27.01 (10) (d) 2. The department shall charge a camping fee of not less than $19 but not more than $35, as determined by the secretary, for each night at a campsite in a state campground for a nonresident camping party, except as provided under par. (fm). Beginning on July 7, 2023, the maximum camping fee allowed under this subdivision is $45. Beginning on the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date], the maximum camping fee allowed under this subdivision is $50.
15,132Section 132. 27.01 (10) (g) 5. of the statutes is amended to read: 27.01 (10) (g) 5. Except as provided in subd. 6., an additional camping fee of $10 per night of $15 for a camping party that uses electricity supplied at a state campground if the campsite has an electric receptacle.
15,133Section 133. 27.01 (10) (g) 6. of the statutes is amended to read: 27.01 (10) (g) 6. An additional camping fee of $15 per night of $25 for a camping party that uses electricity supplied at a state campground located in Devil’s Lake State Park, High Cliff State Park, Kohler-Andrae State Park, Peninsula State Park, or Willow River State Park, if the campsite has an electric receptacle.
15,134Section 134. 36.11 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read: 36.11 (3) (b) Subject to s. 36.31 (2m), the board shall establish policies for the appropriate transfer of credits between institutions within the system, including postsecondary credits earned by a high school pupil enrolled in a course at an institution within the system under the program under s. 118.55. If the board determines that postsecondary credits earned by a high school pupil under the program under s. 118.55 are not transferable under this paragraph, the board shall permit the individual to take an examination to determine the individual’s competency in the subject area of the course and, if the individual receives a passing score on the examination, shall award equivalent credits to the individual. The board’s policies under this paragraph shall provide that, no later than September 1, 2026, all credits for core general education courses, as defined in s. 36.31 (2m) (a) 2., are transferable between institutions within the system and satisfy general education requirements at the receiving institution. No later than December 31, 2025, the board shall submit a proposal to the joint committee on employment relations related to the transfer policies.
15,135Section 135. 36.11 (13) of the statutes is created to read: 36.11 (13) Institutions’ funding allocation on the basis of enrollment decline and course credits awarded. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (a), the board shall allocate a total of $15,250,000 in each fiscal year to institutions that have had, on average, a decline in student enrollment in the immediately preceding 10-year period. The board shall allocate the money to each qualifying institution in proportion to the full-time equivalent student enrollment at the institution in the most recent academic year for which this data is available.
(b) From the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (a), the board shall allocate a total of $11,250,000 in each fiscal year to institutions in proportion to the aggregate number of course credits awarded to undergraduate students enrolled in the institution in the most recent academic year for which this data is available, except that no institution may receive more than 25 percent of the total amount of funds allocated under this paragraph.
(c) Funding provided under this subsection is in addition to an institution’s allocation under ss. 36.09 (1) (h) and 36.112 and in addition to any other allocation of funding by the board.
15,136Section 136. 36.115 (9) of the statutes is created to read: 36.115 (9) (a) Notwithstanding s. 16.505 (2m) and (2p), the board shall continue to maintain, across the entire system, the number of positions for system employees that are funded by either general purpose revenue or program revenue at the level in effect on January 1, 2024, as set forth in, and subject to all of the terms of, the resolution adopted by the board on December 13, 2023, except that this paragraph applies through and after December 31, 2026.
(b) The chancellor may not create or abolish any position under s. 16.505 (2m) or (2p) for any system employee assigned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison that would be inconsistent with par. (a).
15,137Section 137. 36.115 (10) of the statutes is created to read: 36.115 (10) (a) In this subsection:
1. “Credit hour,” with respect to a course, means a period of not less than 50 consecutive minutes per week of instructional time for each week of the semester or session that the course is offered, excluding the week of or the week immediately preceding final examinations for the course.
2. “Faculty” has the meaning given in s. 36.05 (8) except that faculty does not include the chancellor or provost of an institution.
