Chapter 45

45.437(1) (1) Definition. In this section, “disabled veteran” means a veteran who is verified by the department to have a service-connected disability rating of at least 50 percent under 38 USC 1114 or 1134.

45.437(2) (2) Grants.

45.437(2)(a) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (qm), the department may award up to $500,000 annually in grants to veterans, employers, and nonprofit organizations under this section.

45.437(2)(b) (b) The department may not award a grant under par. (a) unless the department determines that the grant is likely to improve employment outcomes for veterans in this state. Subject to that limitation, the department may award grants to assist veteran entrepreneurs, to give employers in this state incentives to hire veterans, especially disabled veterans, to help fund employment training for veterans, especially disabled veterans, and for other programs or purposes as determined by the department by rule.

45.437(3) (3) Annual report. Annually, the department shall submit a report to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) that includes all of the following:

45.437(3)(a) (a) The number of grants awarded under this section.

45.437(3)(b) (b) The amount of each grant awarded under this section.

45.437(3)(c) (c) The purpose of each grant awarded under this section.

45.437(3)(d) (d) The outcomes attributable to each grant awarded under this section.

45.437(4) (4) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules implementing this section. The rules promulgated under this subsection shall include rules establishing the specific goals grant recipients must meet and requiring that those goals be met before any grant moneys are disbursed.

45.437 History History: 2015 a. 385.

45.437 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. VA 2.08, Wis. adm. code.

45.44 45.44 Veterans fee waiver program.

45.44(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

45.44(1)(a) (a) “License” means any of the following for which a fee is required:

45.44(1)(a)1. 1. A license under s. 13.63 (1) or registration of an interest under s. 13.67 (2).

45.44(1)(a)2. 2. A license or permit specified in s. 29.563 (15).

45.44(1)(a)3. 3. A license issued to a child welfare agency, group home, child care center, or shelter care facility, as required under s. 48.615 (1), 48.625 (2), 48.65 (3), or 938.22 (7).

45.44(1)(a)4. 4. A certification issued under s. 49.45 (42).

45.44(1)(a)5. 5. A license, certification, registration, or permit issued under s. 89.06, 89.072, 89.073, 94.10 (2), (3), or (3g), 94.50 (2), 94.704, 95.60, 97.17 (2), 97.175 (2), 97.22 (2), 98.145, 98.146, 98.18 (1) (a), or 168.23 (3).

45.44(1)(a)6. 6. An occupational license, as defined in s. 101.02 (1) (a) 2.

45.44(1)(a)7. 7. A license, certificate, or registration issued under s. 103.34, 103.91, 103.92, 105.06, or 105.07.

45.44(1)(a)8. 8. A license, permit, or certificate issued by the department of public instruction.

45.44(1)(a)9. 9. A license issued under s. 125.65.

45.44(1)(a)10. 10. A license specified in s. 169.31 (1m).

45.44(1)(a)11. 11. A permit issued under s. 170.12.

45.44(1)(a)11m. 11m. A registration issued under s. 202.13 or 202.14.

45.44(1)(a)12. 12. A license provided for in s. 218.0114 (14) (e), (f), or (fm) or issued under s. 218.04, 218.11, or 343.62 or a buyer identification card issued under s. 218.51.

45.44(1)(a)13. 13. A license issued under s. 224.725.

45.44(1)(a)14. 14. A license, certification, certification card, or permit issued under ss. 97.33, 254.176, 254.178, 254.20, and 256.15.

45.44(1)(a)15. 15. A license, registration, or certification issued under s. 280.15 (2m) or (3g), 281.17 (3), 281.48 (3), 285.51 (2), 289.42 (1), 291.23, or 299.51 (3) (c).

45.44(1)(a)16. 16. A credential, as defined in s. 440.01 (2) (a).

45.44(1)(a)17. 17. A license issued under s. 551.614.

45.44(1)(a)18. 18. A license, certificate, registration, or permit issued under chs. 601 to 655.

45.44(1)(a)19. 19. A license to practice law or admission to the state bar.

45.44(1)(b) (b) “Licensing agency” means the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection; the department of children and families; the department of financial institutions; the department of health services; the department of natural resources; the department of public instruction; the department of revenue; the department of safety and professional services and its examining boards and affiliated credentialing boards; the department of transportation; the department of workforce development; the board of commissioners of public lands; the ethics commission; or the office of the commissioner of insurance.

45.44(2) (2) Program. The department of veterans affairs shall establish and maintain a program under which the department shall verify whether an applicant is eligible for a fee waiver for the issuance of a license. Before approving a fee waiver, the licensing agency, or the supreme court, if the supreme court agrees, shall request the department of veterans affairs to verify whether the applicant for the license is a eligible for a fee waiver. If the department verifies that the applicant for a license is eligible for a fee waiver, the licensing agency or the supreme court shall waive the accompanying fee for the license.

