AB1051: Bill Text

LRB-0341/1

CMH:amn

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Assembly BILL 1051

February 2, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives Stubbs, Baldeh, Subeck, Ratcliff, Neubauer, Palmeri, J. Anderson, Joers, Andraca, Conley, Shelton, C. Anderson, Ortiz-Velez, Sinicki, Drake and Jacobson, cosponsored by Senators L. Johnson, Taylor, Roys, Larson, Wirch, Spreitzer and Agard. Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

AB1051,1,3 An Act to create 15.253 (4), 20.923 (4) (c) 7., 165.29 and 230.08 (2) (wd) of the statutes; relating to: creating an office of gun violence prevention in the Department of Justice and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill creates an office of gun violence prevention in the Department of Justice. The office must collaborate with other organizations and experts to develop a strategy to identify causes of gun violence and to improve social determinants of health for communities most affected by gun violence. The office must submit to the legislature a written plan of action every two years that details how DOJ will incorporate a public health approach to gun violence prevention-related programs and services.

For further information see the state 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:

AB1051,1 Section 1. 15.253 (4) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1051,2,3 15.253 (4) Office of gun violence prevention. There is created in the department of justice an office of gun violence prevention. The director of the office shall be appointed by the attorney general.

AB1051,2 Section 2. 20.923 (4) (c) 7. of the statutes is created to read:

AB1051,2,6 20.923 (4) (c) 7. Justice, department of: director of the office of gun violence prevention.

AB1051,3 Section 3. 165.29 of the statutes is created to read:

AB1051,2,11 165.29 Office of gun violence prevention. (1) It is declared to be the policy of the state that gun violence shall be recognized as a public health crisis and addressed by utilizing a public health data-based approach and taking into consideration all of the following:

AB1051,2,15 (a) The specifics of gun violence and gun homicides in each community, including identifying those most affected, identifying contributing factors, and identifying factors that create greater safety for those most affected by gun violence in each community.

AB1051,2,24 (b) The root causes of gun violence in the community, including racism, poverty, political neglect, lack of affordable housing, food insecurity, unemployment, untreated trauma, and the evaluation of community conditions. The evaluation of community conditions shall include the comparison of community conditions and opportunities for communities with a high risk of gun violence and those with a lesser risk of gun violence in order to identify and create greater safety for high-risk communities through community surroundings. In this paragraph, “community surroundings” includes streets, parks, schools, community-based organizations, youth and community centers, and places of worship.

AB1051,3,3 (c) A commitment for gun violence prevention efforts to focus on addressing and healing individual, interpersonal, and community trauma inflicted as a result of gun violence.

AB1051,3,5 (2) The office of gun violence prevention shall address gun violence in a manner that is consistent with the policy in sub. (1) and shall do all of the following:

AB1051,3,15 (a) Collaborate with the office of school safety and members of various communities, including youth, community-based organizations, faith leaders, grassroots organizers, political leaders, business owners, and other organizations and individuals with expertise in the field to develop a strategy to identify causes of gun violence in a community and to incorporate a public health approach to improve social determinants of health for communities most affected by gun violence. Research centers at higher educational institutions, to the extent that each institution chooses to participate, and the department of health services, to the extent that the department chooses to participate, shall act as advisors in developing the strategy.

AB1051,3,23 (b) Submit a written plan of action to the legislature every 2 years, starting no later than July 1, 2024, detailing how the department of justice, as advised by research centers and the department of health services, will incorporate a public health approach to gun violence prevention-related programs and services. In creating the plan of action, the office shall collaborate with those impacted by gun violence, identify and evaluate innovative and successful community-based violence prevention programs, and focus on how any proposed programs and services will address trauma in communities with a high degree of gun violence.

AB1051,4 Section 4. 230.08 (2) (wd) of the statutes is created to read:

AB1051,4,2 230.08 (2) (wd) The director of the office of gun violence prevention in the department of justice.

AB1051,5 Section 5. Nonstatutory provisions.

AB1051,4,4 (1) Legislative intent. The legislature finds and declares all of the following:

AB1051,4,7 (a) Gun violence is a public health crisis, leading to thousands of deaths and injuries annually, and contributing to the harmful effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma thereafter.

AB1051,4,9 (b) Gun violence rates in the United States increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AB1051,4,10 (c) A commitment to ending gun violence is a commitment to racial justice.

AB1051,4,13 (d) Gun violence is more than just a criminal justice and public safety issue. It is also a public health crisis needing an urgent and holistic plan of action across all relevant programs and services.

AB1051,6 Section 6. Fiscal changes.

AB1051,4,22 (1) Office of gun violence prevention; position increases. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of justice under s. 20.455 (2) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2023-24 is increased by $91,100 to increase the authorized FTE positions by 1.0 GPR position for directing the office of gun violence prevention. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of justice under s. 20.455 (2) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2024-25 is increased by $91,000 to provide funding for the position authorized under this subsection.

AB1051,4,23 (End)