(b) Notwithstanding sub. (8) and any provision of the personnel systems under subs. (2) and (3), the provisions of this subsection apply with respect to each institution within the system, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
(c) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2. and pars. (d) to (f), beginning on September 1, 2026, each full-time faculty member and each full-time member of the instructional academic staff shall teach no fewer than 24 credit hours per academic year and, if the faculty member or instructional academic staff member is employed on a 12-month contract, an additional 6 credit hours during the summer.
2. Except as provided in pars. (d) to (f), beginning on September 1, 2026, each full-time faculty member and each full-time member of the instructional academic staff assigned to an institution that is classified as Research 1 by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education shall teach no fewer than 12 credit hours per academic year and, if the faculty member or instructional academic staff member is employed on a 12-month contract, an additional 3 credit hours during the summer.
3. Beginning on September 1, 2026, an instructional employee who has less than a full-time appointment shall teach a minimum number of credit hours in the proportion that the appointment bears to the required credit hours for a full-time instructional employee.
4. Beginning on September 1, 2026, except as provided in par. (f), an instructional employee shall teach not fewer than one course during any semester or summer session.
(d) 1. Each academic department in an institution may designate one individual to serve as the chairperson of the department. The duties of the chairperson shall be determined by the chancellor of the institution to which the individual is assigned. The teaching responsibilities under par. (c) may be reduced for the department chairperson commensurate with the individual’s duties as chairperson.
2. An institution may assign administrative duties to instructional employees other than the chairperson of a department and may designate these instructional employees as having these administrative duties, but the institution may not designate more than 10 percent of either faculty or instructional academic staff as having administrative duties. The teaching responsibilities under par. (c) may be reduced for instructional employees designated as having administrative duties to the extent a policy governing the reduction is approved by the joint committee on employment relations no later than January 31, 2026.
(e) The board shall develop a buyout plan that, if approved as provided in par. (f) 3., allows for the reduction of the number of credit hours an instructional employee is required to teach under par. (c).
(f) 1. Subject to subds. 2. to 4., the board may adopt guidelines, consistent with the provisions of this subsection that provide additional details relevant to the requirements under this subsection, or that present exceptions for reasonably justified circumstances, but only if, no later than December 1, 2025, the board submits to the joint committee on employment relations the proposed guidelines for legislative review.
2. In the proposed guidelines submitted under subd. 1., the board may propose exceptions to the requirements under par. (c) or other requirements under this subsection. If the joint committee on employment relations approves these exceptions prior to January 31, 2026, the board may adopt and implement the exceptions and incorporate the approved exceptions into its guidelines.
3. If the joint committee on employment relations approves the buyout plan under par. (e) prior to January 31, 2026, the board may implement the buyout plan.
4. To the extent applicable, the board’s submission under subd. 1. shall include any request for a reduction in teaching responsibilities for instructional employees designated as having administrative duties under par. (d) 2.
(g) Annually, the board shall report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3) all of the following information:
1. The total credit hours taught by faculty and instructional academic staff, grouped according to the following factors:
a. Classification as faculty or instructional academic staff.
b. Institution to which the employee is assigned.
c. Whether the employee has a full-time appointment and, if not, the extent of the part-time appointment.
d. Each funding source and the amount of funding from each source.
2. The percentage of teaching staff at each institution meeting the full workload requirements under this subsection.
(h) In its report under s. 13.94 (1) (t), the legislative audit bureau shall evaluate the board’s compliance with the requirements under this subsection.
15,138Section 138. 36.31 (2m) (d) of the statutes is created to read: 36.31 (2m) (d) Notwithstanding pars. (am) 1. and (b), no agreement under this subsection may limit the transfer of credits for core general education courses between institutions within the system.
15,140Section 140. 38.16 (3) (a) 2w. of the statutes is amended to read: 38.16 (3) (a) 2w. “Revenue” means the sum of the tax levy, property tax relief aid under subs. (4) and (5), amounts under s. 79.0965, and payments received under s. 79.096, not including a payment received under s. 79.096 (3) or 79.0965 (3) for a tax incremental district that has been terminated.
