AB1117: Bill Text

The bill establishes a Wisconsin clean and renewable energy reserve fund under WREDA's control, which is used for the guarantees described above. The bill prohibits WREDA from using any other moneys for the guarantees. WREDA may deposit into the reserve fund an amount that it determines from the appropriation the bill makes to WREDA from the general fund. The reserve fund also consists of income from WREDA's investment of reserve fund moneys, loan guarantee origination fees, and moneys received from other sources. In addition, the bill expresses the legislature's expectation that it will make appropriations to meet demands for funds guaranteed by the reserve fund. The bill generally limits WREDA to guaranteeing no more than $25,000,000 in total loans, except that the bill allows the Joint Committee on Finance to increase or decrease that limit. The bill also requires WREDA to ensure that the cash balance in the reserve fund is sufficient for the following purposes: 1) paying outstanding claims and 2) maintaining a ratio of $1 of reserve funding to $4.50 of total outstanding guarantees. If the cash balance exceeds the amount required for those purposes, the bill requires WREDA annually to transfer the excess to the general fund.

Grant program. The bill authorizes WREDA to make grants to eligible businesses and projects, as defined above, as well as to persons engaged in the commercialization of biological fuel, power, or products. WREDA must adopt guidelines for making the grants. The guidelines must provide for a committee to make determinations regarding grants, and the committee must consist of the secretary of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, the secretary of natural resources, and the chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The guidelines may also allow the committee to make the grants on behalf of WREDA.

Other programs. The bill allows WREDA to implement the following to promote eligible businesses and projects, as defined above: 1) a revolving loan fund program to finance eligible businesses or projects; 2) an equity financing program for renewable energy generation businesses of agricultural producers; 3) a trading program for environmental credits related to clean and renewable energy production; 4) a technical assistance program for eligible businesses and certain community-based projects; and 5) a program for WREDA to obtain licenses and royalties on technologies developed with the assistance of WREDA.

School and higher education funding. The bill provides additional funding for special education aid for school districts, independent charter schools, cooperative educational service agencies, and county children with disabilities education boards, additional funding for the University of Wisconsin System under its general program operations appropriation, and additional funding for state aids for technical colleges for purposes of maintaining compliance with maintenance of effort requirements of the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act and the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.

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:

AB1117,1 Section 1. 7.33 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,5,3 7.33 (1) (c) “State agency" has the meaning given under s. 20.001 (1) and includes an authority created under subch. II of ch. 114 or ch. 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, or 237.

AB1117,2 Section 2 . 13.172 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,5,10 13.172 (1) In this section, “agency" means an office, department, agency, institution of higher education, association, society, or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, that is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, and any authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or in ch. 231, 233, 234, 235, 238, or 279.

AB1117,3 Section 3 . 13.62 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,5,15 13.62 (2) “Agency" means any board, commission, department, office, society, institution of higher education, council, or committee in the state government, or any authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or in ch. 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279, except that the term does not include a council or committee of the legislature.

AB1117,4 Section 4 . 13.94 (1) (w) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1117,5,19 13.94 (1) (w) Annually conduct a financial audit of the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority. The legislative audit bureau shall file a copy of each audit report under this paragraph with the distributees specified in par. (b).

AB1117,5 Section 5 . 13.94 (4) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,6,12 13.94 (4) (a) 1. Every state department, board, examining board, affiliated credentialing board, commission, independent agency, council or office in the executive branch of state government; all bodies created by the legislature in the legislative or judicial branch of state government; any public body corporate and politic created by the legislature including specifically the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, a professional baseball park district, a local professional football stadium district, a local cultural arts district and a long-term care district under s. 46.2895; every Wisconsin works agency under subch. III of ch. 49; every provider of medical assistance under subch. IV of ch. 49; technical college district boards; every county department under s. 51.42 or 51.437; every nonprofit corporation or cooperative or unincorporated cooperative association to which moneys are specifically appropriated by state law; and every corporation, institution, association or other organization which receives more than 50 percent of its annual budget from appropriations made by state law, including subgrantee or subcontractor recipients of such funds.

AB1117,6 Section 6 . 13.95 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,7,2 13.95 Legislative fiscal bureau. (intro.) There is created a bureau to be known as the “Legislative Fiscal Bureau" headed by a director. The fiscal bureau shall be strictly nonpartisan and shall at all times observe the confidential nature of the research requests received by it; however, with the prior approval of the requester in each instance, the bureau may duplicate the results of its research for distribution. Subject to s. 230.35 (4) (a) and (f), the director or the director's designated employees shall at all times, with or without notice, have access to all state agencies, the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the Fox River Navigational System Authority, and to any books, records, or other documents maintained by such agencies or authorities and relating to their expenditures, revenues, operations, and structure.

AB1117,7 Section 7 . 16.002 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,7,8 16.002 (2) “Departments" means constitutional offices, departments, and independent agencies and includes all societies, associations, and other agencies of state government for which appropriations are made by law, but not including authorities created in subch. II of ch. 114 or in ch. 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279.

