SB173: Bill Text

LRB-1064/1

MLJ:cdc

2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

2021 Senate BILL 173

March 3, 2021 - Introduced by Senators Jacque, Nass, Bernier, Carpenter, Ringhand, Testin and Wirch, cosponsored by Representatives Edming, Armstrong, Brooks, Callahan, Kerkman, Krug, Loudenbeck, Milroy, Murphy, Ortiz-Velez, Petryk, Rozar, Sinicki, Thiesfeldt, Tittl, Tusler, VanderMeer, Vruwink, Wichgers and Mursau. Referred to Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection.

SB173,1,3 An Act to repeal 45.82 (3); and to amend 20.485 (1) (gk) and 45.82 (2) of the statutes; relating to: grants to counties for veterans services and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, a county or tribe may annually apply for a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purpose of improving services provided to former military personnel through that county's veterans service office. DVA must award grants to counties that meet the standards under the program, in the following amounts: $8,500 for a county with a population of less than 20,000, $10,000 for a county with a population of 20,000 to 45,499, $11,500 for a county with a population of 45,500 to 74,999, and $13,000 for a county with a population of 75,000 or more. Grants are funded from two appropriation accounts.

This bill increases the grant award amounts for counties to be as follows: $22,000 for a county with a population of less than 45,000 and $25,000 for a county with a population of 45,000 or more. The bill also changes the funding source so that grants are funded from only one appropriation account.

For further information see the state and local 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:

SB173,1 Section 1. 20.485 (1) (gk) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB173,2,16 20.485 (1) (gk) Institutional operations. The amounts in the schedule for the care of the members of the Wisconsin veterans homes under s. 45.50, for the payment of stipends under s. 45.50 (2m) (f), for the transfer of moneys to the appropriation account under s. 20.435 (4) (ky) for payment of the state share of the medical assistance costs related to the provision of stipends under s. 45.50 (2m) (f), for the payment of assistance to indigent veterans under s. 45.43 to allow them to reside at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove, and for the transfer of moneys to the appropriation accounts under pars. (kc) and (kj), and for the payment of grants under s. 45.82. Not more than 1 percent of the moneys credited to this appropriation account may be used for the payment of assistance to indigent veterans under s. 45.43. All moneys received under par. (m) and s. 45.51 (7) (b) and (8) and all moneys received for the care of members under medical assistance, as defined in s. 49.43 (8), shall be credited to this appropriation account. Except for the moneys transferred under this paragraph to the appropriation account under par. (kc), no moneys may be expended from this appropriation for the purposes specified in par. (kc).

SB173,2 Section 2. 45.82 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB173,3,9 45.82 (2) The department of veterans affairs shall award a grant annually to a county that meets the standards developed under this section if the county executive, administrator, or administrative coordinator certifies to the department that it employs a county veterans service officer who, if chosen after April 15, 2015, is chosen from a list of candidates who have taken a civil service examination for the position of county veterans service officer developed and administered by the bureau of merit recruitment and selection in the department of administration, or is appointed under a civil service competitive examination procedure under s. 59.52 (8) or ch. 63 elected or appointed under s. 45.80 (1). The grant shall be $8,500 $22,000 for a county with a population of less than 20,000, $10,000 for a county with a population of 20,000 to 45,499, $11,500 for a county with a population of 45,500 to 74,999, 45,000 and $13,000 $25,000 for a county with a population of 75,000 45,000 or more. Any remaining funds in the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (vx) after the grants have been awarded shall be divided by the number of qualifying counties and awarded to each county as an additional grant. The department of veterans affairs shall use the most recent Wisconsin official population estimates prepared by the demographic services center when making grants under this subsection.

SB173,3 Section 3. 45.82 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

SB173,4 Section 4. Fiscal changes.

SB173,3,17 (1) County grants. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of veterans affairs under s. 20.485 (2) (vx), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2021-22 is increased by $1,239,000 to administer and pay grants under s. 45.82. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of veterans affairs under s. 20.485 (2) (vx), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2022-23 is increased by $1,239,000 to administer and pay grants under s. 45.82.

SB173,3,18 (End)