Amendment ASA4-AB975

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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

ASSEMBLY SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 4, TO ASSEMBLY BILL 975

January 25, 2024 - Offered by Representative Wichgers.

AB975-ASA4,1,3 An Act to amend 20.435 (1) (eg); and to create 253.02 (5) of the statutes; relating to: grants to Choose Life Wisconsin, requiring a referendum, and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Health Services to award a grant to Choose Life Wisconsin for that organization to provide grants to pregnancy resource centers. Choose Life Wisconsin must report annually to DHS on the pregnancy resource centers it has awarded a grant, and DHS must distribute this annual report to the legislature.

This bill requires a referendum before giving effect to the grant program created in the bill. Under the bill, at the April 2024 election, the electors would vote on the question of whether the statutory provisions treated in the bill shall take effect “thus requiring [DHS] to award a grant in an amount of $1,000,000 per fiscal year to Choose Life, Wisconsin, Inc., to provide grants of up to $50,000 each to pregnancy resource centers in the state and requiring Choose Life Wisconsin to report annually on the grants awarded.” If a majority of votes cast in the election approves the question, the related provisions in the bill take effect on the day after the election results are certified. If the question is not approved by a majority of votes cast, the provisions do not take effect.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB975-ASA4,1 Section 1 . 20.435 (1) (eg) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB975-ASA4,2,3 20.435 (1) (eg) Pregnancy counseling. The amounts in the schedule for grants for pregnancy counseling under s. 253.08 and for the grant under s. 253.02 (5).

AB975-ASA4,2 Section 2 . 253.02 (5) of the statutes is created to read:

AB975-ASA4,2,11 253.02 (5) The department shall award a grant in an amount of $1,000,000 per fiscal year to Choose Life Wisconsin, Inc., for Choose Life Wisconsin, Inc., to provide grants in an amount of up to $50,000 each to pregnancy resource centers. Choose Life Wisconsin shall report to the department annually on the pregnancy resource centers that receive grants with moneys provided under this subsection. The department shall distribute the annual report to the legislature in the manner described under s. 13.172 (2).

AB975-ASA4,3 Section 3 . Nonstatutory provisions.

AB975-ASA4,2,18 (1) There shall be submitted to the vote of the electors at the April 2024 election the following question: “Shall the statutory provisions treated in 2023 Wisconsin Act .... (this act) take effect, thus requiring the state department of health services to award a grant in an amount of $1,000,000 per fiscal year to Choose Life Wisconsin, Inc., to provide grants of up to $50,000 each to pregnancy resource centers in the state and requiring Choose Life Wisconsin to report annually on the grants awarded?”.

AB975-ASA4,3,2 (2) The requirement under s. 8.37 that the referendum question shall be filed with the official or agency preparing the ballot for the election no later than 70 days before the election shall not apply to the referendum question that is to be submitted to the voters under sub. (1).

AB975-ASA4,3,6 (3) If the question under sub. (1) is approved by a majority of all votes cast on the question at the April 2024 election, the treatment of ss. 20.435 (1) (eg) and 253.02 (5) and Section 4 (1) of this act shall take effect. Otherwise, the fiscal change and the treatment of those statutory provisions by this act shall not take effect.

AB975-ASA4,4 Section 4 . Fiscal changes.

AB975-ASA4,3,14 (1) In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of health services under s. 20.435 (1) (eg), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2023-24 is increased by $1,000,000 to award the grant to Choose Life Wisconsin, Inc., under s. 253.02 (5). In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of health services under s. 20.435 (1) (eg), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2024-25 is increased by $1,000,000 to award the grant to Choose Life Wisconsin, Inc., under s. 253.02 (5).

AB975-ASA4,5 Section 5 . Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after the election results regarding the question under Section 3 (1 ) of this act are certified as provided under s. 7.70 if the condition set forth in Section 3 (3 ) of this act is satisfied, except as follows:

AB975-ASA4,3,19 (1) Section 3 of this act takes effect on the day after publication.

AB975-ASA4,3,20 (End)