SB59: Bill Text

SB59,441,25 1. The state superintendent of public instruction.

SB59,442,2 2. Other system institutions with expertise in the field of environmental education.

SB59,442,4 3. Conservation and environmental groups, including youth organizations and nature and environmental centers.

SB59,442,10 (b) In consultation with the chancellor and faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the board shall promulgate rules establishing the criteria and procedures for the awarding of grants under sub. (2). The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point shall use the priorities established under par. (a) for awarding grants if the amount in the appropriation account under s. 20.285 (1) (rs) in any fiscal year is insufficient to fund all applications for grants under this section.

SB59,442,14 (4) In addition to making grants under this section funded from the appropriation account under s. 20.285 (1) (rs), the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point shall seek private funds for the purpose of making grants under this section from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (ge).

SB59,366 Section 366. 36.60 (2) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,442,20 36.60 (2) (a) 2. The board may repay, on behalf of a physician or dentist who agrees under sub. (3) to practice in a rural area, up to $100,000 in educational loans obtained by the physician or dentist from a public or private lending institution for education in an accredited school of medicine or dentistry or for postgraduate medical or dental training.

SB59,367 Section 367. 36.60 (4m) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,442,25 36.60 (4m) Loan repayment; rural physicians and dentists. (intro.) If a physician or dentist agrees under sub. (3) to practice in a rural area, principal and interest due on the loan, exclusive of any penalties, may be repaid by the board at the following rate:

SB59,368 Section 368. 36.61 (1) (ak) of the statutes is created to read:

SB59,443,3 36.61 (1) (ak) “Dental therapist” means an individual licensed under s. 447.04 (1m).

SB59,369 Section 369 . 36.61 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,443,6 36.61 (1) (b) “Health care provider" means a dental therapist, dental hygienist, physician assistant, nurse-midwife, or nurse practitioner.

SB59,370 Section 370 . 36.61 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,443,14 36.61 (3) (a) The board shall enter into a written agreement with the health care provider. In the agreement, the health care provider shall agree to practice at least 32 clinic hours per week for 3 years in one or more eligible practice areas in this state or in a rural area, except that a health care provider in the expanded loan assistance program under sub. (8) who is not a dental therapist or dental hygienist may only agree to practice at a public or private nonprofit entity in a health professional shortage area.

SB59,371 Section 371 . 36.61 (5) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,443,21 36.61 (5) (b) 1. The degree to which there is an extremely high need for medical care in the eligible practice area, health professional shortage area, or rural area in which an eligible applicant who is not a dental therapist or dental hygienist desires to practice and the degree to which there is an extremely high need for dental care in the dental health shortage area or rural area in which an eligible applicant who is a dental therapist or dental hygienist desires to practice.

SB59,372 Section 372 . 36.61 (8) (c) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,444,2 36.61 (8) (c) 3. Practice at a public or private nonprofit entity in a health professional shortage area, if the health care provider is not a dental therapist or dental hygienist, or in a dental health shortage area, if the health care provider is a dental therapist or dental hygienist.

SB59,373 Section 373. 36.615 of the statutes is created to read:

SB59,444,5 36.615 Nurse educators. (1) Subject to sub. (2), the Board of Regents shall establish a program for providing all of the following:

SB59,444,7 (a) Fellowships to students who enroll in programs for degrees in doctor of nursing practice or doctor of philosophy in nursing.

SB59,444,8 (b) Postdoctoral fellowships to recruit faculty for system nursing programs.

SB59,444,10 (c) Educational loan repayment assistance to recruit and retain faculty for system nursing programs.

SB59,444,13 (2) The program established under sub. (1) shall require individuals who receive fellowships under sub. (1) (a) or (b) or assistance under sub. (1) (c) to make a commitment to teach for 3 consecutive years in a system nursing program.

SB59,444,15 (3) Costs associated with the program established under sub. (1) shall be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (f).

SB59,374 Section 374 . 38.001 (3) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,444,20 38.001 (3) (e) Provide education and services which address barriers created by stereotyping and discriminating and assist individuals with disabilities, minorities, women, and the handicapped or disadvantaged to participate in the work force and the full range of technical college programs and activities.

