LRB-5130/1
ARG:skw
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
January 25, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives Shankland, Emerson, J.
Anderson, Baldeh, Clancy, Conley, Joers, Madison, Neubauer, Ohnstad,
Palmeri, Ratcliff, Shelton, Sinicki, Stubbs and Subeck, cosponsored by
Senators Smith, Roys, Larson and Agard. Referred to Committee on Colleges
and Universities.
AB998,1,3
1An Act to create 20.285 (1) (cr) and 36.11 (59) of the statutes;
relating to:
2funding student success and access at University of Wisconsin System
3institutions and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
to establish a program, identified as the student success and access fund, to ensure
that students from every region of this state have access to an affordable education
within the UW System, with particular attention to rural and underresourced
regions of the state and the UW System branch campuses. A UW System institution
may apply to the Board of Regents for additional funding if student success and
access is at risk due to any factor, including if any of the institution's campuses is
operating at a deficit, at risk of insolvency, underserved and unable to meet the needs
of students, or undergoing significant programmatic changes. For granted
applications, the Board of Regents must allocate funding on the basis of a campus's
need, the severity of the risk factors the campus faces, and the funds available. If
funding is insufficient, the Board of Regents must request supplemental funding
from the Joint Committee on Finance. The Board of Regents must annually report
to JCF and the applicable legislative standing committees its distribution of funding
in the prior year.
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:
AB998,2
3Section
2. 20.285 (1) (cr) of the statutes is created to read:
AB998,2,54
20.285
(1) (cr)
Student success and access fund. The amounts in the schedule
5to provide the funding specified in s. 36.11 (59).
AB998,3
6Section
3. 36.11 (59) of the statutes is created to read:
AB998,2,77
36.11
(59) Student success and access fund. (a) In this subsection:
AB998,2,108
1. “Branch campus” means any former college campus that was partnered with
9a university in the system restructuring plan approved by the Higher Learning
10Commission on or about June 28, 2018.
AB998,2,1211
2. “Institution" includes a university and any branch campus partnered with
12the university.
AB998,3,213
(b) The board shall establish a program, identified as the student success and
14access fund, to ensure that students from every region of this state have access to an
1affordable education within the system, with particular attention to rural and
2underresourced regions of the state and the branch campuses.
AB998,3,43
(c) Each institution may apply to the board for additional funding if student
4success and access is at risk due to any factor, including the following:
AB998,3,65
1. Any campus of the institution is operating at a deficit or is at risk of
6insolvency.
AB998,3,87
2. Any campus of the institution is underserved and unable to meet the needs
8of students in order to ensure their success.
AB998,3,109
3. Any campus of the institution is undergoing significant programmatic
10changes.
AB998,3,1211
4. Any additional risk factor exists related to any campus of the institution that
12the institution can detail in its application to the board.
AB998,3,2513
(d) From the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (cr), the board shall provide
14additional funding to an institution, for the institution's campus in need, if the board
15grants the institution's application under par. (c). Funding provided under this
16paragraph shall be in addition to the institution's allocation under ss. 36.09 (1) (h)
17and 36.112 and in addition to any other allocation of funding by the board to the
18institution. The board shall allocate funding under this paragraph on the basis of
19the campus's need, the severity of the risk factors the campus faces, and the funds
20available. If funding under s. 20.285 (1) (cr) is insufficient, the board shall provide
21full funding for each application to the extent funding is available and may not
22prorate funding. When funding under s. 20.285 (1) (cr) is exhausted for the fiscal
23year, the board shall submit a request under s. 13.10 to the joint committee on finance
24for supplemental funding under s. 13.101 (3) and, for purposes of this request, an
25emergency shall be considered to exist under s. 13.101 (3) (a) 1.
AB998,4,5
1(e) By October 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the board shall report to the
2joint committee on finance and, in the manner provided in s. 13.172 (3), to the
3standing committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over matters relating to
4colleges and universities the board's distribution of funding under par. (d) during the
5prior fiscal year.