15,141Section 141. 41.152 of the statutes is created to read: 41.152 Film production tax credits. (1) The state film office shall implement a program to accredit productions and certify expenses for purposes of ss. 71.07 (5f) and (5h), 71.28 (5f) and (5h), and 71.47 (5f) and (5h). Application for accreditation or certification shall be made to the office in each taxable year for which accreditation or certification is desired.
(2) If the state film office accredits a production under sub. (1), the office shall determine the amount of the production’s production expenditures, as defined in s. 71.07 (5f) (a) 4. The state film office shall not issue an accreditation or certification under sub. (1) without first receiving written confirmation from the applicant that the applicant has retained a certified public accountant located in this state to conduct periodic audits to ensure compliance with this section and ss. 71.07 (5f) and (5h), 71.28 (5f) and (5h), and 71.47 (5f) and (5h), as prescribed by rule by the office. An entity applying for a tax credit under s. 71.07 (5f), 71.28 (5f), or 71.47 (5f) that does not have its commercial domicile in this state shall indicate that on its application along with the amount of production expenditures it anticipates spending in this state and the amount of expenditures, if any, it anticipates spending in another state on the same production.
(3) The state film office shall notify the department of revenue of every production accredited under sub. (1), the amount of the production’s production expenditures, as defined in s. 71.07 (5f) (a) 4., every certification issued under sub. (1), and the amount of the tax credits under ss. 71.07 (5f) and (5h), 71.28 (5f) and (5h), and 71.47 (5f) and (5h) allocated to the applicant for the taxable year for which the applicant’s claim relates. The state film office shall notify the department of revenue under this subsection no later than 30 days after allocating tax credits to an applicant.
(4) The state film office may not allocate more than $5,000,000 in tax credits under ss. 71.07 (5f) and (5h), 71.28 (5f) and (5h), and 71.47 (5f) and (5h) in each fiscal year and no more than $1,000,000 in tax credits to any single applicant in each fiscal year.
(5) Each applicant who produces an accredited production, as defined in s. 71.07 (5f) (a) 1., that is eligible for a tax credit under s. 71.07 (5f), 71.28 (5f), or 71.47 (5f) shall include in the finished production an acknowledgment to the state of Wisconsin and the state film office as designed by the state film office, including a logo designed by the state film office.
(6) Annually, beginning in 2027, the state film office shall prepare a report specifying the number of persons who submitted tax credit applications in the previous year and the amount of the tax credits allocated to each such applicant. The report shall also provide recommendations and suggestions on improving the efficiency of the program implemented under this section. The office shall submit the report to the legislature, in the manner provided under s. 13.172 (2), no later than April 30 each year.
(7) The department shall promulgate rules to administer this section.
15,142Section 142. 45.41 (5) of the statutes is amended to read: 45.41 (5) From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (vs), the department may annually grant up to $75,000 to the Wisconsin department of the American Legion up to $100,000 for the operation of Camp American Legion.
15,142nSection 142n. 45.75 (9) of the statutes is created to read: 45.75 (9) (a) The memorial board may request from the department funds from the appropriation account under s. 20.485 (2) (b) for one or more purposes specified under par. (b). In a request for funds under this paragraph, the memorial board must include all of the following:
1. A description of the purpose for which the memorial board is requesting the funds and the memorial board’s intended use of the requested funds.
2. A written averment from the memorial board that it has, or has a written financial commitment to receive, a full match of the amount of funds it is requesting from the department, which matching funds the memorial board will ensure are used to meet at least half of the memorial board’s total anticipated cost for the purpose for which the memorial board is requesting funds.
(b) Funds requested under par. (a) may be used by a war memorial established under sub. (1) for any of the following purposes:
1. Expenses relating to the operation of the war memorial, including memorials, capital projects, exhibits, programs, salaries, and insurance.
