November 21, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Felzkowski, Bradley, Cabral-Guevara and Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives August, Kitchens, O’Connor, Subeck, Krug, Plumer, Novak, Penterman, Hurd, Binsfeld, Allen, Rettinger, Murphy, Brandtjen, Melotik, Mursau, Gustafson, Petryk, Michalski and Schmidt. Referred to Committee on Education.
SB707,,22An Act to create 49.168 of the statutes; relating to: national reading program grants. SB707,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill requires the Department of Children and Families to establish a program to award grants for the provision of books to young children. Under the grant program, DCF may award grants of no more than $10,000 each to nonprofit organizations as reimbursement for up to 50 percent of the cost of books that the organizations provide in partnership with a national reading program that has been in existence since at least 2003 and that mails age-appropriate books free of charge to children from birth to age five, regardless of family income.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
SB707,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: SB707,15Section 1. 49.168 of the statutes is created to read: SB707,,6649.168 National reading program grants. (1) In this section, “national reading program” means a national program that has been in existence since at least 2003 and that mails age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5 at no cost and regardless of their family income. SB707,,77(2) The department shall establish a program to award grants, from the appropriation under s. 20.437 (1) (em), to nonprofit organizations for the provision of books to young children. A nonprofit organization is eligible for a grant under this section as reimbursement for up to 50 percent of the costs it incurs in purchasing books in partnership with a national reading program to provide age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5 at no cost and regardless of their family income. A single grant under this section may not exceed $10,000.
