April 2, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Novak, Kitchens, Anderson, Armstrong, Bare, Behnke, Billings, Green, Gundrum, Hong, B. Jacobson, J. Jacobson, Johnson, Kreibich, Miresse, Mursau, O'Connor, Palmeri, Steffen, Tranel and Tusler, cosponsored by Senators Quinn, Testin, Pfaff and Spreitzer. Referred to Committee on Rural Development.
AB159,1,2
1An Act to create 238.137 of the statutes; relating to: creating a rural creative
2economy development grant program. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a grant program administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The bill requires WEDC to award rural creative economy development grants on a competitive basis to cities, villages, towns, counties, American Indian tribes and bands in this state, economic development organizations in this state, and nonprofit organizations in this state. A grant recipient must use grant moneys for any of the following purposes:
1. To develop or implement a plan to increase tourism, enhance visitor experiences, or bolster community development in rural areas in this state through the development or promotion of creative enterprises, including by supporting or expanding public arts performances and exhibitions, renovating or improving public spaces and vacant or underutilized buildings, supporting community-based arts education, supporting business accelerator programs, and providing technical assistance for creative businesses.
2. To market, brand, and promote local creative enterprises, public arts performances and exhibitions, or public spaces in rural areas in this state.
Under the bill, such a grant may not exceed $50,000 and must be expended solely for the benefit of rural areas. Additionally, the bill prohibits WEDC from awarding a grant unless the grant recipient matches the amount of the grant with moneys raised from nonstate sources and limits the amount of in-kind match to no more than 25 percent of the match amount. The bill requires WEDC to submit a report on the effectiveness of the grants to the Joint Committee on Finance no later than May 1, 2027.
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:
AB159,1
1Section 1. 238.137 of the statutes is created to read: AB159,2,32238.137 Rural creative economy development grant program. (1) In 3this section: AB159,2,64(a) “Creative enterprise” means an organization, individual, or company 5whose products and services have their origin in artistic, cultural, creative, or 6aesthetic content. AB159,2,117(b) “Eligible applicant” means a city, village, town, county, American Indian 8tribe or band in this state, economic development organization in this state, or 9organization in this state described in section 501 (c) (3) or (6) of the Internal 10Revenue Code that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (a) of the 11Internal Revenue Code. AB159,2,1212(c) “Rural area” means any of the following: AB159,2,14131. A city, town, or village in this state that has a population of less than 1410,000. AB159,2,16152. An area in this state that is not an urbanized area, as defined by the federal 16bureau of the census. AB159,2,17173. A county in this state that has a population of less than 55,000. AB159,3,418(2) (a) The corporation shall award rural creative economy development
1grants on a competitive basis to eligible applicants for the purposes described under 2par. (b). The corporation shall prescribe the form of application and the information 3required to be submitted with an application, which shall include specific goals and 4clear outcomes regarding public accessibility, participation, and engagement. AB159,3,75(b) An eligible applicant that is awarded a grant under this subsection shall 6expend all grant moneys as specified in the application for any of the following 7purposes: AB159,3,1181. To develop or implement a plan to increase tourism, enhance visitor 9experiences, or bolster community development in rural areas in this state through 10the development or promotion of creative enterprises, including by doing any of the 11following: AB159,3,1412a. Supporting or expanding public arts, including performances and 13exhibitions. Expenditures under this subd. 1. a. may include production costs, 14artist stipends, and supplies. AB159,3,1715b. Renovating or improving public spaces, signage, and facades, including the 16repair or renovation of vacant or underutilized buildings. Expenditures under this 17subd. 1. b. may include construction costs, artist stipends, and supplies. AB159,3,1818c. Supporting community-based arts education. AB159,3,2019d. Supporting business accelerator programs and providing technical 20assistance for creative businesses. AB159,3,22212. To market, brand, and promote local creative enterprises, public arts 22performances and exhibitions, or public spaces in rural areas in this state. AB159,3,2423(c) A grant awarded under this subsection may not exceed $50,000 and shall 24be expended solely for the benefit of rural areas in this state. AB159,4,3
1(3) The corporation may not award a grant under sub. (2) unless the eligible 2applicant has secured from nonstate sources an amount equal to the amount of the 3proposed grant. No more than 25 percent of the match amount may be in-kind. AB159,24Section 2. Nonstatutory provision. AB159,4,85(1) Effectiveness report. The Wisconsin Economic Development 6Corporation shall submit a report on the effectiveness of the rural creative economy 7development grants awarded under s. 238.137 to the joint committee on finance no 8later than May 1, 2027.