2. Maintenance, repairs, development, construction, or improvements of the war memorial’s facilities, properties, or grounds or other property owned, operated, or maintained by the war memorial.
(c) Within 60 days of a memorial board’s request for funds under par. (a), the department shall review the request and determine whether to fully or partially approve the request, request more information from the memorial board, or deny the request if the request does not meet the requirements under par. (a). Upon the department’s full or partial approval of a request made under this paragraph, the department shall within 30 days provide to the war memorial the approved funds. Upon the department’s full or partial denial of a request made under this paragraph, the memorial board may within 90 days request that the department revisit and review its denial decision.
(d) By the end of each fiscal year in which a memorial board receives funds from the department as the result of a request made under par. (a), the memorial board shall submit a report to the joint committee on finance and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution under s. 13.172 (3) to the standing committees having jurisdiction over veterans matters. The report shall describe how the memorial board used or plans to use the received funds and shall indicate how much money remains in the appropriation account under s. 20.485 (2) (b).
15,143Section 143. 45.82 (2) of the statutes is amended to read: 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 elected or appointed under s. 45.80 (1). A grant for $11,688 shall be awarded for $12,300 for a county with a population of less than 20,000, a grant for $13,750 shall be awarded for $14,400 for a county with a population of 20,000 to 45,499, a grant for $15,813 shall be awarded for $16,600 for a county with a population of 45,500 to 74,999, and a grant for $17,875 shall be awarded for $18,800 for a county with a population of 75,000 or more. 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.
15,144Section 144. 45.82 (3) of the statutes is repealed. 15,145Section 145. 45.82 (4) of the statutes is amended to read: 45.82 (4) The department shall provide grants to the governing bodies of federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands from the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (km) or (vu) if that governing body enters into an agreement with the department regarding the creation, goals, and objectives of a tribal veterans service officer, appoints a veteran to act as a tribal veterans service officer, and gives that veteran duties similar to the duties described in s. 45.80 (5), except that the veteran shall report to the governing body of the tribe or band. The department may make in an amount not to exceed $20,625 per grant annual grants under this subsection in an amount up to $21,700 per grant and shall promulgate rules to implement this subsection.
15,146Section 146. 46.533 of the statutes is created to read: 46.533 Suicide and crisis lifeline; grants. (1) In this section, “national crisis hotline” means the telephone or text access number “988,” or its successor, that is maintained under the federally administered program under 42 USC 290bb-36c.
(2) The department shall award grants to organizations that provide crisis intervention services and crisis care coordination to individuals who contact the national crisis hotline from anywhere within this state.
15,147Section 147. 46.548 of the statutes is created to read: 46.548 Regional tertiary care center. (1) Definition. In this section, “eligible hospital” means a hospital that meets all of the following criteria:
(a) The hospital is located in Waukesha County.
(b) The hospital is certified under s. 50.35.
(c) The hospital has 300 or more licensed acute care beds.
(d) The hospital is privately owned and operated as a nonprofit.
(e) The hospital is a regional tertiary care center.
(f) The hospital provides specialized services in at least 3 of the following areas:
1. Cardiology.
2. Oncology.
3. Orthopedic surgery.
4. Obstetrics with neonatal intensive care.
5. Behavioral health.
(2) State supplemental payment. Beginning in fiscal year 2025-26 and annually thereafter, the department shall, from the appropriation under s. 20.435 (1) (be), make a payment in the amount appropriated under s. 20.435 (1) (be) for the fiscal year in which the payment is made to each eligible hospital under this section.
(3) Use of funds. A hospital receiving a payment under this section may use the funds for any of the following expenses:
(a) Staffing and equipment for specialty services with high regional demand.
(b) Capital upgrades that expand access to intensive or specialty care.
(c) Support for complex patient discharge planning and community care coordination.
(d) Programs that improve outcomes for patients with dementia, chronic disease, or behavioral health conditions.
(4) Reporting requirements. Each hospital receiving a payment under this section shall submit an annual report to the department that includes a summary of how funds were used.
