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AB801,1,3 1An Act to create 20.285 (1) (ar) and 36.25 (56) of the statutes; relating to:
2funding a University of Wisconsin System freshwater collaborative and making
3an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes an appropriation for the Board of Regents of the University of
Wisconsin System to fund a freshwater collaborative among no more than six UW
institutions that has the following purposes: 1) studying the challenge of water
quality management, including a focus on nutrient runoff, farm policy impacts, and
other issues; and 2) studying the challenge of water quality and safety, including a
focus on treatment, contamination, and other issues. The bill requires the
freshwater collaborative to do all of the following to accomplish those purposes: 1)
devise new watercentric training programs focused on undergraduates; 2) provide
an opportunity for students to participate in a work-study internship program in a
state office that coordinates state water policy; 3) provide scholarships and student
support to retain and attract new talent; 4) amplify marketing and recruiting
relating to Wisconsin's role in freshwater science; 5) enhance workforce development
programming; and 6) recruit new faculty and staff for training programs, research,
and innovation.
The bill requires the Board of Regents to establish metrics for determining the
success of the freshwater collaborative and submit those metrics to the Joint
Committee on Finance. The Board of Regents may expend the moneys appropriated
under the bill if JCF does not schedule a meeting to review the metrics. However,

if JCF schedules a meeting, the moneys may be expended only after JCF approves
or modifies the metrics.
The Board of Regents must appoint a nine-member committee to advise the
board on how to allocate the funding among UW institutions. One member is the UW
System president. The Board of Regents must appoint two members who are
nationally recognized objective experts who have shown expertise in the field of
water science. Those two members must be selected from a list of five individuals
recommended by the UW System president. The senate majority leader and
assembly speaker each appoint two members with one representing the agricultural
industry and the other representing a private sector nonagricultural industry.
Finally, the governor appoints two members with one representing a private sector
nonagricultural industry and the other representing a municipal water utility of a
second class city with a population of less than 150,000.
The bill also requires the Board of Regents to submit a biennial report to the
Joint Committee on Finance and other legislative committees that shows how
funding under the bill is distributed and expended at each UW institution, as well
as information on demographics and accomplishments of the collaborative.
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:
AB801,1 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
AB801,2 3Section 2 . 20.285 (1) (ar) of the statutes is created to read:
AB801,2,64 20.285 (1) (ar) Freshwater collaborative. As a continuing appropriation, the
5amounts in the schedule to provide funding for a freshwater collaborative under s.
636.25 (56) (a).
AB801,3
1Section 3. 36.25 (56) of the statutes is created to read:
AB801,3,42 36.25 (56) Freshwater collaborative. (a) From the appropriation under s.
320.285 (1) (ar) and subject to par. (c), the board shall fund a freshwater collaborative
4among no more than 6 institutions that has the following purposes:
AB801,3,85 1. Studying the challenge of agriculture water management, including a focus
6on nutrient runoff and groundwater contamination, water withdrawal for irrigation,
7and the impact of water management practices on farm policy, including changes to
8farm efficiencies, production, and profit margins.
AB801,3,129 2. Studying the challenge of water quality and safety, including a focus on
10emerging contaminants, effective treatment techniques, nutrient contamination,
11well contamination, surface water contamination, lead contamination, legacy
12contamination, and safe drinking water compliance.
AB801,3,1413 (b) The freshwater collaborative funded under par. (a) shall do all of the
14following to accomplish the purposes specified in par. (a):
AB801,3,1515 1. Devise new watercentric training programs focused on undergraduates.
AB801,3,1816 2. Provide an opportunity for students to participate in a work-study
17internship program in a state office that coordinates state water policy. The board
18shall determine the number of credits that students earn in the program.
AB801,3,1919 3. Provide scholarships and student support to retain and attract new talent.
AB801,3,2120 4. Amplify marketing and recruiting relating to Wisconsin's role in freshwater
21science.
AB801,3,2322 5. Enhance workforce development programming, including internships,
23research experiences, training institutes, and graduate research.
AB801,3,2524 6. Recruit new faculty and staff for training programs, research, and
25innovation.
AB801,4,10
1(c) The board shall establish metrics for determining the success of the
2freshwater collaborative in accomplishing its purposes. No moneys may be expended
3from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (ar) unless the board submits the metrics
4to the joint committee on finance and, within 14 working days after the submittal,
5the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the board that the committee has
6scheduled a meeting to review the metrics. If, within 14 working days after the
7submittal, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the board that the committee
8has scheduled a meeting to review the metrics, no moneys may be expended from the
9appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (ar) unless the committee approves or modifies the
10metrics.
AB801,4,1311 (d) The board shall appoint a committee to advise the board on how to allocate
12the funding under par. (a) among the institutions. The committee shall consist of the
13following:
AB801,4,1414 1. The president of the system or his or her designee.
AB801,4,1815 2. Two members appointed by the board who are nationally recognized
16objective experts who have shown expertise in the field of water science. The 2
17members shall be selected from a list of 5 individuals recommended by the president
18of the system or his or her designee.
AB801,4,2119 3. Two members appointed by the majority leader of the senate. One of the
20members shall represent the agricultural industry and the other member shall
21represent a private sector nonagricultural industry.
AB801,4,2422 4. Two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly. One of the members
23shall represent the agricultural industry and the other member shall represent a
24private sector nonagricultural industry.
AB801,5,4
15. Two members appointed by the governor. One of the members shall
2represent a private sector nonagricultural industry and the other member shall
3represent a municipal water utility of a 2nd class city with a population of less than
4150,000.
AB801,5,125 (e) No later than December 31 of each odd-numbered year, the board shall
6submit a report to the joint committee on finance and to the chief clerk of each house
7of the legislature for distribution under s. 13.172 (3) to the standing committees
8having jurisdiction over matters regarding the University of Wisconsin System or
9natural resources. The report shall show the amount of the funding under par. (a)
10that is distributed to each institution and show how those amounts compare to the
11amounts requested, if any, by each institution. The report shall also describe all of
12the following:
AB801,5,1413 1. How the funding is expended, including the number and types of positions
14created.
AB801,5,1715 2. Freshwater collaborative demographics, including the numbers of resident,
16nonresident, undergraduate, and graduate students who participate in the
17collaborative.
AB801,5,2018 3. The accomplishments of the freshwater collaborative, including the type and
19number of degrees conferred, research projects completed, and internships provided
20under the collaborative.
AB801,5,2121 (End)
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