45.44(3) (3) Eligibility. For the purpose of being eligible for a license fee waiver under the program established under sub. (2), an applicant shall be applying for an initial license, shall not have received a previous fee waiver under the program for any type of license, and shall be all of the following:

45.44(3)(a) (a) An individual.

45.44(3)(b) (b) A resident of this state.

45.44(3)(c) (c) A veteran, as defined in s. 45.01 (12) (a) to (f), or one of the following:

45.44(3)(c)1. 1. A member of a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces or of the national guard, as defined in 32 USC 101 (3), who has served under honorable conditions for at least one year beginning on the member’s date of enlistment in a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces or in the national guard.

45.44(3)(c)2. 2. A person who was discharged from a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces or from the national guard, as defined in 32 USC 101 (3), if that discharge was an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions.

45.44(3m) (3m) Reduced fee for certain licenses. An applicant who is applying for an initial license specified under sub. (1) (a) 16. and who has received a previous fee waiver under the program established under sub. (2), but who is otherwise eligible for a fee waiver under the program, shall pay a fee for the license that is equal to 10 percent of the standard fee for that license.

45.44(4) (4) Information on program. The department of veterans affairs shall establish an Internet website informing the public of the fee waiver program and shall include a list of the licenses and the licensing agencies to contact to receive each fee waiver. Each licensing agency shall also provide on their Internet website information regarding the fee waiver program and a list of the licenses that the licensing agency issues that are eligible for the fee waiver.

45.44 History History: 2011 a. 209; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55, 118, 179; 2015 a. 195 s. 83; 2017 a. 319, 331; 2017 a. 365 s. 112; 2019 a. 129.

45.46 45.46 Grants to nonprofit organizations that serve veterans and their families. From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (th), the department may make grants of up to $250,000 annually to nonprofit organizations, as defined in s. 108.02 (19), and no more than $25,000 to each grant recipient, to provide financial assistance or other services to veterans and their dependents.

45.46 History History: 2015 a. 383; 2017 a. 59.

45.47 45.47 Record-keeping and audit requirements for grant programs administered by the department.

45.47(1) (1) Definition. In this section, “grant recipient” means a county, American Indian tribe or band, nonprofit organization, or other person that is not an individual and that receives a grant from the department under this chapter.

45.47(2) (2) Requirements. Each grant recipient shall maintain records as required by the department concerning the grant recipient’s expenditure of grant moneys. Each grant recipient shall give the department access to those records upon request of the department, and the department may audit those records to ensure compliance with applicable grant requirements.

45.47(3) (3) Reduction, suspension, or termination of grant. If a grant recipient fails to comply with sub. (2), the department may, in addition to any other legal remedy available to the department, reduce, suspend, or terminate a grant the department made to the grant recipient.

45.47 History History: 2013 a. 190.

45.48 45.48 Veterans outreach and recovery program.

45.48(1) (1) To be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (qs), the department shall administer a program to provide outreach, mental health services, and support to individuals who reside in this state, who may have a mental health condition or substance use disorder, and who meet one of the following conditions:

45.48(1)(a) (a) Are serving in the national guard of any state or a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces.

45.48(1)(b) (b) Served on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces, a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces, or the national guard of any state and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

45.48(1m) (1m) The department shall expend at least $100,000 annually under sub. (1) to promote suicide prevention and awareness by providing outreach, mental health services, and support to individuals who are members of a traditionally underserved population, including minority groups and individuals who reside in rural areas of the state. The department may enter into contracts to provide services under this subsection.

45.48(2) (2) The eligibility requirements under s. 45.02 do not apply to an individual receiving services under sub. (1).

45.48(3) (3) The department may provide payments to facilitate the provision of services under sub. (1).

45.48 History History: 2019 a. 9; 2021 a. 58.

subch. V of ch. 45 SUBCHAPTER V

VETERANS HOMES

45.50 45.50 Veterans homes; management.

45.50(1) (1) Veterans Home at King. The department shall operate the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King and employ a commandant for the home.

45.50(2b) (2b) Veterans Home at Union Grove. Subject to authorization under ss. 13.48 (10) and 20.924 (1), the department may construct or renovate and operate residential, treatment, and nursing care facilities, including a community-based residential facility, to be known as the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove. The department shall employ a commandant for the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove.

45.50(2d) (2d) Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls. Subject to authorization under ss. 13.48 (10) and 20.924 (1), the department may develop, construct or renovate, and operate residential, treatment, and nursing care facilities and programs for veterans in northwestern Wisconsin, on the property of the Northern Wisconsin Center for the Developmentally Disabled in Chippewa Falls to be known as the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls. The programs and facilities may include an assisted living facility, a skilled nursing facility, a medical clinic, an adult day health care center, an activities center, and a veterans assistance program. The department may employ a commandant for the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls.

