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LRB-2854/1
MLJ&TJD:all
2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
April 5, 2021 - Introduced by Senators Bernier and Felzkowski, cosponsored by
Representatives James, Loudenbeck, Armstrong, Born, Cabral-Guevara,
Callahan, Duchow, Edming, Gundrum, Knodl, Krug, Moses, Mursau,
Oldenburg, Petryk, Plumer, Rozar, Snyder, Steffen, Swearingen, Tranel,
Vorpagel, Wittke and Zimmerman. Referred to Joint Committee on Finance.
SB273,1,5 1An Act to renumber and amend 323.29 (3) (a); and to create 323.29 (3) (a) 2.
2and 323.29 (3) (b) 3. of the statutes; relating to: allocation of federal American
3Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds for a statewide public safety interoperable
4communication system, emergency services IP network contracts, a geographic
5information systems database, and psychiatric treatment beds.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Statewide public safety interoperable communication system
Under current law, the Department of Military Affairs provides staff support
for the Interoperability Council and is charged with overseeing the development and
operation of a statewide public safety interoperable communication system, which
is a system that allows various public safety entities, public works and
transportation agencies, hospitals, and volunteer emergency services agencies to
communicate via radio or other communication technology in an emergency.
The bill provides that DMA must also administer any current or future
statewide public safety interoperable communication system, and allows DMA to
enter into agreements for maintenance and support of, upgrades to, and
enhancements for the statewide public safety interoperable communication system.
The bill also provides that of the money the governor accepts from the federal
government under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the governor shall
allocate $33,000,000 for the development of an updated statewide public safety
interoperable communication system.

Emergency services IP network contracts
Under current law, DMA must contract for the creation, operation, and
maintenance of an emergency services IP network to provide all public safety
answering points with the necessary infrastructure to implement Next Generation
911.
The bill provides that of the money the governor accepts from the federal
government under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the governor shall
allocate $18,500,000 for emergency services IP network contracts.
Geographic information systems database
The bill provides that of the money the governor accepts from the federal
government under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the governor shall
allocate $1,700,000 to develop a statewide geographic information systems database.
Grant for psychiatric beds
This bill allows the Building Commission to award a grant to a hospital in Eau
Claire County, as specified in the bill, in the amount of $15,000,000 for the purpose
of expanding capacity by 22 psychiatric beds between the hospital in Eau Claire
County and a hospital in Chippewa County. The bill requires the governor to allocate
$15,000,000 of the funds accepted under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of
2021 for purposes of the grant. If the grant awarded under this bill is not used for
the purpose of expanding psychiatric bed capacity, the state retains an ownership
interest in the hospital's expansion equal to the amount of the state's grant.
Emergency detention is a current law procedure for temporary involuntary
commitment of individuals who are believed to be mentally ill, drug dependent, or
developmentally disabled and who demonstrate a substantial probability of causing
harm to themselves or others or an inability to satisfy certain basic needs due to a
mental illness. The hospital that is awarded the grant under the bill must do all of
the following: 1) give preference in admissions for the beds added under the bill to
individuals who meet the criteria for emergency detention and who are from one of
the counties specified in the bill; 2) identify measures it believes will serve the needs
of residents with mental health needs, especially in reducing the burden on the
Winnebago Mental Health Institute; 3) report annually to the legislature on the
services provided with grant moneys; and 4) recognize that it is liable to repay the
grant to the state if the hospital fails to maintain continued expanded services and
expanded numbers of psychiatric beds. The bill specifies that the determination of
whether the hospital is meeting its requirement to provide expanded services must
be based on findings that at least half of the expanded psychiatric beds are available
for individuals admitted for emergency detention and that the hospital enters into
agreements containing terms specified in the bill with at least two-thirds of the
specified counties.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB273,1
1Section 1. 323.29 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 323.29 (3) (a) (intro.)
2and amended to read:
SB273,3,33 323.29 (3) (a) (intro.) The department shall provide do all of the following:
SB273,3,4 41. Provide staff support for the council and oversight of.
SB273,3,6 53. Oversee the development and operation of a any current or future statewide
6public safety interoperable communication system.
SB273,2 7Section 2 . 323.29 (3) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
SB273,3,98 323.29 (3) (a) 2. Administer any current or future statewide public safety
9interoperable communication system.
SB273,3 10Section 3 . 323.29 (3) (b) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
SB273,3,1311 323.29 (3) (b) 3. Enter into agreements for maintenance and support of,
12upgrades to, and enhancements for the statewide public safety interoperable
13communication system under this section.
SB273,9104 14Section 9104. Nonstatutory provisions; Building Commission.
SB273,3,1515 (1) Grant for psychiatric beds.
SB273,3,2216 (a) The legislature finds and determines that expanding psychiatric bed
17capacity as described in par. (b ) would greatly benefit state residents by expanding
18access to timely inpatient mental health treatment and services and allowing public
19financial resources to be better distributed to more effectively improve delivery of
20mental health services. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy
21of this state, to assist the hospital described under par. (b) in expanding psychiatric
22bed capacity.
SB273,4,223 (b) In fiscal year 2021-22, the building commission may award a grant in the
24amount of $15,000,000 for the purpose of expanding capacity for psychiatric beds to

