This is the preview version of the Wisconsin State Legislature site.
Please see http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov for the production version.
LRB-5313/1
KRP&ARG:cdc
2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
November 30, 2021 - Introduced by Senators Agard, Erpenbach, Johnson, Larson,
Roys and Smith, cosponsored by Representatives Vining, Brostoff,
Considine, Moore Omokunde, Anderson, Andraca, Baldeh, Billings,
Bowen, Cabrera, Conley, Doyle, Emerson, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hong, B.
Meyers
, Milroy, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki,
Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck and Vruwink. Referred to Committee
on Universities and Technical Colleges.
SB731,1,6 1An Act to repeal 115.364 (1) (a), (am) and (b), 115.364 (2) (a) 2. and 3. and 115.364
2(2) (b) 2.; to renumber and amend 115.364 (1) (intro.) and 115.364 (2) (b) 1.;
3to consolidate, renumber and amend 115.364 (2) (a) (intro.) and 1.; and to
4amend
20.255 (2) (da), 115.364 (title) and 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. of the statutes;
5relating to: school mental health and pupil wellness aid, funding for the
6University of Wisconsin System, and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill changes the types of expenditures that are eligible for reimbursement
under the state categorical aid program related to pupil mental health.
Under current law, the Department of Public Instruction must make payments
to school districts, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in
parental choice programs (local education agency) that increased the amount they
spent to employ, hire, or retain social workers. Under current law, DPI first pays each
eligible local education agency 50 percent of the amount by which the eligible local
education agency increased its expenditures for social workers in the preceding
school year over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding
the preceding school year. If, after making those payments, there is money
remaining in the appropriation account for that aid program, DPI makes additional
payments to eligible local education agencies. The amount of those additional
payments is determined based on the amount remaining in the appropriation

account and the amount spent by eligible local education agencies to employ, hire,
and retain social workers during the previous school year.
The bill expands eligibility for the payments under the aid program to include
spending on school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and
school nurses (pupil services professionals). The bill also eliminates the two tier
reimbursement structure of the aid program and eliminates the requirement that a
local education agency is eligible for the aid only if the local education agency
increased its spending. Under the bill, any local education agency that made
expenditures to employ, hire, or retain pupil services professionals during the
previous school year is eligible for reimbursement under the aid program.
The bill also provides additional funding for the University of Wisconsin
System under its general program operations appropriation, for purposes of
maintaining compliance with maintenance of effort requirements of the federal
Consolidated Appropriations Act and the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
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:
SB731,1 1Section 1. 20.255 (2) (da) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB731,2,42 20.255 (2) (da) Aid for school mental Mental health programs and pupil
3wellness aid
. The amounts in the schedule for aid to school districts and independent
4charter schools
employ, hire, and retain pupil services professionals under s. 115.364.
SB731,2 5Section 2. 115.364 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB731,2,7 6115.364 (title) Aid for school mental Mental health programs and pupil
7wellness aid
.
SB731,3 8Section 3. 115.364 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (1) and
9amended to read:
SB731,2,1110 115.364 (1) In this section:, “ pupil services professional” means a school
11counselor, school social worker, school psychologist, or school nurse.
SB731,4 12Section 4. 115.364 (1) (a), (am) and (b) of the statutes are repealed.
SB731,5
1Section 5. 115.364 (2) (a) (intro.) and 1. of the statutes are consolidated,
2renumbered 115.364 (2) (a) and amended to read:
SB731,3,133 115.364 (2) (a) Beginning in the 2018-19 2022-23 school year and annually
4thereafter, the state superintendent shall do all of the following: 1. Subject, subject
5to par. (b), from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da), pay to an eligible
6reimburse a school district board, the operator of a charter school established under
7s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x), or the governing body of a private school participating in a
8program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 for
an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount
9by which the school district increased its
expenditures made by the school board,
10operator, or governing body
in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain
11social workers over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding
12the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers
pupil services
13professionals
.
SB731,6 14Section 6. 115.364 (2) (a) 2. and 3. of the statutes are repealed.
SB731,7 15Section 7. 115.364 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (2) (b) and
16amended to read:
SB731,3,2217 115.364 (2) (b) If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da) in any fiscal year
18is insufficient to pay the full amount of aid under par. (a), the state superintendent
19shall prorate state aid payments among the school districts, private schools, and
20independent charter schools
boards, operators of charter schools established under
21s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x), and governing bodies of private schools participating in
22programs under ss. 118.60 and 119.23 that are
eligible for the aid.
SB731,8 23Section 8. 115.364 (2) (b) 2. of the statutes is repealed.
SB731,9 24Section 9. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB731,4,6
1118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. Add the amounts appropriated in the current fiscal year
2under s. 20.255 (2), except s. 20.255 (2) (ac), (aw), (az), (bb), (da), (dj), (du), (fm), (fp),
3(fq), (fr), (fu), (k), and (m); and s. 20.505 (4) (es); and the amount, as determined by
4the secretary of administration, of the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (s) allocated
5for payments to telecommunications providers under contracts with school districts
6and cooperative educational service agencies under s. 16.971 (13).
SB731,10 7Section 10. Fiscal changes.
SB731,4,148 (1) Mental health and pupil wellness aid. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3)
9for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (da),
10the dollar amount for fiscal year 2021-22 is increased by $16,500,000 for the
11purposes for which the appropriation is made. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3)
12for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (da),
13the dollar amount for fiscal year 2022-23 is increased by $18,000,000 for the
14purposes for which the appropriation is made.
SB731,4,2115 (2) UW System; general program operations. In the schedule under s. 20.005
16(3) for the appropriation to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin
17System under s. 20.285 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2021-22 is increased
18by $1,600,000 for the purpose for which the appropriation is made. In the schedule
19under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the Board of Regents of the University
20of Wisconsin System under s. 20.285 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2022-23
21is increased by $1,745,000 for the purpose for which the appropriation is made.
SB731,4,2222 (End)
Loading...
Loading...