AB207: Bill Text

AB207,1,3 An Act to create 20.285 (1) (er) and 36.25 (59) of the statutes; relating to: creating and funding a University of Wisconsin Dairy Innovation Hub and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to create a UW Dairy Innovation Hub. The bill provides $7,900,000 each year to the UW System to fund the requirements under the bill. The Dairy Innovation Hub must include operations at UW-Madison, UW-Platteville, and UW-River Falls. The Dairy Innovation Hub must also include disciplines in four separate sectors to accomplish the following objectives: ensure animal health and welfare; enrich human health and nutrition; steward land and water resources; and grow farm businesses and communities. The Board of Regents must allocate funding under the bill as follows: 52 percent to create positions, establish and operate an advanced dairy management academy, and provide support for research facilities and infrastructure at UW-Madison; 24 percent to create positions and provide support for research facilities and infrastructure at UW-Platteville; and 24 percent to create positions and provide support for research facilities and infrastructure at UW-River Falls. The Board of Regents must annually submit a report to the legislature regarding the Dairy Innovation Hub.

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:

AB207,1 Section 1 . 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

AB207,2 Section 2 . 20.285 (1) (er) of the statutes is created to read:

AB207,2,5 20.285 (1) (er) Dairy Innovation Hub. The amounts in the schedule for the Dairy Innovation Hub under s. 36.25 (59).

AB207,3 Section 3 . 36.25 (59) of the statutes is created to read:

AB207,2,9 36.25 (59) Dairy Innovation Hub. (a) The board shall create a University of Wisconsin Dairy Innovation Hub, funded from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (er) except as provided in par. (h).

AB207,2,13 (b) The Dairy Innovation Hub shall include operations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The Dairy Innovation Hub shall include disciplines in 4 separate sectors to accomplish all of the following objectives:

AB207,2,14 1. Ensure animal health and welfare.

AB207,2,15 2. Enrich human health and nutrition.

AB207,3,1 3. Steward land and water resources.

AB207,3,2 4. Grow farm businesses and communities.

AB207,3,5 (c) The board shall allocate 52 percent of the amount appropriated under s. 20.285 (1) (er) to do all of the following in connection with the Dairy Innovation Hub at the University of Wisconsin-Madison:

AB207,3,9 1. Create positions assigned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which may include faculty positions, post-doctoral research fellowship positions, graduate student fellowship positions, grant writer staff positions, or any combination of these positions.

AB207,3,11 2. Create a Dairy Innovation Hub administrator position assigned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

AB207,3,13 3. Establish and operate an advanced dairy management academy to provide training and facilitate technology transfer.

AB207,3,15 4. Provide support for research facilities and infrastructure, including research-related farms, laboratories, and equipment.

AB207,3,18 (d) The board shall allocate 24 percent of the amount appropriated under s. 20.285 (1) (er) to do all of the following in connection with the Dairy Innovation Hub at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville:

AB207,3,24 1. Create positions assigned to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, which may include faculty positions, post-doctoral teaching fellowship positions, graduate student fellowship positions, grant writer staff positions, building staff positions, or any combination of these positions, and, upon request by the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, provide research fellowships for existing faculty assigned to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

AB207,4,2 2. Provide support for research facilities and infrastructure, including research-related farms, laboratories, and equipment.

AB207,4,5 (e) The board shall allocate 24 percent of the amount appropriated under s. 20.285 (1) (er) to do all of the following in connection with the Dairy Innovation Hub at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls:

AB207,4,11 1. Create positions assigned to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, which may include faculty positions, post-doctoral teaching fellowship positions, graduate student fellowship positions, grant writer staff positions, building staff positions, or any combination of these positions, and, upon request by the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, provide research fellowships for existing faculty assigned to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

AB207,4,13 2. Provide support for research facilities and infrastructure, including research-related farms, laboratories, and equipment.

AB207,4,17 (f) By July 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the board shall submit to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3) having jurisdiction over matters relating to agriculture a report that includes all of the following:

AB207,4,20 1. Identification of all positions created under pars. (c) 1. and 2., (d) 1., and (e) 1. and, for each position, specify whether the position has been filled or remains open as of the time the report is prepared.

AB207,4,23 2. For each filled position identified in subd. 1., a description of the accomplishments associated with that position, both since the position was created and during the immediately preceding year.

AB207,4,25 3. A description of the major accomplishments of the Dairy Innovation Hub, both since its inception and during the immediately preceding year.

AB207,5,5 (g) The board shall ensure that the funding provided in s. 20.285 (1) (er) to support the positions and activities under this subsection is administered to reflect a bona fide increase in funding for the purposes specified in this subsection and that no other funding provided to the board under s. 20.285 is reduced as a result of, or reduced in a way that offsets, this additional funding for the Dairy Innovation Hub.

AB207,5,9 (h) The board may pay, from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (a) instead of the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (er), the cost of employer contributions for employee fringe benefits under ch. 40 for positions created under pars. (c) 1. and 2., (d) 1., and (e) 1.

AB207,4 Section 4 . Effective date.

AB207,5,12 (1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2019 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

AB207,5,13 (End)