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LRB-2858/1
MPG:amn
2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
April 2, 2021 - Introduced by Representatives Armstrong, Tranel, Oldenburg,
Born, Cabral-Guevara, Callahan, Duchow, Edming, James, Knodl, Krug,
Kurtz, Moses, Mursau, Petryk, Plumer, Rozar, Snyder, Swearingen,
Tusler, Vorpagel, Wittke and Zimmerman, cosponsored by Senators
Marklein, Bernier, Feyen and Felzkowski. Referred to Committee on Rural
Development.
AB235,1,3 1An Act to create 238.18 of the statutes; relating to: rural economic
2development programs administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development
3Corporation and farm support grants.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the governor to allocate $50,000,000 of the funds accepted
under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) for the Wisconsin
Economic Development Corporation to do all of the following:
1. Expend moneys for any economic development program WEDC is
administering as of the date on which the bill becomes law if the expenditure assists
economic development in a rural county.
2. Expend moneys for any economic development program WEDC begins
administering after the date on which the bill becomes law if the expenditure assists
economic development in a rural county. The bill requires passive review by the Joint
Committee on Finance before WEDC first expends moneys allocated under the bill
on each such program and requires WEDC to adopt policies and procedures
establishing, to the extent feasible, matching requirements for any such
expenditure.
3. Subject to passive review by JCF, award grants to state agencies, including
other authorities, if WEDC determines that a state agency's expenditure of the grant
moneys will assist economic development in a rural county.
4. Award onetime grants to certain county and regional economic development
organizations serving rural counties for the purpose of creating or expanding

revolving loan funds that promote economic development and entrepreneurial
start-ups in rural counties. The bill additionally authorizes WEDC to award limited
onetime grants to such organizations for the organizations' program operations and
marketing in rural counties.
With respect to WEDC's administration of all of the programs described above,
the bill requires WEDC to make every effort to ensure that underserved communities
in rural counties are prioritized. Additionally, under the bill, WEDC must submit
a report to JCF no later than June 30 of each fiscal year in which WEDC expends
moneys allocated under the bill that describes in detail WEDC's use of those moneys
in that fiscal year.
The bill also requires the governor to allocate $50,000,000 of the funds accepted
under ARPA for the Department of Revenue to provide grants to farmers. Under the
bill, a farmer is eligible for a grant if the farmer's gross sales of farm products for 2019
exceeds $35,000 but not does exceed $5,000,000 and the farmer has experienced
financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill directs DOR to
consult with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in
providing the grants.
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:
AB235,1 1Section 1 . 238.18 of the statutes is created to read:
AB235,2,2 2238.18 Rural economic development. (1) Definition. In this section:
AB235,2,73 (a) “State agency" means an office, department, agency, institution of higher
4education, association, society, or other body in state government created or
5authorized to be created by the constitution or any law that is entitled to expend
6moneys appropriated by law, including any authority created in subch. II of ch. 114
7or in ch. 231, 233, 234, or 279.
AB235,2,98 (b) “Rural county” means a county with a population density of less than 155
9residents per square mile.
AB235,2,11 10(2) Economic development programs benefiting rural counties. From the
11moneys allocated under sub (6), the corporation may do the following:
AB235,3,3
1(a) Expend moneys for any economic development program the corporation is
2administering on the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], if that
3expenditure assists economic development in a rural county.
AB235,3,74 (b) Expend moneys for any economic development program the corporation
5begins administering after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date],
6if that expenditure assists economic development in a rural county, subject to all of
7the following:
AB235,3,128 1. Before the corporation first expends moneys on each program under this
9paragraph, the corporation shall notify the joint committee on finance in writing of
10the corporation's intention to expend the moneys on the program. The notice shall
11describe the program and purposes for which the corporation proposes to expend the
12moneys under this paragraph.
AB235,3,2113 2. If, within 14 working days after the date of the corporation's notice under
14subd. 1., the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance do not notify the
15corporation that the committee has scheduled a meeting to review the corporation's
16proposal, the corporation may make the expenditures as proposed in the
17corporation's notice. If, within 14 working days after the date of the corporation's
18notice under subd. 1., the cochairpersons of the committee notify the corporation that
19the committee has scheduled a meeting to review the corporation's proposal, the
20corporation may make the proposed expenditures only upon approval of the
21committee.
AB235,3,2422 3. The corporation shall adopt policies and procedures establishing, to the
23extent feasible, matching requirements for the corporation's expenditures under this
24paragraph.
AB235,4,3
1(c) Award a grant to a state agency if the corporation determines the state
2agency's expenditure of the grant moneys will assist economic development in a rural
3county, subject to all of the following:
AB235,4,74 1. Before the corporation makes a grant under this paragraph, the corporation
5shall notify the joint committee on finance in writing of the corporation's intention
6to make the grant. The notice shall describe the program and purposes for which the
7corporation proposes to make the grant.
AB235,4,158 2. If, within 14 working days after the date of the corporation's notice under
9subd. 1., the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance do not notify the
10corporation that the committee has scheduled a meeting to review the corporation's
11proposal, the corporation may make the grant as proposed in the corporation's notice.