1a hospital that applies to the building commission and meets all of the following
2criteria:
SB273,4,5 31. The hospital is located in Eau Claire County, south of the Chippewa River,
4and northeast of the intersection of STH 37 and USH 12 and is part of a health system
5that has a hospital in Chippewa County.
SB273,4,13 62. The hospital agrees to expand psychiatric bed capacity by 22 beds between
7the Eau Claire County hospital and the Chippewa County hospital. The hospitals
8shall give preference in admissions to fill beds added under this subdivision to
9individuals who meet the criteria for emergency detention under s. 51.15 and who
10are from Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas,
11Dunn, Eau Claire, Iron, Jackson, La Crosse, Lincoln, Marathon, Monroe, Oneida,
12Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vilas,
13Washburn, or Wood Counties.
SB273,4,16 143. The hospital identifies measures that it believes will serve the needs of area
15residents with mental health needs, especially, as a critical component of the
16measures, in reducing the burden on the Winnebago Mental Health Institute.
SB273,4,20 174. The hospital agrees to annually report to the legislature, in the manner
18described under s. 13.172 (2), the services provided with the resources funded by the
19grant awarded under this subsection, including the number of individuals diverted
20from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute.
SB273,4,25 215. The hospital recognizes that it is liable to repay the grant funds to the state
22if the hospital fails to continue to maintain the expanded services and number of
23expanded psychiatric beds available. The amount the hospital is liable for
24repayment is reduced proportionately each year for 10 years of continuing expanded
25services as described under par. (c ).
SB273,5,2
1(c) A determination of continued services shall be based on findings that the
2hospital does all of the following:
SB273,5,7 31. Maintains an agreed upon number of beds for acceptance of admissions for
4emergency detention under s. 51.15. A hospital is considered to be in compliance
5with this subdivision if at least half of the expanded psychiatric beds under par. (b)
62. are available for individuals who are initially admitted under an emergency
7detention under s. 51.15.
SB273,5,9 82. Enters into a contract with, at minimum, two-thirds of the counties specified
9in par. (b) 2. in which the hospital agrees to do all of the following:
SB273,5,11 10a. Be the primary receiver for individuals under an emergency detention under
11s. 51.15 for the county.
SB273,5,13 12b. Accept for admission under an emergency detention individuals regardless
13of payment source.
SB273,5,16 14c. Accept any individual subject to an emergency detention from the county
15unless all psychiatric beds added under par. (b ) 2. are filled. The hospital may set
16its payment rate based on the acuity of the individual being detained.
SB273,5,18 17d. Ensure the county department is the secondary payer after any other
18coverage the individual has is exhausted.
SB273,5,2019 (d) Notwithstanding s. 150.93, any hospital that expands psychiatric bed
20capacity under this subsection may increase its approved bed capacity.
SB273,5,2321 (e) If, for any reason, the grant awarded under par. (b) is not used for the
22purpose of expanding psychiatric bed capacity, the state shall retain an ownership
23interest in the hospital's expansion equal to the amount of the state's grant.
SB273,6,224 (f) Of the moneys the governor accepts from the federal government under s.
2516.54 pursuant to section 602 of the federal Social Security Act as amended by the

1federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2, the governor shall allocate
2$15,000,000 for the grant under par. (b ).
SB273,9131 3Section 9131. Nonstatutory provisions; Military Affairs.
SB273,6,94 (1) Statewide interoperable radio network. Of the moneys the governor
5accepts from the federal government under s. 16.54 pursuant to section 602 of the
6federal Social Security Act as amended by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of
72021, P.L. 117-2, the governor shall allocate $33,000,000 for the development of an
8updated statewide public safety interoperable communication system as provided
9under s. 323.29 (3) (a) 3.
SB273,6,1410 (2) Emergency services IP network contracts. Of the moneys the governor
11accepts from the federal government under s. 16.54 pursuant to section 602 of the
12federal Social Security Act as amended by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of
132021, P.L. 117-2, the governor shall allocate $18,500,000 for the development of the
14emergency services IP network under s. 256.35 (3s) (b).
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