AB791: Bill Text

LRB-3394/2

MCP:cdc&wlj

2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

2021 Assembly BILL 791

January 4, 2022 - Introduced by Representatives B. Meyers, Doyle, Vruwink, Anderson, Brostoff, Cabrera, Conley, Considine, Emerson, Hebl, Hong, Milroy, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Pope, S. Rodriguez, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck and Vining, cosponsored by Senators Smith, Larson, Roys, Erpenbach, Agard, L. Taylor and Pfaff. Referred to Committee on Government Accountability and Oversight.

AB791,1,3 An Act to amend 92.14 (5r); and to create 20.115 (7) (f) and 92.14 (3) (a) 4m. of the statutes; relating to: county conservation staff for climate change resiliency purposes and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, as part of the Soil and Water Resource Management program, DATCP provides funding to counties for county conservation staffing. Current law specifies the activities that county conservation staff may engage in with funding provided under this program. The bill provides that this program may be used to fund county conservation staff who focus on climate change and climate change resiliency. The bill provides $1,800,000 in GPR funding for this purpose. Under the bill, a county that seeks funding for this purpose must specifically indicate so in its annual grant request.

For further information see the state and local 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:

AB791,1 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

AB791,2 Section 2. 20.115 (7) (f) of the statutes is created to read:

AB791,2,5 20.115 (7) (f) Soil and water management; climate change personnel. The amounts in the schedule for support of county land conservation personnel under the soil and water resource management program for the purpose described under s. 92.14 (3) (a) 4m.

AB791,3 Section 3 . 92.14 (3) (a) 4m. of the statutes is created to read:

AB791,2,8 92.14 (3) (a) 4m. County land conservation personnel who primarily focus on climate change and climate change resiliency.

AB791,4 Section 4. 92.14 (5r) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB791,2,17 92.14 (5r) Annual grant request. Every land conservation committee shall prepare annually a grant request that describes the land and water resource staffing needs and activities to be undertaken or funded by the county under this chapter and ss. 281.65 and 281.66 and the funding needed for those purposes. The grant request shall specifically state any request for funding for climate change personnel under sub. (3) (a) 4m. The grant request shall be consistent with the county's plan under s. 92.10. The land conservation committee shall submit the grant request to the department.

AB791,5 Section 5 . Fiscal changes.

AB791,3,4 (1) Special education aid. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (b), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2022-23 is increased by $1,136,000, to increase funding for aids for special education under s. 115.88.

AB791,3,8 (2) UW system; general program operations. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System under s. 20.285 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2022-23 is increased by $284,000, for the purpose for which the appropriation is made.

AB791,3,9 (End)