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MCP:amn&ahe
2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
October 1, 2019 - Introduced by Representatives Vruwink, Tranel, Anderson,
Billings, Bowen, Considine, Doyle, Edming, Emerson, Fields, Hebl, Hintz,
Kolste, Kulp, Neubauer, Sargent, Shankland, Skowronski, Spreitzer,
Stuck, Zamarripa, Haywood and C. Taylor, cosponsored by Senators Smith,
Carpenter, Erpenbach, Larson, Ringhand, Schachtner, Shilling and L.
Taylor
. Referred to Committee on Agriculture.
AB495,1,4 1An Act to create 20.115 (4) (ap) and 93.485 of the statutes; relating to: creating
2a Small Farm Diversity grant program, providing an exemption from
3emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and making an
4appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection to create a Small Farm Diversity grant program, under which DATCP
may award grants of up to $50,000 to 1) a new agricultural producer to fund start-up
costs for a new agricultural operation that will be conducted on 50 acres or less of
land; 2) an existing agricultural producer to fund costs for adding a new agricultural
product or increasing production of an agricultural product as part of an agricultural
operation that is conducted on 50 acres or less of land; or 3) an existing agricultural
producer, for the purpose of reducing existing equipment debt, if the producer has
added a new agricultural product or increased production of an agricultural product
as part of an agricultural operation that is conducted on 50 acres or less of land. The
bill appropriates $500,000 in general purpose revenue biennially for this purpose.
The bill also requires a grant recipient to provide equal matching funds for its
operations and outlines certain reporting requirements the recipient must follow
during the three years after receiving a grant. Under the bill, if a grant recipient does
not use the grant funds for the purpose for which the grant is made, fails to submit
required information, or falsifies information submitted, the recipient must repay
the grant funds to the extent directed by DATCP.

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:
AB495,1 1Section 1 . 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
2the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table PDF
AB495,2 3Section 2. 20.115 (4) (ap) of the statutes is created to read:
AB495,2,54 20.115 (4) (ap) Small farm diversity grants. Biennially, the amounts in the
5schedule for small farm diversity grants under s. 93.485.
AB495,3 6Section 3. 93.485 of the statutes is created to read:
AB495,3,7 793.485 Small farm diversity grant program. (1) For the purposes of
8supporting new agricultural producers and increasing the diversity of agricultural
9production in this state, the department may award grants from the appropriation
10under s. 20.115 (4) (ap) to new agricultural producers to fund start-up costs for new
11agricultural production operations that will be conducted on 50 acres or less of land;
12to existing agricultural producers to fund costs for adding a new agricultural
13product, as defined in s. 348.27 (18) (a), or increasing production of an agricultural
14product, as part of an agricultural production operation that is conducted on 50 acres
15or less of land; or to existing agricultural producers that have added a new

1agricultural product or increased production of an agricultural product as part of an
2agricultural production operation that is conducted on 50 acres or less of land, for the
3purpose of reducing existing equipment debt. The department may not award a
4grant under this section of more than $50,000, and may not award a grant under this
5section unless the applicant contributes matching funds equal to the amount of the
6proposed grant. The department shall promulgate rules for the program under this
7section.
AB495,3,9 8(2) An individual or organization that receives a grant under this section shall
9submit all of the following to the department:
AB495,3,1410 (a) One year after receiving the grant, a report that includes an itemized list
11of expenditures for which the grant was used and the amount of each expenditure;
12the amount of income earned from the agricultural operation; the number of
13employees of the agricultural operation; and any other information required by the
14department by rule.
AB495,3,1815 (b) Two years and 3 years after receiving the grant, reports that include the
16amount of income earned from the agricultural operation; the number of employees
17of the agricultural operation; and any other information required by the department
18by rule.
AB495,3,24 19(3) If the recipient of a grant under this section fails to use the grant funds for
20the purposes specified in sub. (1), fails to submit the reports under sub. (2), or
21knowingly provides false information in a report submitted under sub. (2), the grant
22recipient shall repay the grant funds to the department to the extent and in the
23manner directed by the department, and the department shall include this
24requirement in any grant agreement with the grant recipient.
AB495,4 25Section 4 . Nonstatutory provisions.
AB495,4,10
1(1) Emergency rules. The department of agriculture, trade and consumer
2protection may promulgate emergency rules under s. 227.24 implementing s. 93.485.
3Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (1) (c) and (2), emergency rules promulgated under this
4subsection remain in effect until the first day of the 19th month beginning after the
5effective date of this subsection or the date on which permanent rules take effect,
6whichever is sooner. Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (1) (a) and (3), the department of
7agriculture, trade and consumer protection is not required to provide evidence that
8promulgating a rule under this subsection as an emergency rule is necessary for the
9preservation of public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to provide
10a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this subsection.
AB495,4,1111 (End)
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