AB1117,8 Section 8 . 16.004 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,7,15 16.004 (4) Freedom of access. The secretary and such employees of the department as the secretary designates may enter into the offices of state agencies and authorities created under subch. II of ch. 114 and under chs. 231, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, and 279, and may examine their books and accounts and any other matter that in the secretary's judgment should be examined and may interrogate the agency's employees publicly or privately relative thereto.

AB1117,9 Section 9 . 16.004 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,7,20 16.004 (5) Agencies and employees to cooperate. All state agencies and authorities created under subch. II of ch. 114 and under chs. 231, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, and 279, and their officers and employees, shall cooperate with the secretary and shall comply with every request of the secretary relating to his or her functions.

AB1117,10 Section 10 . 16.004 (12) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,8,4 16.004 (12) (a) In this subsection, “state agency" means an association, authority, board, department, commission, independent agency, institution, office, society, or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, including the legislature, the office of the governor, and the courts, but excluding the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the Fox River Navigational System Authority.

AB1117,11 Section 11. 16.01 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,8,11 16.01 (1) In this section, “agency" means any office, department, agency, institution of higher education, association, society or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law which is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, and any authority created under subch. II of ch. 114 or ch. 231, 233 or, 234, or 235.

AB1117,12 Section 12 . 16.045 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,8,18 16.045 (1) (a) “Agency" means an office, department, independent agency, institution of higher education, association, society, or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, that is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, but not including an authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or in ch. 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279.

AB1117,13 Section 13 . 16.41 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,8,21 16.41 (4) In this section, “authority" means a body created under subch. II of ch. 114 or under ch. 231, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279.

AB1117,14 Section 14 . 16.417 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,8,24 16.417 (1) (b) “Authority" means a body created under subch. II of ch. 114 or ch. 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279.

AB1117,15 Section 15 . 16.52 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,9,10 16.52 (7) Petty cash account. With the approval of the secretary, each agency that is authorized to maintain a contingent fund under s. 20.920 may establish a petty cash account from its contingent fund. The procedure for operation and maintenance of petty cash accounts and the character of expenditures therefrom shall be prescribed by the secretary. In this subsection, “agency" means an office, department, independent agency, institution of higher education, association, society, or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, that is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, but not including an authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or in ch. 231, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279.

AB1117,16 Section 16 . 16.528 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,9,17 16.528 (1) (a) “Agency" means an office, department, independent agency, institution of higher education, association, society, or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, that is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, but not including an authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or in ch. 231, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279.

AB1117,17 Section 17 . 16.53 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,9,25 16.53 (2) Improper invoices. If an agency receives an improperly completed invoice, the agency shall notify the sender of the invoice within 10 working days after it receives the invoice of the reason it is improperly completed. In this subsection, “agency" means an office, department, independent agency, institution of higher education, association, society, or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, that is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, but not including an authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or in ch. 231, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279.

AB1117,18 Section 18 . 16.54 (9) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,10,9 16.54 (9) (a) 1. “Agency" means an office, department, independent agency, institution of higher education, association, society or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, which is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, but not including an authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or in ch. 231, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279.

AB1117,19 Section 19 . 16.70 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,10,12 16.70 (2) “Authority" means a body created under subch. II of ch. 114 or under ch. 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237, or 279.

AB1117,20 Section 20 . 16.75 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,11,2 16.75 (1m) The department shall award each order or contract for materials, supplies or equipment on the basis of life cycle cost estimates, whenever such action is appropriate. Each authority other than the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, and the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, and the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority shall award each order or contract for materials, supplies or equipment on the basis of life cycle cost estimates, whenever such action is appropriate. The terms, conditions and evaluation criteria to be applied shall be incorporated in the solicitation of bids or proposals. The life cycle cost formula may include, but is not limited to, the applicable costs of energy efficiency, acquisition and conversion, money, transportation, warehousing and distribution, training, operation and maintenance and disposition or resale. The department shall prepare documents containing technical guidance for the development and use of life cycle cost estimates, and shall make the documents available to local governmental units.

AB1117,21 Section 21 . 16.765 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,11,14 16.765 (1) Contracting agencies, the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation shall include in all contracts executed by them a provision obligating the contractor not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age, race, religion, color, handicap, sex, physical condition, developmental disability as defined in s. 51.01 (5), sexual orientation as defined in s. 111.32 (13m), or national origin and, except with respect to sexual orientation, obligating the contractor to take affirmative action to ensure equal employment opportunities.

AB1117,22 Section 22 . 16.765 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,12,8 16.765 (2) Contracting agencies, the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation shall include the following provision in every contract executed by them: “In connection with the performance of work under this contract, the contractor agrees not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age, race, religion, color, handicap, sex, physical condition, developmental disability as defined in s. 51.01 (5), sexual orientation or national origin. This provision shall include, but not be limited to, the following: employment, upgrading, demotion or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training, including apprenticeship. Except with respect to sexual orientation, the contractor further agrees to take affirmative action to ensure equal employment opportunities. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available for employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the contracting officer setting forth the provisions of the nondiscrimination clause".

