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LRB-5394/1
MIM:emw
2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
December 17, 2021 - Introduced by Senators Larson, Agard, Johnson, Erpenbach,
Roys, L. Taylor and Smith, cosponsored by Representatives Neubauer,
Moore Omokunde, Hong, Anderson, Andraca, Brostoff, Cabrera, Conley,
Considine, Emerson, Hebl, B. Meyers, Milroy, Ohnstad, Pope, S. Rodriguez,
Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck and Vining.
Referred to Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and
Consumer Protection.
SB773,1,4 1An Act to amend 16.75 (1) (a) 1.; and to create 15.105 (34), 16.24, 16.705 (1b)
2(e), 16.705 (10), 20.505 (1) (bm) and 20.505 (1) (kt) of the statutes; relating to:
3creating the Wisconsin Climate Corps program, granting rule-making
4authority, and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates the Wisconsin Climate Corps (WCC) program to provide
workers to assist with the restoration and rebuilding of natural lands, climate
resiliency projects, and weatherization and energy efficiency projects in homes and
to provide employment training and career pathways for underserved communities.
The bill directs the Wisconsin Climate Corps Board, which is created under the bill
and attached to the Department of Administration, to contract with a nonprofit
corporation (manager) that has demonstrated experience in grant program writing
and administration, natural resource restoration and rebuilding, and youth
training, education, and employment to manage and administer the program. Under
the bill, the manager must remain neutral with respect to any union organizing
activities of workers in the program.
The bill provides that a WCC project must be designed to carry out a specific
goal within a defined period of time and must be focused on the restoration and
rebuilding of natural lands, weatherization and energy efficiency projects in homes,
or other climate resiliency projects in urban and rural areas of this state.
The bill allows local governments, tribal governments, nonprofit corporations,
and executive branch agencies to sponsor projects. The manager is required to

administer the grant program, including reviewing applications, approving projects,
and negotiating agreements with sponsors to provide work crews to complete eligible
projects, and to submit an annual report to DOA regarding each project. The board
may provide grants for projects approved by the manager. Under the bill, the
cumulative amount of administrative costs in connection with a grant may not
exceed 10 percent of the amount of the grant.
The bill provides a preference for work crew members on a WCC project to be
at least 16 and not more than 30 years old and a requirement that at least 50 percent
of the work crew members on each project be from underserved populations in this
state, as determined by the manager. The bill also provides that workers on projects
must be paid at least $15 per hour worked and receive a housing stipend and health
insurance coverage.
The bill requires each sponsor of a WCC project to erect a permanent plaque at
each work site that is on property owned by the federal government, the state, a local
government, a tribal government, or a nonprofit entity identifying the site as a WCC
project.
The bill allows DOA to retain its manager and allows other state agencies to
engage a WCC crew on a project without complying with state procurement laws,
including requirements for public notice to and competitive solicitation of
contractors and limitations on the circumstances under which contractual services
may be obtained.
Finally, the bill requires DOA to annually audit the program and submit an
annual report to the legislature identifying the projects that were completed in each
year or that are in the process of completion as of the end of that year.
The bill also provides additional funding for special education aid the
Department of Public Instruction pays to school districts, independent charter
schools, cooperative educational service agencies, and county children with
disabilities education boards.
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:
SB773,1 1Section 1 . 15.105 (34) of the statutes is created to read:
SB773,2,42 15.105 (34) Wisconsin climate corps board. There is created a Wisconsin
3climate corps board that is attached to the department of administration under s.
415.03, consisting of the following:
SB773,2,55 (a) The secretary of natural resources or his or her designee.
SB773,2,66 (b) The executive secretary of the board of commissioners of public lands.
SB773,3,1
1(c) The secretary of administration or his or her designee.
SB773,3,22 (d) The secretary of workforce development or his or her designee.
SB773,3,43 (e) One representative to the assembly, appointed by the speaker of the
4assembly.
SB773,3,65 (f) One representative to the assembly, appointed by the minority leader of the
6assembly.
SB773,3,77 (g) One senator, appointed by the president of the senate.
SB773,3,88 (h) One senator, appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
SB773,3,119 (i) One member of a nongovernmental organization that has expertise in
10conservation matters or climate resilience or that represents employees who work
11in conservation activities or climate resilience, appointed for a 3-year term.
SB773,3,1312 (j) One member of a nongovernmental organization that has expertise in youth
13training programs, appointed for a 3-year term.
SB773,3,1414 (k) One member appointed by the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc.