SB59,375 Section 375. 38.04 (11) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,445,3 38.04 (11) (a) 2. In consultation with the state superintendent of public instruction, the board shall establish, by rule, a uniform format for district boards to use in reporting the number of pupils attending district schools under ss. 38.12 (14) and s. 118.15 (1) (b), (cm), and (d) and in reporting pupil participation in technical preparation programs under s. 118.34, including the number of courses taken for advanced standing in the district's associate degree program and for technical college credit.

SB59,376 Section 376. 38.04 (21) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,445,6 38.04 (21) (a) The number of pupils who attended district schools under ss. 38.12 (14) and s. 118.15 (1) (b), (cm), and (d) in the previous school year.

SB59,377 Section 377. 38.04 (21) (c) of the statutes is repealed.

SB59,378 Section 378. 38.12 (14) of the statutes is repealed.

SB59,379 Section 379. 38.12 (15) of the statutes is created to read:

SB59,445,14 38.12 (15) Dual enrollment program. (a) In this subsection, “transcripted credit” means that the technical college in which a high school student is enrolled under this subsection awards postsecondary credit for successful course completion and issues a transcript from the technical college documenting successful completion of the course and the credits awarded for the course, if such a transcript is requested.

SB59,445,19 (b) Each district board shall establish policies and implement a program under which students attending high school in this state and residing in the district are admitted to the technical colleges of the district as nondegree students and may enroll in courses of instruction offered for transcripted credit at any such technical college if all of the following apply:

SB59,445,20 1. The student meets the requirements and prerequisites of the course.

SB59,445,21 2. There is space available in the course.

SB59,445,25 (c) In establishing the policies and implementing the program under par. (b), the district board shall consult with the department of public instruction and coordinate with the school districts and the governing bodies of private schools where the high school students are enrolled.

SB59,446,10 (d) 1. A public school student who intends to enroll in a technical college under this subsection shall notify the school board of the school district in which he or she is enrolled and a student attending a private school who intends to enroll in a technical college under this subsection shall notify the governing body of the private school he or she attends of that intention no later than March 1 if the student intends to enroll in the fall semester, and no later than October 1 if the student intends to enroll in the spring semester. The notice shall include the titles of the courses in which the student intends to enroll and the number of credits of each course, and shall specify whether the student will be taking the courses for high school credit as well as postsecondary credit.

SB59,447,7 2. If the public school student specifies in the notice under subd. 1. that he or she intends to take a course at a technical college for high school credit, the school board shall determine whether the course satisfies any of the high school graduation requirements under s. 118.33 and the number of high school credits to award the student for the course, if any. If the student attending a private school specifies in the notice under subd. 1. that he or she intends to take a course at a technical college for high school credit, the governing body of the participating private school shall determine whether the course satisfies any requirements necessary for high school graduation and the number of high school credits to award the student for the course, if any. In cooperation with the board and district boards, the state superintendent shall develop guidelines to assist school districts and participating private schools in making the determinations. The school board or governing body shall notify the student of its determinations, in writing, before the beginning of the semester in which the student will be enrolled. If the public school student disagrees with the school board's decision regarding satisfaction of high school graduation requirements or the number of high school credits to be awarded, the student may appeal the school board's decision to the state superintendent within 30 days after the decision. The state superintendent's decision shall be final and is not subject to review under subch. III of ch. 227. If the student attending a participating private school disagrees with any decision of a governing body under this subdivision, the student may appeal the decision to the governing body within 30 days after the decision.

SB59,447,11 (e) Notwithstanding s. 38.24 (1m), the district board may not charge any fees to any high school student, or to the school district or private school in which the student is enrolled, in connection with the student's participation in the program under par. (b) or the student's enrollment in any course under this program.

SB59,447,18 (f) The district board shall implement the program under this subsection no later than 30 days after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date]. If at the time the district board implements the program under this subsection the district board of the technical college in which a student is or will be enrolled has already received payment of fees as provided in s. 38.12 (14) (d), 2017 stats., for the first semester commencing after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], the district board shall refund all such fees received.

SB59,380 Section 380. 38.16 (3) (be) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,447,23 38.16 (3) (be) Notwithstanding sub. (1), no district board may increase its revenue in the 2014-15 school year or in any school year thereafter by a percentage that exceeds 2 percent, or the district's valuation factor, whichever is greater, except as provided in pars. (bg) and (br).

SB59,381 Section 381. 38.22 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,448,3 38.22 (1) (intro.) Except as provided in subs. (1m) and (1s) and s. 38.12 (14) (15), every person who is at least the age specified in s. 118.15 (1) (b) is eligible to attend a technical college if the person is:

SB59,382 Section 382. 38.22 (6) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

SB59,448,6 38.22 (6) (e) Any person who is a citizen of a country other than the United States if that person meets all of the following requirements:

SB59,448,8 1. The person graduated from a high school in this state or received a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation from this state.

SB59,448,11 2. The person was continuously present in this state for at least 3 years following the first day of attending a high school in this state or immediately preceding receipt of a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation.

SB59,448,15 3. The person enrolls in a district school and provides the district board with proof that the person has filed or will file an application for a permanent resident visa with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as soon as the person is eligible to do so.

SB59,383 Section 383 . 38.27 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,448,20 38.27 (1) (a) The creation or expansion of adult high school, adult basic education and English as a 2nd language courses. The board shall give priority to courses serving students with disabilities or minority, unemployed, or disadvantaged or handicapped students.

SB59,384 Section 384. 38.28 (1m) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,449,5 38.28 (1m) (a) 1. “District aidable cost" means the annual cost of operating a technical college district, including debt service charges for district bonds and promissory notes for building programs or capital equipment, but excluding all expenditures relating to auxiliary enterprises and community service programs, all expenditures funded by or reimbursed with federal revenues, all receipts under ss. 38.12 (9) and (14), 38.14 (3) and (9), and 118.15 (2) (a), all receipts from grants awarded under ss. 38.04 (8), (28), and (31), 38.14 (11), 38.26, 38.27, 38.31, 38.33, 38.38, and 38.42, all fees collected under s. 38.24, and driver education and chauffeur training aids.

SB59,385 Section 385 . 38.38 of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,449,11 38.38 Services for handicapped students with disabilities. Annually the board may award a grant to each district board, from the appropriation under s. 20.292 (1) (f), to assist in funding transitional services for handicapped students with disabilities. Each district board shall contribute matching funds equal to 25 percent of the amount awarded.

SB59,386 Section 386. 39.11 (16) of the statutes is created to read:

SB59,449,16 39.11 (16) When appropriate and related to the programs of the state educational radio and television network, procure or publish instructional material. A reasonable handling charge may be established to cover the costs of providing this material.

SB59,387 Section 387. 39.285 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,450,5 39.285 (1) (b) If the board determines during a fiscal year that any formula approved under par. (a) during the prior fiscal year needs to be modified during the fiscal year in order to expend the entire amount appropriated for grants to students under s. 39.30 or 39.435, except s. 39.435 (2) or (5), in that fiscal year, the board shall submit may implement the modified formula to the joint committee on finance. If the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the board that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the modified formula within 14 working days after the date of the submittal, the modified formula may be implemented as proposed by the board. If, within 14 working days after the date of the submittal, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the board that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the modified formula, the modified formula may be implemented only upon approval of the committee.

SB59,388 Section 388. 39.36 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,450,8 39.36 (title) Repayment of stipends for teachers of the handicapped impaired.

SB59,389 Section 389. 39.40 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,450,15 39.40 (5) The board may not make loans under sub. (2) after the effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date]. The board shall administer the repayment and forgiveness of loans made under sub. (2) on or before the effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date] and under s. 36.25 (16), 1993 stats. The board shall treat such loans made under s. 36.25 (16), 1993 stats., as if they had been made under sub. (2).

SB59,390 Section 390. 39.435 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 39.435 (2) (a) and amended to read:

SB59,451,3 39.435 (2) (a) The board shall award talent incentive grants to uniquely needy students enrolled at least half-time as first-time freshmen at public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education located in this state and to sophomores, juniors, and seniors who received such grants as freshmen. No grant under this subsection paragraph may exceed $1,800 for any academic year. The board may award a grant under this subsection paragraph to the same student for up to 10 semesters or their equivalent, but may not award such a grant to the same student more than 6 years after the initial grant is awarded to that student. A student need not maintain continuous enrollment at an institution of higher education to remain eligible for a grant under this subsection paragraph. The board shall promulgate rules establishing eligibility criteria for grants under this subsection paragraph.

SB59,391 Section 391. 39.435 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

SB59,451,10 39.435 (2) (b) Before the end of a fiscal biennium, the board may make supplemental talent incentive grants to students to whom the board has awarded talent incentive grants under par. (a) in that fiscal biennium, but only if the board determines that, after the board makes all of the grants under par. (a) in that fiscal biennium, moneys are available in the appropriation account under s. 20.235 (1) (fd) for grants under this paragraph.

SB59,392 Section 392. 39.435 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,451,18 39.435 (5) The board shall ensure that grants under this section are made available to students attending private or public institutions in this state who are deaf or hard of hearing or visually handicapped impaired and who demonstrate need. Grants may also be made available to such handicapped students attending private or public institutions in other states under criteria established by the board. In determining the financial need of these students special consideration shall be given to their unique and unusual costs.

SB59,393 Section 393. 40.01 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,452,5 40.01 (2) Purpose. The public employee trust fund is a public trust and shall be managed, administered, invested and otherwise dealt with solely for the purpose of ensuring the fulfillment at the lowest possible cost of the benefit commitments to participants, as set forth in this chapter, and shall not be used for any other purpose. Revenues collected for and balances in the accounts of a specific benefit plan shall be used only for the purposes of that benefit plan, including amounts allocated under s. 20.515 (1) (um) or (ut) or 40.04 (2), and shall not be used for the purposes of any other benefit plan. Each member of the employee trust funds board shall be a trustee of the fund and the fund shall be administered by the department of employee trust funds. All statutes relating to the fund shall be construed liberally in furtherance of the purposes set forth in this section.

SB59,394 Section 394 . 40.03 (1) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:

SB59,452,8 40.03 (1) (cm) Shall appoint an internal auditor. The internal auditor shall report directly to the board.

SB59,395 Section 395. 40.03 (1) (i) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,452,14 40.03 (1) (i) May determine that some or all of the disability annuities and death benefits provided from the Wisconsin retirement system shall instead be provided through group insurance plans to be established by the group insurance board either as separate plans or as integral parts of the group life and income continuation insurance plans established under this chapter.

SB59,396 Section 396. 40.03 (1) (p) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB59,452,19 40.03 (1) (p) May, upon the recommendation of the actuary, transfer in whole or in part the assets and reserves held in any account described in s. 40.04 (9) to a different account described in s. 40.04 (9), for the purpose of providing any group insurance benefit offered by the group insurance board.

SB59,397 Section 397. 40.03 (1) (q) of the statutes is created to read:

SB59,452,23 40.03 (1) (q) For the purpose of the group income continuation insurance plan established under ss. 40.61 and 40.62 and the group long-term disability insurance plan established under s. 40.64:

SB59,453,3 1. May, on behalf of the state, enter into a contract or contracts with one or more insurers authorized to transact insurance business in this state for the purpose of providing the plans.

SB59,453,5 2. May, wholly or partially in lieu of subd. 1., on behalf of the state, provide the plans on a self-insured basis.

SB59,453,8 3. May take any action as trustees that is considered advisable and not specifically prohibited or delegated to some other governmental agency to carry out the purpose and intent of the plans.

SB59,453,15 4. May apportion all excess moneys becoming available to the board through operation of the plans to reduce premium payments in following contract years or to establish reserves to stabilize costs in subsequent years. If the board determines that the excess became available due to favorable experience of specific groups of employers or specific employee groups, the board may make the apportionment in a manner designated to benefit the specific employers or employee groups only, or to a greater extent than other employers and employee groups.

SB59,453,17 5. Shall take prompt action to liquidate any actuarial or cash deficit that occurs in the accounts and reserves maintained in the fund for the plans.

SB59,453,19 6. Shall accept timely appeals of determinations made by the department affecting any right or benefit under the plans.