45.50(2m) (2m) Services; staffing of homes.

45.50(2m)(a) (a) The department shall provide complete personal maintenance and medical care, including programs and facilities that promote comfort, recreation, well-being, or rehabilitation, to all members of veterans homes.

45.50(2m)(b) (b) The department may employ any personnel that are necessary for the proper management and operation of veterans homes. In compliance with the compensation plan established pursuant to s. 230.12 (3), a commandant may recommend to the director of personnel charges for meals, living quarters, laundry, and other services furnished to employees and members of the employees’ family maintained at veterans homes.

45.50(2m)(c) (c) For the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls, in lieu of the department employing personnel as authorized under par. (b) and providing the maintenance and medical care as specified in par. (a), the department may enter into an agreement with a private entity to operate the home and perform such management and care using personnel employed by the private entity.

45.50(2m)(e) (e) All moneys received as reimbursement for services to veterans homes employees or as payment for meals served to guests at veterans homes shall be accumulated in an account named “employee maintenance credits” and shall be paid into the general fund within one week after receipt and credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.485 (1) (gk). This paragraph does not apply to any agreement entered into pursuant to par. (c).

45.50(2m)(f) (f) The department may develop a program to provide stipends to individuals to attend school and receive the necessary credentials to become employed at veterans homes. If the department develops a stipend program under this paragraph, the department shall promulgate rules related to the program, including the application process, eligibility criteria, stipend amount, repayment provisions, and other provisions that the department determines are necessary to administer the program.

45.50 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. VA 18, Wis. adm. code.

45.50(3) (3) Land acquisition. The department may acquire, by gift, purchase, or condemnation, lands necessary for the purposes of the veterans homes. Title to the lands shall be taken in the name of this state and shall be held by and for the uses and purposes of the veterans homes. No payment may be made out of the state treasury or otherwise for the land until the title has been examined and approved by the attorney general. Every such deed of conveyance shall be immediately recorded in the office of the proper register of deeds and filed with the secretary of state.

45.50(4) (4) Gifts and grants.

45.50(4)(a) (a) The department may use moneys appropriated under s. 20.485 (1) (h) to purchase, erect, construct, or remodel buildings, to provide additions and improvements, to provide equipment, materials, supplies, and services necessary for the purposes of veterans homes, and for expenses that are necessary and incidental to acquisition of property under s. 45.51 (10) and (11).

45.50(4)(b) (b) The department may accept gifts, bequests, grants, or donations of money or of property from private sources to be administered by the department for the purposes of veterans homes. All moneys received shall be paid into the general fund and appropriated as provided in s. 20.485 (1) (h). The department may not apply to the gifts and bequests fund interest on certificate of savings deposits for those members who do not receive maximum monthly retained income. The department shall establish for those persons upon their request individual accounts with savings and interest applied as the member requests.

45.50(6) (6) Water and sewer services.

45.50(6)(a) (a) The department may enter into agreements for furnishing and charging for water and sewer service from facilities constructed at and for veterans homes to public and private properties lying in the immediate vicinity of veterans homes.

45.50(6)(b) (b) Agreements under this subsection shall be drafted to hold harmless the department, to require all expense to be paid by the applicant, and to be terminable by the department when other water and sewer services become available to the applicant.

45.50(7) (7) Enforcement authority. A commandant and employees designated by the commandant may summarily arrest all persons within or upon the grounds of veterans homes who are guilty of any offense against the laws of this state or the rules governing veterans homes. For this purpose, a commandant and deputies have the power of constables.

45.50(8) (8) Fire fighting services. A fire department at a veterans home in response to emergency fire calls may make runs and render fire fighting service beyond the confines of a veterans home.

45.50(10) (10) Hospitals authorized. The department may establish a hospital at a veterans home. All hospitals established under this subsection may not have a total approved bed capacity, as defined in s. 150.01 (4m), greater than 16 beds. The approved bed capacity of a skilled nursing facility operated at a veterans home is reduced by one bed for each approved bed at the hospital established under this subsection at that home.

45.50(11) (11) Medical assistance assessment exemption. A Wisconsin veterans home is exempt from paying any assessment imposed on the licensed beds in the home under s. 50.14 (2) (am).

45.50(12) (12) Natural disaster or state of emergency. The department may expend moneys from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (1) (ks) to pay any necessary costs to prepare for or respond to the emergency at a veterans home. The department may expend moneys under this subsection only after all funds allocated by the federal government to veterans homes in this state for purposes of responding to the emergency have been exhausted.

45.50 History History: 2005 a. 22; 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 20; 2017 a. 59; 2021 a. 58.

45.50 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. VA 6, Wis. adm. code.

45.51 45.51 Eligibility for membership.