12If, within 14 working days after the date of the corporation's notice under subd. 1.,
13the cochairpersons of the committee notify the corporation that the committee has
14scheduled a meeting to review the corporation's proposal, the corporation may make
15the proposed grant only upon approval of the committee.
AB235,4,1916 (d) Before the corporation expends moneys on an economic development
17program under par. (a) or (b) or makes a grant under par. (c), the corporation shall
18consider the economic impact of the program or activity for which the moneys will
19be used.
AB235,4,24 20(3g) Grants for revolving loan funds. (a) In this subsection and in sub. (3r),
21“eligible organization” means each county economic development organization
22serving a rural county and each regional economic development organization serving
23a rural county that the corporation determines under par. (d) is eligible for a grant
24under par. (c).
AB235,5,2
1(b) From the moneys allocated under sub. (6), the corporation shall set aside
2$5,000,000 for grants under this subsection.
AB235,5,113 (c) The corporation shall award a onetime grant of $250,000 to each eligible
4organization, or shall grant a smaller amount if the eligible organization so elects.
5The corporation may award a onetime grant of more than $250,000 to a consortium
6of rural counties, or to a consortium of eligible organizations in lieu of a grant to
7eligible organizations that are members of the consortium. An eligible organization
8or a consortium receiving a grant under this paragraph shall expend the grant
9moneys only for the purpose of creating or expanding a revolving loan fund that
10promotes economic development and entrepreneurial start-ups in a rural county
11served by the eligible organization or in rural counties served by the consortium.
AB235,5,1512 (d) In determining whether a county economic development organization
13serving a rural county or regional economic development organization serving a
14rural county is eligible for a grant under par. (c), the corporation shall consider all
15of the following:
AB235,5,1716 1. Whether the organization has appropriate fiscal and administrative policies
17and procedures in place.
AB235,5,1918 2. Whether the organization's staff is sufficient and qualified by education or
19experience to administer a revolving loan fund.
AB235,5,2220 3. Whether the organization can provide at least 2 examples of projects
21financed with public funding that the organization has taken from grant application
22to project completion.
AB235,5,2423 4. Whether the organization has experience or a history of serving the
24community with economic development projects.
AB235,6,4
1(3r) Grants for program operations and marketing. (a) From the moneys
2allocated under sub. (6), the corporation shall award a onetime grant of $50,000 to
3each eligible organization, or shall grant a smaller amount if the eligible
4organization so elects, subject to all of the following:
AB235,6,75 1. The eligible organization shall expend all grant moneys received under this
6paragraph only for the purpose of program operations and marketing within a rural
7county served by the eligible organization.
AB235,6,118 2. The eligible organization shall submit a report to the corporation no later
9than 180 days after the last day of the state fiscal year in which the grant is awarded
10concerning the organization's use of the grant under this paragraph. The report shall
11include a description of all marketing efforts undertaken as a result of the grant.
AB235,6,1412 (b) A rural county served by an eligible organization receiving a grant under
13par. (a) may not use or depend on grant moneys to supplant existing funding for
14economic development purposes.
AB235,6,18 15(4) Reporting requirements. No later than June 30 of each state fiscal year
16in which the corporation expends moneys allocated under sub. (6), the corporation
17shall submit a report to the joint committee on finance describing in detail the
18corporation's use of those moneys in that fiscal year.
AB235,6,22 19(5) Cooperation of state agencies. All state agencies shall, to the extend
20needed, as determined by the corporation, cooperate with the corporation concerning
21the corporation's planning and implementation of its expenditures of moneys under
22this section.
AB235,6,25 23(5m) Focus on underserved communities. In administering this section, the
24corporation shall make every effort to ensure that underserved communities in rural
25counties are prioritized.
AB235,7,4
1(6) Allocation of moneys. Of the moneys the governor accepts from the federal
2government under s. 16.54 pursuant to section 602 of the federal Social Security Act
3as amended by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2, the
4governor shall allocate $50,000,000 for the programs under this section.
AB235,2 5Section 2. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB235,7,66 (1) Farm support grants.
AB235,7,167 (a) The department of revenue shall use the funds allocated under par. (b) to
8provide grants to farmers who have experienced financial hardship due to the
9COVID-19 pandemic. A farmer desiring a grant under this paragraph may file an
10application with the department of revenue in the manner determined by the
11department. The department of revenue shall consult with the department of
12agriculture, trade and consumer protection in providing grants under this
13paragraph. In this paragraph, “farmer” means a farmer, as defined in s. 102.04 (3),
14who owns or leases land that is agricultural property, whose gross sales of farm
15products in 2019 exceeds $35,000 but not does exceed $5,000,000, and who has
16experienced financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
AB235,7,2017 (b) Of the moneys the governor accepts from the federal government under s.
1816.54 pursuant to section 602 of the federal Social Security Act as amended by the
19federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2, the governor shall allocate
20$50,000,000 to provide the grants under this subsection.
AB235,7,2121 (End)
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