AB1117,23 Section 23 . 16.765 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,13,2 16.765 (5) The head of each contracting agency and the boards of directors of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation shall be primarily responsible for obtaining compliance by any contractor with the nondiscrimination and affirmative action provisions prescribed by this section, according to procedures recommended by the department. The department shall make recommendations to the contracting agencies and the boards of directors of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation for improving and making more effective the nondiscrimination and affirmative action provisions of contracts. The department shall promulgate such rules as may be necessary for the performance of its functions under this section.

AB1117,24 Section 24 . 16.765 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,13,12 16.765 (6) The department may receive complaints of alleged violations of the nondiscrimination provisions of such contracts. The department shall investigate and determine whether a violation of this section has occurred. The department may delegate this authority to the contracting agency, the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, or the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation for processing in accordance with the department's procedures.

AB1117,25 Section 25 . 16.765 (7) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,13,24 16.765 (7) (intro.) When a violation of this section has been determined by the department, the contracting agency, the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, or the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation, the contracting agency, the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, or the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation shall:

AB1117,26 Section 26 . 16.765 (7) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,14,7 16.765 (7) (d) Direct the violating party to take immediate steps to prevent further violations of this section and to report its corrective action to the contracting agency, the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, or the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation.

AB1117,27 Section 27 . 16.765 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,15,2 16.765 (8) If further violations of this section are committed during the term of the contract, the contracting agency, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, or the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation may permit the violating party to complete the contract, after complying with this section, but thereafter the contracting agency, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, or the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation shall request the department to place the name of the party on the ineligible list for state contracts, or the contracting agency, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, or the Bradley Center Sports and Entertainment Corporation may terminate the contract without liability for the uncompleted portion or any materials or services purchased or paid for by the contracting party for use in completing the contract.

AB1117,28 Section 28. 16.838 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,15,5 16.838 (1) (b) “Authority" means a body created under subch. II of ch. 114 or ch. 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, or 237.

AB1117,29 Section 29 . 16.85 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,15,16 16.85 (2) To furnish engineering, architectural, project management, and other building construction services whenever requisitions therefor are presented to the department by any agency. The department may deposit moneys received from the provision of these services in the account under s. 20.505 (1) (kc) or in the general fund as general purpose revenue — earned. In this subsection, “agency" means an office, department, independent agency, institution of higher education, association, society, or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, which is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, but not including an authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or in ch. 231, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279.

AB1117,30 Section 30 . 16.865 (8) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,16,7 16.865 (8) Annually in each fiscal year, allocate as a charge to each agency a proportionate share of the estimated costs attributable to programs administered by the agency to be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.505 (2) (k). The department may charge premiums to agencies to finance costs under this subsection and pay the costs from the appropriation on an actual basis. The department shall deposit all collections under this subsection in the appropriation account under s. 20.505 (2) (k). Costs assessed under this subsection may include judgments, investigative and adjustment fees, data processing and staff support costs, program administration costs, litigation costs, and the cost of insurance contracts under sub. (5). In this subsection, “agency" means an office, department, independent agency, institution of higher education, association, society, or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, that is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, but not including an authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or in ch. 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237, 238, or 279.

AB1117,31 Section 31. 19.42 (10) (qm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1117,16,10 19.42 (10) (qm) The executive director and members of the board of directors of the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority.

AB1117,32 Section 32. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table - See PDF for table

AB1117,33 Section 33. 20.498 of the statutes is created to read:

AB1117,16,16 20.498 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority. There is appropriated to the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority for the following program:

AB1117,16,18 (1) Authority operations. (a) General program operations. As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for the purposes of ch. 235.

AB1117,34 Section 34. 23.175 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,17,5 23.175 (1) (b) “State agency" means any office, department, agency, institution of higher education, association, society or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law which is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including any authority created under subch. II of ch. 114 or ch. 231, 233, 234, 235, or 237 but not including the legislature or the courts.

AB1117,35 Section 35. 25.17 (3) (b) 14. of the statutes is created to read:

AB1117,17,8 25.17 (3) (b) 14. Bonds issued by the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority.

AB1117,36 Section 36. 40.02 (54) (k) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1117,17,10 40.02 (54) (k) The Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority.

AB1117,37 Section 37. 66.0603 (1m) (a) 3v. of the statutes is created to read:

AB1117,17,13 66.0603 (1m) (a) 3v. Bonds issued by the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority.

AB1117,38 Section 38 . 70.11 (38o) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1117,17,19 70.11 (38o) Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 70.11 (intro.) that relate to leased property or that impose other limitations, all property owned or leased by the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority, provided that use of the property is primarily related to the purposes of the authority.

AB1117,39 Section 39. 71.05 (1) (c) 7m. of the statutes is created to read:

AB1117,17,21 71.05 (1) (c) 7m. The Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority.

AB1117,40 Section 40 . 71.26 (1) (be) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB1117,18,2 71.26 (1) (be) Certain authorities. Income of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, of the Fox River Navigational System Authority, of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and of the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, and of the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Development Authority.

AB1117,41 Section 41. 71.26 (1m) (p) of the statutes is created to read: