November 27, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives J. Anderson, Hong, Moore Omokunde, C. Anderson, Clancy, Jacobson, Joers, Madison, Palmeri, Ratcliff, Baldeh, Bare, Cabrera, Conley, Drake, Emerson, Ortiz-Velez, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Stubbs and Subeck, cosponsored by Senators L. Johnson, Roys, Agard, Carpenter, Hesselbein, Spreitzer and Taylor. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
AB695,,22An Act to create 16.312 and 20.505 (7) (d) of the statutes; relating to: grants to provide legal services to tenants in eviction actions, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. AB695,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill requires the Department of Administration to establish a grant program to provide funds to attorneys to provide legal services for low-income tenants in eviction actions or in actions in which the tenant alleges he or she was wrongfully evicted. Under the bill, the grant moneys may only be used to provide legal services to a tenant whose family has an income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
AB695,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: AB695,15Section 1. 16.312 of the statutes is created to read: AB695,,6616.312 Grants to provide legal services for tenants in eviction actions. (1) The department shall establish and administer a grant program to provide funds to attorneys or law firms to provide legal services to tenants in eviction actions and actions in which a tenant alleges that the tenant was excluded, forcibly evicted, or constructively evicted from the tenant’s dwelling unit other than by an eviction procedure under ch. 799. AB695,,77(2) (a) The department shall promulgate rules for awarding grants under sub. (1). AB695,,88(b) The rules promulgated under par. (a) shall require that the recipient of a grant may provide the legal services under sub. (1) only to a tenant whose family income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, as defined under 42 USC 9902 (2), for a family the size of the tenant’s family. AB695,29Section 2. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: AB695,310Section 3. 20.505 (7) (d) of the statutes is created to read: AB695,,111120.505 (7) (d) Legal services for tenants in eviction actions. The amounts in the schedule to provide grants for providing legal services under s. 16.312. AB695,412Section 4. Effective date. AB695,,1313(1) This act takes effect on the day after publication or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2023 biennial budget act, whichever is later.
