AB68: Bill Text

AB68,957,6 4. Provide, expand, or promote nutritional and agricultural education.

AB68,957,8 (d) The department shall consult with interested persons to establish grant priorities for each fiscal year.

AB68,957,11 (3) Reports. At least annually, the department shall report to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) and to the secretary on the needs and opportunities for farm to fork programs.

AB68,957,12 (4) Rules. The department may promulgate rules to administer this section.

AB68,1554 Section 1554. 93.64 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68,957,20 93.64 Small farm diversity grant program. (1) Grants. The department may award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (4) (f) to agricultural producers that have been in operation for at least one year and that, in the year prior to applying for a grant, earned less than $350,000 in gross cash farm income. Grants awarded under this section shall be in an amount no less than $5,000 and no more than $50,000. The recipient of a grant under this section shall provide matching funds of 30 percent of the amount of the grant.

AB68,957,22 (2) Eligible costs. Grants awarded under this section may be used to pay for any of the following:

AB68,957,25 (a) Costs to develop a new agricultural product or increase production of an agricultural product where market opportunities exist, including business planning, feasibility research, engineering, and architectural designs.

AB68,958,1 (b) Start-up costs for new agricultural production operations.

AB68,958,3 (c) Research and development of uses for food, feed, and fiber products that are innovative and add value to agricultural products.

AB68,958,4 (d) Developing on-farm processing of agricultural commodities.

AB68,958,5 (e) Developing an agritourism venue.

AB68,958,7 (3) Priority. The department, in awarding grants under this section, shall give preference to applications that do any of the following:

AB68,958,9 (a) Develop a business plan with market research and income projections including new and innovative plans for marketing.

AB68,958,11 (b) Demonstrate a high probability of increased revenue, job creation, or enhanced viability.

AB68,958,12 (c) Feature research that is innovative as well as commercially plausible.

AB68,958,13 (d) Demonstrate a high probability of rapid commercialization.

AB68,958,15 (e) Demonstrate a commitment for funding from other private or public sources or from the applicant.

AB68,958,17 (4) Reports. The recipient of a grant under this section shall submit annual reports to the department documenting grant money expenses and results.

AB68,958,18 (5) Rules. The department may promulgate rules to administer this section.

AB68,1555 Section 1555. 93.65 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68,958,22 93.65 Value-added agricultural practices. (1) Definition. In this section, “value-added agricultural product” means a farm product that satisfies any of the following:

AB68,958,23 (a) The product has undergone a change in physical state.

AB68,958,24 (b) The product is produced in a manner that enhances its value.

AB68,958,25 (c) The product is physically segregated in a manner that enhances its value.

AB68,959,1 (d) The product is a source of farm-based or ranch-based renewable energy.

AB68,959,2 (e) The product is aggregated and marketed as a locally produced farm product.

AB68,959,6 (2) Value-added products. The department may provide education and technical assistance related to promoting and implementing agricultural practices that produce value-added agricultural products, including by doing all of the following:

AB68,959,15 (a) Assistance for organic farming practices. Providing education and technical assistance related to organic farming practices, including business and market development assistance; collaborating with organic producers, industry participants, and local organizations that coordinate organic farming; and stimulating interest and investment in organic production. The department may award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (4) (f) to organic producers, industry participants, and local organizations that coordinate organic farming. The department may award a grant to an organic producer, industry participant, or local organization under this paragraph for any of the following purposes:

AB68,959,17 1. Providing education and technical assistance related to implementing organic farming practices.

AB68,959,18 2. Helping to create organic farming plans.

AB68,959,19 3. Assisting farmers to transition to organic farming.

AB68,959,22 (b) Grazing grants. Awarding grants from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (4) (f) to appropriate entities to provide education and training to farmers about best practices related to grazing.

AB68,959,24 (c) Promotion. Helping producers market value-added agricultural products, including products produced through the use of a practice described in s. 93.67.

AB68,959,25 (3) Rules. The department may promulgate rules to administer this section.

AB68,1556 Section 1556. 93.66 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68,960,7 93.66 Grants for hiring farm business consultants. The department may award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (4) (f) to county agriculture agents of the University of Wisconsin-Extension to help farm operators hire business consultants and attorneys to examine their farm business plans and create a farm succession plan. The department may promulgate rules to administer this section.

AB68,1557 Section 1557 . 93.67 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68,960,13 93.67 Technical assistance on resource conservation. (1) Technical assistance. The department may provide technical assistance to farmers related to increasing or maintaining agricultural yields while promoting soil health, water quality, and regenerative agricultural practices, including by doing all of the following:

AB68,960,17 (a) Connecting farmers with technologies or practices that address water quality and other environmental sustainability goals, including technologies or practices developed by the University of Wisconsin System, private sector businesses, and other agricultural producers.

AB68,960,19 (b) Developing technical resources to assist farmers in promoting soil health, water quality, and regenerative agricultural practices.

AB68,960,20 (c) Awarding grants under sub. (2).

AB68,961,2 (2) Grants. The department may award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (4) (f) to local governments, nongovernmental organizations, federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands, businesses, and individuals for developing technologies and strategies that support conservation efforts on working lands and for developing market-based solutions to environmental and resource challenges in modern farming systems. The department may not award a grant under this section of more than $25,000.

AB68,961,3 (3) Rules. The department may promulgate rules to administer this section.

AB68,1558 Section 1558. 93.68 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68,961,8 93.68 Grants for meat processing facilities. (1) Definition. In this section, “meat processing facility" means a plant or premises where animals are slaughtered for human consumption, or where meat or meat products are processed, but does not include rendering plants.

