AB833: Bill Text

LRB-5421/1

EAW&EVM:skw

2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

2021 Assembly BILL 833

January 7, 2022 - Introduced by Representatives Dallman, Armstrong, Behnke, Brandtjen, Callahan, Dittrich, Edming, Gundrum, James, Kitchens, Knodl, Krug, Kuglitsch, Kurtz, Loudenbeck, Macco, Murphy, Mursau, Novak, Oldenburg, Penterman, Petersen, Plumer, J. Rodriguez, Sanfelippo, Schraa, Skowronski, Snyder, Sortwell, Spiros, Steffen, Swearingen, Tittl, Tranel and Cabral-Guevara, cosponsored by Senators Roth, Ballweg, Darling, Jacque, Marklein and Nass. Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

AB833,1,1 An Act relating to: grants to support part-time law enforcement officers.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill creates a grant program administered by the Department of Justice that provides funding to local law enforcement agencies to provide required medical testing and certain supplies to part-time law enforcement officers. Under the bill, the governor must allocate money received by the state under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to fund the grant program. Because federal law requires ARPA funding to be spent by December 31, 2024, the grant program sunsets on that date.

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:

AB833,1 Section 1. Nonstatutory provisions.

AB833,1,3 (1) Grants for supplies and medical testing to law enforcement agencies.

AB833,1,4 (a) In this subsection:

AB833,1,5 1. “Law enforcement officer” has the meaning given in s. 165.85 (2) (c).

AB833,2,2 2. “Local law enforcement agency” means a law enforcement agency, as defined in s. 165.85 (2) (bv), of a city, village, or town.

AB833,2,5 3. “Medical testing” includes a physical exam, hearing test, drug test, and pre-employment psychological exam that is required for employment as a law enforcement officer.

AB833,2,11 4. “Qualifying supplies” means equipment worn by a law enforcement officer that is required to perform the duties of a law enforcement officer, including a ballistic-resistant vest, a duty belt and related equipment, an external vest carrier, firearms and ammunition, a uniform, a jacket, a taser, a baton, magazines, a flashlight, a go bag, a traffic vest, a Kevlar helmet, a gas mask, a handheld radio, and boots.

AB833,2,17 (b) Beginning no later than the first day of the sixth month after the effective date of this paragraph, the department of justice shall distribute grants to local law enforcement agencies to provide qualifying supplies to law enforcement officers and for medical testing of law enforcement officers who are employed by the local law enforcement agency on a part-time basis. No grants may be disbursed under this paragraph after December 31, 2024.

AB833,2,19 (c) A local law enforcement agency that employs 25 or more law enforcement officers does not qualify for a grant under this subsection.

AB833,2,23 (d) A grant provided under this subsection may not exceed 50 percent of the amount of actual expenditures by a local law enforcement agency for qualifying supplies and medical testing. No local law enforcement agency may receive more than $10,000 in a grant under this subsection.

AB833,3,3 (e) Of the moneys the governor accepts from the federal government under s. 16.54 pursuant to section 602 of the federal Social Security Act as amended by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2, the governor shall allocate an amount equal to the amount distributed by the department of justice for grants under par. (b).

AB833,3,4 (End)