February 5, 2024 - Offered by Senator Marklein.
SB518-SSA1,1,3
1An Act to create 20.192 (1) (c) and 238.145 of the statutes;
relating to:
2University of Wisconsin System branch campus redevelopment grants and
3making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to award
grants of up to $2,000,000 to political subdivisions of this state for costs associated
with the redevelopment of buildings or other sites owned by the political subdivision
on a University of Wisconsin System branch campus that are or will no longer be used
for academic purposes. A branch campus is any of the former two-year college
campuses that were partnered with a four-year UW System campus in the 2018 UW
System restructuring. A grant may be awarded only to fund activities that
contribute to the overall economic improvement and enhancement of the community,
including activities that facilitate job creation, workforce development, small
business support, housing, or public infrastructure improvement. To receive a grant,
a political subdivision must submit community letters of support for the grant and
provide local matching funding in an amount of at least 20 percent of the grant
amount. Before making any other grants, WEDC must first award a grant of up to
$2,000,000 to Richland County, then award grants of up to $2,000,000 to Fond du Lac
County, Washington County, and Marinette County. The bill provides grant funding
through a Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
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3Section 2
. 20.192 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
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20.192
(1) (c)
Branch campus redevelopment grants. As a continuing
5appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for grants to political subdivisions under
6s. 238.145.
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7Section 3
. 238.145 of the statutes is created to read:
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8238.145 Branch campus redevelopment grants. (1)
Definitions. In this
9section:
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(a) “Branch campus” means any of the former college campuses that were
11partnered with a university in the University of Wisconsin System restructuring
12plan approved by the Higher Learning Commission on or about June 28, 2018.
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1(b) “Planning costs” include, among other expenses, expenses incurred in
2connection with hiring consultants, site planning, viability studies, and
3environmental compliance or remediation activities.
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(c) “Political subdivision” means a city, village, town, or county.
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5(2) Grants. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (c), and subject to
6pars. (b) to (f), the corporation shall award grants to political subdivisions for costs,
7including planning costs and demolition costs, associated with the redevelopment of
8buildings or other sites owned by the political subdivision on a branch campus or
9former branch campus that are or will no longer be used for academic purposes.
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(b) A grant may be awarded under this subsection only to fund activities that
11contribute to the overall economic improvement and enhancement of the community.
12These activities may include, among others, activities that facilitate job creation,
13workforce development, small business support, housing, or public infrastructure
14improvement.
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(c) The corporation may not award a grant under this subsection unless the
16political subdivision applying for the grant satisfies all of the following:
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1. The political subdivision submits to the corporation community letters of
18support for the grant.
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2. The political subdivision provides matching funding from local sources in an
20amount of at least 20 percent of the amount of the grant awarded.
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(d) No grant awarded under this subsection may exceed $2,000,000.
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(e) The corporation shall award a grant under this subsection to Richland
23County before awarding a grant under this subsection to any other political
24subdivision. After the grant to Richland County is awarded, the corporation shall
25award grants to Fond du Lac County, Washington County, and Marinette County
1before awarding a grant under this subsection to any other political subdivision.
2This paragraph applies to a county only if the county satisfies all requirements under
3this subsection for the award of a grant.
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(f) Upon receiving a political subdivision's application for a grant under this
5subsection, the corporation shall request under s. 13.101 (3) that the joint committee
6on finance supplement the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (c) by the grant amount
7if the corporation determines that the requirements under this subsection for
8awarding the grant are satisfied. The corporation shall submit a separate request
9to the joint committee on finance for each grant to be awarded. The joint committee
10on finance may supplement the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (c) without finding
11that an emergency exists under s. 13.101 (3) (a) 1.
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12(3) No later than 90 days after completion of a project for which a grant is
13awarded under sub. (2), the political subdivision receiving the grant shall submit to
14the corporation and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution
15to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3) a report containing all of
16the following information:
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(a) The name of the grant recipient and the amount of the grant awarded.
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(b) A detailed description of how the grant funds were spent.
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(1)
In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the joint
21committee on finance under s. 20.865 (4) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year
222023-24 is increased by $20,000,000 to provide funding for grants under s. 238.145.