AB68,961,11 (2) Grants. The department may award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (4) (f) to meat processing facilities for the purpose of promoting the growth of the meat industry in this state.

AB68,961,12 (3) Rules. The department may promulgate rules to administer this section.

AB68,1559 Section 1559. 93.74 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68,961,16 93.74 Planning grants for regional biodigesters. (1) Grant program. From the appropriation under s. 20.115 (7) (u), the department shall provide planning grants for establishing regional biodigesters.

AB68,961,18 (2) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of this section.

AB68,1560 Section 1560 . 93.75 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68,961,22 93.75 Regenerative agriculture practices. (1) The department shall provide grants from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (7) (qf) to provide cost-sharing for the following purposes:

AB68,961,23 (a) Conducting soil tests and other carbon sequestration analyses.

AB68,961,24 (b) Updating nutrient management software.

AB68,961,25 (c) Studying the feasibility of a statewide carbon market.

AB68,962,1 (d) Assessing the market value of carbon sequestration.

AB68,962,3 (e) For agricultural producers, implementing regenerative agricultural practices.

AB68,962,5 (2) In conjunction with grants provided under sub. (1), the department shall do all of the following:

AB68,962,9 (a) Evaluate the potential of existing tools to accurately and efficiently calculate carbon credits generated by producer-led watershed protection grant recipients under s. 93.59 and document the suitability of various carbon credit calculators for use in this state.

AB68,962,11 (b) Identify opportunities and facilitate groups of agricultural producers to work together to generate carbon credits.

AB68,962,15 (c) Provide technical assistance to farmers and agricultural agencies and professionals regarding the processes of carbon credit generation and associated risks of market participation to aid them in choosing to collaborate with carbon credit project developers on a verified project in the future.

AB68,962,17 (d) Study the feasibility of a statewide carbon market and assess the market value of carbon sequestration.

AB68,962,19 (3) The department may promulgate rules to administer the program under this section.

AB68,1561 Section 1561 . 93.76 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68,962,24 93.76 Conservation grants. The department shall provide grants from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (7) (qf) to local governments, nongovernmental organizations, federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands, businesses, and individuals for any of the following purposes:

AB68,963,2 (1) To develop and provide education and training to farmers about best practices related to grazing and pasture maintenance.

AB68,963,4 (2) To provide cost-sharing incentive payments to farmers to develop and adopt regenerative agricultural practices.

AB68,963,6 (3) The department may promulgate rules to administer the program under this section.

AB68,1562 Section 1562 . 93.77 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68,963,12 93.77 Nitrogen optimization pilot program. (1) In this section, “eligible university entities” means the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Center for Watershed Science and Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

AB68,963,15 (2) The department shall award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.115 (7) (cm) to agricultural producers and eligible university entities as provided under this section.

AB68,963,19 (3) An agricultural producer may apply for and receive a grant to implement a project with the potential to reduce nitrate loading to groundwater in the area. The agricultural producer receiving a grant under this subsection shall collaborate with one or more eligible university entities under sub. (4).

AB68,963,24 (4) The eligible university entities shall collaborate with an agricultural producer that receives a grant under sub. (3) to monitor the grant project on-site and to use information gathered from the project to research nitrate loading reduction methods with a goal of making recommendations to agricultural producers to optimize nitrogen usage while improving water quality in this state.

AB68,964,4 (5) The department may not make a grant to an agricultural producer and the eligible university entities collaborating with the agricultural producer in an amount that totals more than $125,000. No more than 50 percent of this total amount may be awarded to the collaborating eligible university entities.

AB68,1563 Section 1563. 94.55 (2t) of the statutes is repealed.

AB68,1564 Section 1564 . 94.56 of the statutes is created to read:

AB68,964,8 94.56 Marijuana producers and processors. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB68,964,11 (a) “Labor peace agreement” means an agreement between a person applying for a permit under this section and a labor organization, as defined in s. 5.02 (8m), that does all of the following:

AB68,964,14 1. Prohibits labor organizations and its members from engaging in picketing, work stoppages, boycotts, and any other economic interference with persons doing business in this state.

AB68,964,16 2. Prohibits the applicant from disrupting the efforts of the labor organization to communicate with and to organize and represent the applicant's employees.

AB68,964,20 3. Provides the labor organization access at reasonable times to areas in which the applicant's employees work for the purpose of meeting with employees to discuss their right to representation, employment rights under state law, and terms and conditions of employment.

AB68,964,21 (b) “Marijuana" has the meaning given in s. 961.70 (3).

AB68,964,22 (c) “Marijuana processor" has the meaning given in s. 139.97 (6).

AB68,964,23 (d) “Marijuana producer” has the meaning given in s. 139.97 (7).

AB68,964,24 (e) “Usable marijuana” has the meaning given in s. 139.97 (13).

AB68,965,2 (f) “Permittee” means a marijuana producer or marijuana processor who is issued a permit under this section.

AB68,965,8 (2) Permit required. (a) No person may operate in this state as a marijuana producer or marijuana processor without a permit from the department. A person who acts as a marijuana producer and a marijuana processor shall obtain a separate permit for each activity. A person is not required to obtain a permit under this section if the person produces or processes only industrial hemp and holds a valid license under s. 94.55.

AB68,965,10 (b) This subsection applies to any of the following if they hold 5 percent or more of the stock of any corporation applying for a permit under this section