AB50: Bill Text

AB50,48,15 (e) Create a directory of existing violence prevention services and activities in each county.

AB50,48,20 (f) Support and provide technical assistance to local organizations that provide violence prevention services, including in seeking out and applying for grant funding in support of their initiatives and provide technical assistance and support to the organizations to maximize the organizations’ likelihood of success with their applications.

AB50,48,21 (g) Develop public education campaigns to promote safer communities.

AB50,49,3 (3) Grants. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (bs), the office of violence prevention shall award grants to support effective violence reduction initiatives in communities across the state, including supporting efforts to reduce gun violence, group violence, suicides, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and gender-based violence.

AB50,49,8 (b) The grants under this subsection shall be used to support, expand, and replicate evidence-based violence reduction initiatives, including hospital-based violence intervention programs, evidence-based street outreach programs, and focused deterrence strategies, that seek to interrupt the cycles of violence, victimization, and retaliation in order to reduce the incidence of firearm violence.

AB50,49,12 (c) Of the grants the department awards under this section, the department shall award up to $3,000,000 in grants each fiscal year to federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands in this state and organizations affiliated with tribes relating to missing and murdered indigenous women.

AB50,49,17 (d) Of the grants the department awards under this section, the department shall award up to $500,000 in suicide prevention grants each fiscal year to organizations or coalitions of organizations, which may include a city, village, town, county, or federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state, for any of the following purposes:

AB50,49,19 1. To train staff at a firearm retailer or firearm range on how to recognize a person who may be considering suicide.

AB50,49,21 2. To provide suicide prevention materials for distribution at a firearm retailer or firearm range.

AB50,49,22 3. To provide voluntary, temporary firearm storage.

AB50,83 Section 83. 16.035 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,50,2 16.035 Community climate action grants. (1) The department shall establish and administer a community climate action grant program.

AB50,50,3 (2) The department shall do all of the following:

AB50,50,6 (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (cm), award grants to local governmental units and governing bodies of federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands in this state to do any of the following:

AB50,50,7 1. Conduct climate risk assessments and prepare action plans.

AB50,50,8 2. Implement emission-reducing and climate action projects.

AB50,50,11 (b) Assist local governmental units and governing bodies of federally recognized American Indian tribes and bands in this state with the development of climate risk assessment and action plans.

AB50,84 Section 84. 16.037 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,50,19 16.037 Community climate engagement grant program. The department shall establish and administer a community climate engagement grant program under which the department shall award grants to local nongovernmental organizations in this state for the purpose of promoting local climate and clean energy community engagement. Additionally under the program, the department shall itself conduct and support outreach across the state concerning climate change, climate resilience, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

AB50,85 Section 85. 16.07 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,51,3 16.07 Grants to support tribal programs. From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (ky), the department shall award a grant to each American Indian tribe or band in this state for use as the tribe or band deems necessary to support programs to meet the needs of its members. No tribe or band may be awarded grant moneys under this section that exceed the amount awarded to any other tribe or band. No grant moneys may be used to pay gaming-related expenses.

AB50,86 Section 86. 16.075 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,51,7 16.075 Grants to tribes for alternatives to prosecution and incarceration programs. (1) In this section, “tribe” has the meaning given in s. 165.91 (1).

AB50,51,10 (2) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (cb), the department shall make grants to tribes for alternatives to prosecution and incarceration programs that meet the criteria specified in s. 165.95 (3).

AB50,51,11 (5) Grants made under sub. (2) shall be provided on a calendar year basis.

AB50,51,13 (6) The department of justice shall assist the department with its duties under this section.

AB50,87 Section 87. 16.08 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,51,20 16.08 Grants to promote tribal language and cultural revitalization. From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (ky), the department shall award a grant to each American Indian tribe or band in this state to promote tribal language and cultural revitalization. No tribe or band may be awarded grant moneys under this section that exceed the amount awarded to any other tribe or band. No grant moneys may be used to pay gaming-related expenses.

AB50,88 Section 88. 16.088 (4) to (8) of the statutes are created to read:

AB50,51,24 16.088 (4) Award grants to the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin to support the Menominee Indian Tribe’s transit services, in an amount up to $266,600 annually.

AB50,52,4 (5) Award grants to the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin to conduct an inter- governmental training program, that shall be available to all tribal governments in the state, to improve consultations and communication between the tribes and the state, in an amount up to $60,000 annually.

AB50,52,9 (6) Award grants to the Wisconsin Indigenous Housing and Economic Development Corporation to support tribal economic development and housing programs in this state. The department may not award more than $3,890,000 in grants under this subsection in the 2025-26 fiscal year, nor more than $2,540,000 annually thereafter.

AB50,52,11 (7) Award grants to American Indian tribes or bands in this state to support strategic planning concerning cybersecurity, in an amount up to $250,000 annually.

AB50,52,14 (8) Award grants to American Indian tribes or bands in this state to support home repairs that reduce energy burdens and improve health outcomes, in an amount up to $1,000,000 annually.

