2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2333/1
MIM:klm
April 14, 2025 - Introduced by Senators L. Johnson, Drake, Hesselbein, Larson, Spreitzer and Wirch, cosponsored by Representatives Madison, Haywood, Moore Omokunde, Arney, Goodwin, Rivera-Wagner, Stubbs, Taylor, Bare, Brown, Clancy, DeSmidt, Fitzgerald, Hong, Joers, Kirsch, Miresse, Phelps, Prado, Roe, Tenorio and Udell. Referred to Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development.
SB187,1,2
1An Act relating to: study of guaranteed employment grant program and
2making an appropriation. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Workforce Development to study the creation of a job guarantee and full employment grant program. Under the program, DWD and municipalities provide grants to public and nonprofit employers in the care economy to provide certain job opportunities in positions covered by a collective bargaining unit to individuals with disabilities, heads of households with incomes that are 150 percent or less than the federal poverty line, individuals who have been unemployed for extended periods, individuals who were previously incarcerated, and individuals between 18 and 24 years old. The bill requires DWD to submit a report with the findings and recommendations.
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:
SB187,13Section 1. Nonstatutory provisions. SB187,2,16
1(1) Job guarantee and full employment grant study. The department of 2workforce development shall conduct a study of the requirements to create a grant 3program administered by the department of workforce development or a 4municipality to award grants to public and nonprofit entities in the care economy to 5create and offer guaranteed jobs in positions that are covered by a collective 6bargaining agreement, for at least 100 days of 8 hours per day at a pay rate of $20 7per hour. In this subsection, “care economy” means job sectors that prioritize care 8for people, communities, and the environment, and includes health care, child care, 9elder and disability care, social services, public transportation, sustainability, 10conservation or climate change mitigation, public infrastructure, education, public 11and social housing, and criminal legal reform. The study shall determine the 12number of positions required, the cost, the number of individuals who would be 13eligible for a position under the grant program, paid training strategies for jobs 14offered under the program, and strategies to create pathways to and opportunities 15for full-time employment. Eligible employers would be able to use grant money to 16create and offer jobs in 25-day increments to any of the following: SB187,2,1717(a) Individuals between 18 and 24 years old. SB187,2,1818(b) Individuals with a disability. SB187,2,2119(c) Heads of households whose household income is 150 percent or less of the 20nonfarm federal poverty line for the continental United States, as defined in 42 21USC 9902 (2). SB187,3,322(d) Individuals who have been unemployed and searching for a job for 27 23weeks or more, or who have been unemployed for 3 of the preceding 5 years, except
1that employers of such individuals would no longer be eligible for a grant under the 2program for individuals who have been employed by the same employer for more 3than 12 consecutive months. SB187,3,44(e) Individuals who were previously incarcerated. SB187,3,105(2) Job guarantee and full employment report. No later than 18 months 6after the effective date of this subsection, the department of workforce development 7shall submit a report with its written findings and recommendations resulting 8from the study under sub. (1) to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of 9the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees in the 10manner provided under s. 13.172 (3). SB187,211Section 2. Fiscal changes. SB187,3,1612(1) Job guarantee and full employment grant study. In the schedule 13under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of workforce 14development under s. 20.445 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2025-26 is 15increased by $250,000 to conduct the study under Section 1 (1) of this act and to 16create the report under Section 1 (2) of this act. SB187,317Section 3. Effective date. SB187,3,1918(1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after 19publication of the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.
