SB761: Bill Text

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2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

2021 Senate BILL 761

December 17, 2021 - Introduced by Senators Larson, Agard, Erpenbach, Roys, L. Taylor, Smith and Carpenter, cosponsored by Representatives Pope, Conley, Andraca, Anderson, Brostoff, Cabrera, Emerson, Hebl, Hong, B. Meyers, Milroy, Neubauer, Ohnstad, S. Rodriguez, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck and Vining. Referred to Committee on Education.

SB761,1,4 An Act to create 115.29 (9) of the statutes; relating to: model academic standards related to climate change; grants to develop climate change curriculum resources; funding for the University of Wisconsin System and special education; and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under this bill, the state superintendent of public instruction may adopt model academic standards related to climate change. If the state superintendent adopts model standards, they must incorporate a) an understanding of climate, b) the interconnected nature of climate change, c) the potential local and global impacts of climate change, and d) the individual and societal actions that may mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. The bill also allows the state superintendent to provide grants to or contract with other state agencies or nonprofit organizations to develop climate change curriculum resources and requires that, if the state superintendent adopts climate change model academic standards, the resources must align with those standards.

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

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:

SB761,1 Section 1. 115.29 (9) of the statutes is created to read:

SB761,2,6 115.29 (9) Climate change; model academic standards and curriculum resources. (a) Adopt model academic standards related to climate change that incorporate an understanding of climate, the interconnected nature of climate change, the potential local and global impacts of climate change, and individual and societal actions that may mitigate the harmful effects of climate change.

SB761,2,10 (b) Provide grants to or contract with state agencies or nonprofit organizations to assist in developing interdisciplinary climate change curriculum resources for the elementary, middle, and high school levels. If the state superintendent adopts model academic standards under par. (a), the resources shall align with those standards.

SB761,2,13 (c) Assist school boards in developing climate change curriculum and curriculum resources. If the state superintendent adopts model academic standards under par. (a), the curriculum and resources shall align with those standards.

SB761,2 Section 2 . Nonstatutory provisions.

SB761,2,19 (1) The authorized FTE positions for the department of public instruction are increased by 1.0 GPR project position, to be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (a), for the purpose of adopting the model academic standards under s. 115.29 (9) (a) and providing the assistance under s. 115.29 (9) (c) for a 2-year period beginning not earlier than January 1, 2022.

SB761,3 Section 3. Fiscal changes.

SB761,3,9 (1) Climate change; position authorization and grants. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2021-22 is increased by $200,000 to fund 1.0 FTE GPR project position authorized under Section 2 (1) of this act and to fund the grants under s. 115.29 (9) (b). In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2022-23 is increased by $300,000 to fund 1.0 FTE GPR project position authorized under Section 2 (1 ) of this act and to fund the grants under s. 115.29 (9) (b).

SB761,3,16 (2) Special education aid. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (b), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2021-22 is increased by $125,000 to increase funding for aids for special education under s. 115.88. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (b), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2022-23 is increased by $190,000 to increase funding for aids for special education under s. 115.88.

SB761,3,23 (3) UW System; general program operations. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System under s. 20.285 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2021-22 is increased by $30,000 for the purpose for which the appropriation is made. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System under s. 20.285 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2022-23 is increased by $45,000 for the purpose for which the appropriation is made.

SB761,3,24 (End)