AB50,89 Section 89. 16.095 (6) to (14) of the statutes are created to read:

AB50,52,21 16.095 (6) (a) The legislature finds and determines that providing assistance to local governments to construct facilities that provide public services to help citizens of the state is a statewide responsibility of statewide dimension. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state, to provide the department with the authority to award grants to any city, village, town, county, or tribal government for construction projects of public buildings.

AB50,53,2 (b) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (r), the department may award grants to cities, villages, towns, counties, and tribal governments to assist with construction projects, as specified in par. (a), or as specified in sub. (11) (a), (12) (a), or (13) (a), if the grant is approved by the building commission.

AB50,53,9 (7) (a) The legislature finds and determines that providing assistance to local communities to provide facilities and services to help citizens of the state overcome life circumstances and to improve the ability of local communities to address homelessness is a statewide responsibility of statewide dimension. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state, to assist the New Community Shelter, Inc., in the construction of a permanent supportive housing facility in Brown County.

AB50,53,12 (b) The building commission may approve and the department may award a grant under sub. (2) of up to $4,000,000 to assist the New Community Shelter, Inc., in the construction of a facility, as described in par. (a).

AB50,53,22 (8) (a) The legislature finds and determines that providing out-of-school care that inspires local youth to be contributing, productive, and responsible members of their communities through intentional programming that supports positive character development and unique opportunities to grow as individuals, while addressing a shortage of dental care, mental health services, and preventative health services for youth of underserved populations is a statewide responsibility of statewide dimension. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state, to assist the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, Inc., and Community Smiles Dental in carrying out renovation of the historic Wisconsin Avenue School in the city of Milwaukee for use as a health and wellness center.

AB50,54,2 (b) The building commission may approve and the department may award a grant under sub. (2) of up to $6,000,000 to assist the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, Inc., and Community Smiles Dental in the renovation of the Wisconsin Avenue School, as described in par. (a).

AB50,54,10 (9) (a) The legislature finds and determines that assisting local communities to provide facilities and services to help citizens of the state overcome life circumstances and to improve the ability of local communities to address food insecurity and enhance equitable access to nutritious food is a statewide responsibility of statewide dimension. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state, to assist the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, Inc., in constructing a new facility to expand food processing, storage, and distribution.

AB50,54,13 (b) The building commission may approve and the department may award a grant under sub. (2) of up to $15,000,000 to assist the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, Inc., in the construction of a facility, described in par. (a)

AB50,54,20 (10) (a) The legislature finds and determines that preserving Wisconsin’s transportation heritage, expanding historical educational programs, and enhancing the state's tourism, thereby strengthening local economies is a statewide responsibility of statewide dimension. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state, to assist the Colfax Railroad Museum, Inc., in constructing and renovating museum facilities in the village of Colfax to protect and display historical railroad artifacts.

AB50,54,23 (b) The building commission may approve and the department may award a grant under sub. (2) of up to $860,000 to assist the Colfax Railroad Museum, Inc., in the construction and renovation of museum facilities, as described in par. (a).

AB50,55,4 (11) (a) The legislature finds and determines that enhancing tourism to the state, thereby strengthening local economies is a statewide responsibility of statewide dimension. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state, to assist the city of Green Bay in the construction and development of a public market.

AB50,55,7 (b) The building commission may approve and the department may award a grant under sub. (6) of up to $3,000,000 to assist the city of Green Bay in the construction and development of a public market, as described in par. (a).

AB50,55,14 (12) (a) The legislature finds that increasing access to learning materials in communities across the state will enhance and enrich the state's workforce, thereby strengthening the state's economy and increasing the resilience of the state's citizens. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state, to assist the city of Glendale in the construction of a new library that will serve the communities of Bayside, Fox Point, Glendale, and River Hills, as well as all of Milwaukee County through the Milwaukee County Federated Library System.

AB50,55,17 (b) The building commission may approve and the department may award a grant under sub. (6) of up to $4,250,000 to assist the city of Glendale in the construction of a new public library, as described in par. (a).

AB50,56,2 (13) (a) The legislature finds and determines that providing child care and out-of-school care that addresses provider shortages or assists meeting the demand for child care services in rural or remote areas in this state, thereby equipping the state's workforce to fully engage in the state's economy, is a statewide responsibility of statewide dimension. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state, to provide $2,000,000 to a nonstate organization or a city, village, town, county, or tribal government in this state for the purchase, construction, or renovation of a child care center in the southwest region of the state.

AB50,56,5 (b) The building commission may approve and the department may award a grant under sub. (2) or (6) of up to $2,000,000 to assist in the construction, development, or renovation of a child care center, as described in par. (a).

AB50,56,13 (14) (a) The legislature finds and determines that providing early child education and care that addresses provider shortages or assists meeting the demand for early child education services in areas of need equips the state's workforce to fully engage in the state's economy and is a statewide responsibility of statewide dimension. It is therefore in the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state, to provide $2,500,000 to Wellpoint Care Network, Inc., to assist in renovating an existing facility in the city of Milwaukee to establish a child care center.