SB773,2 15Section 2 . 16.24 of the statutes is created to read:
SB773,3,16 1616.24 Climate corps. (1) Definitions. In this section:
SB773,3,1717 (a) “Board” means the Wisconsin climate corps board.
SB773,3,1918 (b) “Local government" has the meaning given for “local governmental unit" in
19s. 16.97 (7).
SB773,3,2120 (c) “Manager” means the nonprofit corporation with which the department
21executes a contract to manage the Wisconsin climate corps program under sub. (3).
SB773,3,2522 (d) “Nonprofit corporation" means a nonstock, nonprofit corporation described
23under section 501 (c) (3) or (4) of the Internal Revenue Code that is exempt from the
24federal income tax under section 501 (a) of that code and organized under the laws
25of this state.
SB773,4,5
1(e) “Project" means a planned undertaking of the Wisconsin climate corps for
2a sponsor to carry out a specific goal within a defined period of time that is focused
3on the restoration and rebuilding of natural lands, weatherization and energy
4efficiency projects in homes, or other climate resiliency projects in urban and rural
5areas of this state.
SB773,4,86 (f) “Sponsor" means a local government, tribal government, or nonprofit
7corporation or an executive branch agency, as defined in s. 16.70 (4), that proposes
8to undertake a project.
SB773,4,14 9(2) Establishment of program. There is established the Wisconsin climate
10corps program. The purpose of the program is to provide workers to assist with the
11restoration and rebuilding of natural lands, the weatherization of homes, energy
12efficiency projects for homes, and other climate resiliency projects in both rural and
13urban areas and to provide employment training, professional development, and
14career pathways for underserved communities in this state.
SB773,4,20 15(3) Board duties. The board shall contract with a nonprofit corporation to
16administer and manage the Wisconsin climate corps program. The nonprofit
17corporation shall be operating on a statewide basis on the effective date of this
18subsection .... [LRB inserts date], and have demonstrated experience in grant
19program writing and administration, natural resource restoration and rebuilding,
20and youth training, education, and employment.
SB773,4,22 21(4) Contract terms. The contract under sub. (3) shall require the manager to
22do all of the following:
SB773,4,2323 (a) Develop a project application form.
SB773,5,3
1(b) Review project applications submitted by sponsors, approve projects, and
2negotiate agreements with sponsors to provide work crews to complete eligible
3projects.
SB773,5,44 (c) Require projects to be sited on land that is located in this state.
SB773,5,65 (d) Require projects to be for one or more of the purposes specified under sub.
6(5) or for any other similar project, as determined by the manager.
SB773,5,87 (e) Give preference to members of a work crew on a project who are at least 16
8years of age and not more than 30 years of age.
SB773,5,109 (f) Require that at least 50 percent of the members of a work crew come from
10an underserved population in this state, as determined by the manager.
SB773,5,1411 (g) Prohibit any employee or contractor from performing services under the
12Wisconsin climate corps program if those services displace the services of any
13individual who is employed by this state in a position, as defined in s. 230.03 (11), or
14who is employed by a local government in a permanent position.
SB773,5,1515 (h) Pay each worker on a project at least $15 per hour worked.
SB773,5,1716 (i) Provide each worker on a project with a housing stipend of not less than $100
17per week or provide housing to each worker.
SB773,5,2018 (j) Provide each worker on a project with health insurance coverage that is
19equivalent to a gold level health plan purchased on the American health benefit
20exchange, as described in 42 USC 18031, in this state.
SB773,5,2221 (k) Remain neutral with respect to any labor organizing among workers on a
22project.
SB773,6,223 (L) Require each sponsor, upon completion of a project, to erect a permanent
24plaque at each project work site located on land owned by the federal or state

1government, a local government, a tribal government, or a nonprofit entity that
2identifies the site as a Wisconsin climate corps project.
SB773,6,83 (m) Submit an annual report to the department, no later than January 31,
4identifying, to the greatest extent practicable, information regarding the location of
5each project, a brief description of each project, and the training provided to
6employees. The manager shall also provide to the department any information the
7department considers necessary to complete the report under sub. (11) and may
8recommend improvements to the program.
SB773,6,9 9(5) Scope of projects. Projects may include any of the following:
SB773,6,1110 (a) Coordination of flood resilience activities in urban and rural watershed
11areas of this state.
SB773,6,1312 (b) Restoration of natural outdoor spaces in underserved areas of this state, as
13determined by the manager.
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