(e)
(e) The name and location of the cemetery or other place in which the deceased veteran's body is interred.
45.42(1)(f)
(f) The location of the deceased veteran's grave in the cemetery or other place of interment.
45.42(1)(g)
(g) The character of the headstone or other marker, if any, at the deceased veteran's grave.
45.42(2)
(2) The department may prepare blank forms for the transmission to the department of the information required for the record under
sub. (1). The department may distribute the forms to county veterans' service officers. A county veterans' service officer within whose county any cemetery or other burial place is located in which deceased veteran's bodies are interred shall submit the facts required for the record under
sub. (1) to the department on the forms provided by it, if so requested by the department.
45.43
45.43
County veterans' service officer. 45.43(1)(a)(a) Except as provided under
par. (b), the county board shall elect a county veterans' service officer who shall be a Wisconsin resident who served on active duty, other than active duty for training, under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces and who meets at least one of the conditions listed in
s. 45.001 (4) (a) 1. a. to
d. and at least one of the conditions listed in
s. 45.001 (4) (a) 2. a. to
c.
45.43(1)(am)
(am) Except as provided under
par. (b), the county board may appoint assistant county veterans' service officers who shall be Wisconsin residents who served on active duty, other than active duty for training, under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces and who meet at least one of the conditions listed in
s. 45.35 (5) (a) 1. a. to d. [
s. 45.001 (4) (a) 1. a. to
d.] and at least one of the conditions listed in
s. 45.35 (5) (a) 2. a. to c. [
s. 45.001 (4) (a) 2. a. to
c.]
45.43 Note
NOTE: The correct cross-references are shown in brackets. Corrective legislation is pending.
45.43(1)(b)
(b) In counties with a county executive or county administrator, the county executive or county administrator shall appoint and supervise a county veterans' service officer who shall have the qualifications prescribed under
par. (a). The appointment is subject to confirmation by the county board unless the county board, by ordinance, elects to waive confirmation or unless the appointment is made under a civil service system competitive examination procedure established under
s. 59.52 (8) or
ch. 63.
45.43(2)
(2) Term. A county veterans' service officer elected under
sub. (1) (a) shall serve until the first Monday in January of the 2nd year subsequent to the year of his or her election, and, if reelected, shall continue to serve unless removed under
s. 17.10 (2). All county veterans' service officers who have been reelected prior to May 18, 1967, may continue to serve unless removed under
s. 17.10 (2).
45.43(3)
(3) Salary. The salary of the county veterans' service officer shall be fixed by the county board prior to or at the time of the service officer's election and annually thereafter.
45.43(4)
(4) Milwaukee County. In counties having a population of 500,000 or more such officer shall be appointed subject to
ss. 63.01 to
63.17.
45.43(5)
(5) Duties. The county veterans' service officer shall:
45.43(5)(a)
(a) Advise persons living in the service officer's county who served in the U.S. armed forces regarding any benefits to which they may be entitled or any complaint or problem arising out of such service and render to them and their dependents all possible assistance.
45.43(5)(b)
(b) Make such reports to the county board as the county board requires.
45.43(5)(c)
(c) Cooperate with federal and state agencies which serve or grant aids or benefits to former military personnel and their dependents.
45.43(5)(d)
(d) Furnish information about veterans' burial places within the county as required by
s. 45.42 (2).
45.43(5)(e)
(e) Perform the duties prescribed by law, including those duties under
pars. (a) to
(d), separately and distinctly from any other county department.
45.43(5m)
(5m) Permitted activities. The county veterans' service officer may:
45.43(5m)(a)
(a) Inform persons living in the service officer's county who are members of the national guard or of a reserve unit of the U.S. armed forces or dependents of those persons regarding potential benefits to which they may be or may become entitled and regarding all necessary military points of contact and general deployment information for activated and deployed members of the national guard or reserve units of the U.S. armed forces.
45.43(5m)(b)
(b) Cooperate with federal and state agencies that serve or grant aids or benefits to members of the national guard or reserve units of the U.S. armed forces and their dependents.
45.43(6)
(6) Office space and assistants. 45.43(6)(a)(a) The county board shall provide the county veterans' service officer with office space, clerical assistance and any other needs which will enable the officer to perform the duties under
sub. (5).
45.43(6)(b)
(b) Except as provided under
par. (c), the county board may appoint assistant county veterans' service officers who shall be Wisconsin residents who served on active duty under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces for 2 consecutive years, except service on active duty for training purposes. An individual who is discharged for reasons of hardship or a service-connected disability or released due to a reduction in the U.S. armed forces or for the good of the service prior to the completion of the required period of service is eligible for appointment to the office, regardless of the actual time served.
45.43(6)(c)
(c) In any county with a county executive or county administrator, the county veterans' service officer may appoint assistant county veterans' service officers who shall have the qualifications prescribed under
par. (b).
45.43(7)
(7) Grants to counties for improvement of services. 45.43(7)(a)(a) Each county may annually apply to the department for a grant for the improvement of service to former military personnel of the county through the county veterans' service office. A county may not allocate any portion of a grant for use by another county department nor may the county reduce funding to a county veterans' service office based upon receipt of a grant. The county veterans' service officer of any county applying for the grant shall enter into an agreement with the department. The agreement shall state the goals and objectives to be attained by the county veterans' service office during the remainder of the year covered by the grant application. The department shall prepare the basic form of this agreement in consultation with the county veterans' service officers association and provide a copy and an explanation of that agreement to each county veterans' service officer. The department shall develop reasonable budget and operating standards to assure improved services, but full operating control of the county office shall be left to each county.
45.43(7)(b)
(b) The department shall award a grant annually to a county that meets the standards developed under this subsection and employs a county veterans' service officer who, if chosen after August 9, 1989, is chosen from a list of candidates who have taken a civil service examination for the position of county veterans' service officer developed and administered by the division of merit recruitment and selection in the office of state employment relations, or is appointed under a civil service competitive examination procedure under
ch. 63 or
s. 59.52 (8). The grant shall be $8,500 for a county with a population of less than 20,000, $10,000 for a county with a population of 20,000 to 45,499, $11,500 for a county with a population of 45,500 to 74,999, and $13,000 for a county with a population of 75,000 or more. The department shall use the most recent Wisconsin official population estimates prepared by the demographic services center when making grants under this paragraph.
45.43(7)(c)
(c) Notwithstanding
par. (b), an eligible county with a part-time county veterans' service officer shall be eligible for an annual grant not exceeding $500.
45.43(7m)
(7m) Transportation services grants to counties. 45.43(7m)(a)(a) Annually, from the appropriation under
s. 20.485 (2) (s), the department shall award grants to counties that are not served by transportation services provided by the Wisconsin department of Disabled American Veterans to develop, maintain, and expand transportation services for veterans. The grants may be used to support multicounty cooperative transportation services.
45.43(7m)(b)
(b) The department shall promulgate rules specifying the application procedures and eligibility criteria for grants under this subsection.
45.43(7m)(c)
(c) A county may not allocate any portion of a grant awarded under this subsection for use by another county department and may not reduce funding to a county veterans' service office based upon receipt of a grant.
45.43 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
VA 16, Wis. adm. code.
45.43(8)
(8) Qualifications application. The qualifications necessary to be a county veterans' service officer or assistant county veterans' service officer under
subs. (1) (a) and
(6) (b) apply only to persons elected to serve as county veterans' service officers or assistant county veterans' service officers on or after June 1, 1996, who have not served as county veterans' service officers or assistant county veterans' service officers before June 1, 1996.