AB50,56,16 (b) The building commission may approve and the department may award a grant under sub. (2) of up to $2,500,000 to Wellpoint Care Network, Inc., to assist in the renovation of a facility, as described in par. (a).

AB50,90 Section 90. 16.17 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,56,21 16.17 Translation services. From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (cp), the department may provide assistance to state agencies for costs related to translation services that are provided to a state agency through a contract with the state.

AB50,91 Section 91. 16.19 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,57,5 16.19 Civil legal services. From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (ep), the department shall award grants to the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, Inc., to provide civil legal services. The Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, Inc., shall distribute the amount received as grants to programs that provide civil legal services, and those programs may use the grant funds to match other federal and private grants. The grants may be used only for the purposes for which the funding was provided.

AB50,92 Section 92. 16.22 (2) (m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,57,7 16.22 (2) (m) Administer the scholarship program under sub. (2m).

AB50,93 Section 93. 16.22 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,57,15 16.22 (2m) State scholarship program. There is created a scholarship program for recipients of awards disbursed under 42 USC 12604. From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (fm), the board shall award scholarships annually, on a dollar-for-dollar match with the federal award, under this subsection. The board may prorate an award based on available moneys. To be eligible for a scholarship under this program, an applicant shall provide proof of all of the following:

AB50,57,17 (a) Current residency in this state or completion of service with the national service program in this state.

AB50,57,18 (b) Current admission to an institution of higher education in this state.

AB50,94 Section 94. 16.23 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,58,2 16.23 First class city school district audit response support. (1) Subject to sub. (2), the department shall provide payments to a 1st class city school district to implement recommendations from instructional and operational audits of the school district initiated by the governor. Moneys received under this subsection may be expended for items addressed in the audits, development and implementation of integrated financial reporting software, and facilitation of data compatibility with state and local finance systems.

AB50,58,5 (2) No payment may be made under sub. (1) unless, at the time of payment, the secretary is satisfied that the school district is already making substantial progress on implementation of the audit recommendations.

AB50,95 Section 95. 16.29 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,58,7 16.29 (title) Technical assistance and tourism promotion.

AB50,96 Section 96. 16.29 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 16.29 (1) (intro.) and amended to read:

AB50,58,12 16.29 (1) (intro.) Annually, the department shall grant to the Great Lakes inter-tribal council the amount appropriated under s. 20.505 (1) (kx) to for the following purposes:

AB50,58,15 (a) To partially fund a program to provide technical assistance for economic development on Indian reservations if the conditions under subs. (2) and (3) are satisfied.

AB50,97 Section 97. 16.29 (1) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,58,18 16.29 (1) (b) To fund tourism promotion activities under the Native American Tourism of Wisconsin program if the condition under sub. (3) is satisfied.

AB50,98 Section 98. 16.29 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,58,21 16.29 (2) (a) As a condition of receiving a grant under sub. (1) (a), the Great Lakes inter-tribal council shall establish a technical assistance program.

AB50,99 Section 99. 16.29 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,59,2 16.29 (3) As a condition of receiving a grant under sub. (1), the Great Lakes inter-tribal council annually shall prepare a report on the technical assistance program under sub. (2) and tourism promotion programs and submit the report to the department.

AB50,100 Section 100. 16.306 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB50,59,12 16.306 (2) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (7) (fm), the department may award a grant to an eligible applicant for the purpose of providing housing and associated supportive services to homeless individuals and families to facilitate their movement to independent living if the conditions under par. (b) are satisfied. The department shall ensure that the funds for the grants are reasonably balanced among geographic areas of the state that correspond to the geographic areas served by each continuum of care organization designated by the federal department of housing and urban development, consistent with the quality of applications submitted.

AB50,101 Section 101. 16.3063 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,59,16 16.3063 Affordable housing and workforce development grants. (1) Definition. In this section, “local governmental unit” means a city, village, town, county, or school district.

AB50,59,23 (2) Grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (7) (fo), the department shall establish a competitive grant program to award grants to local governmental units and businesses, whether operated for profit or not for profit, for the purpose of funding the start-up of programs that focus on the development of the skilled workforce through the building or rehabilitation of affordable housing in their communities. The department may establish eligibility requirements and other program guidelines for the grant program under this subsection.

AB50,102 Section 102. 16.3066 of the statutes is created to read:

AB50,60,4 16.3066 Grants to incentivize eliminating zoning barriers to affordable housing. (1) In this section, “local governmental unit” means a city, village, town, county, or federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state.

AB50,60,8 (2) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (7) (fq), the department shall establish a competitive grant program to award grants to local governmental units that adopt one or more of the following policy initiatives to eliminate zoning barriers for the creation or expansion of affordable housing:

AB50,60,9 (a) Reduce minimum lot sizes and widths.

AB50,60,10 (b) Reduce setback requirements to allow greater use of existing lots.

AB50,60,11 (c) Increase allowed lot coverages to match historic patterns.

AB50,60,13 (d) Adoption of a traditional neighborhood development ordinance, such as the model ordinance developed under s. 66.1027 (2).