2011 Assembly Bill 40
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2011 − 2012 LEGISLATURE LRB−1554/1 ALL:all:all 2011 ASSEMBLY BILL 40 March 1, 2011 − Introduced by JOINT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE. Referred to Joint Committee on Finance. Referred to Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions. 1 AN ACT relating to: state finances and appropriations, constituting the 2 executive budget act of the 2011 legislature. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau INTRODUCTION This bill is the executive budget bill" under section 16.47 (1) of the statutes. It contains the governor’s recommendations for appropriations for the 2011−2013 fiscal biennium. The bill repeals and recreates the appropriation schedule in chapter 20 of the statutes, thereby setting the appropriation levels for the 2011−2013 fiscal biennium. The descriptions that follow relate to the most significant changes in the law that are proposed in the bill. In most cases, changes in the amounts of existing spending authority and changes in the amounts of bonding authority under existing bonding programs are not discussed. For additional information concerning this bill, see the Department of Administration’s publication Budget in Brief and the executive budget books, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau’s summary document, and the Legislative Reference Bureau’s drafting files, which contain separate drafts on each policy item. In most cases, the policy item drafts contain a more detailed analysis than is printed with this bill. __________________________________________________________________ GUIDE TO THE BILL As is the case for all other bills, the sections of the budget bill that affect statutes are organized in ascending numerical order of the statutes affected. 2011 − 2012 Legislature − 2 − LRB−1554/1 ALL:all:all ASSEMBLY BILL 40 Treatments of prior session laws (styled laws of [year], chapter ...." from 1848 to 1981, and [year] Wisconsin Act ...." beginning with 1983) are displayed next by year of original enactment and by act number. The remaining sections of the budget bill are organized by type of provision and, within each type, alphabetically by state agency. The first two digits of the four−digit section number indicate the type of provision: 91XX Nonstatutory provisions. 92XX Fiscal changes. 93XX Initial applicability. 94XX Effective dates. The remaining two digits indicate the state agency or subject area to which the provision relates: XX01МAdministration. XX02МAging and Long−Term Care Board. XX03МAgriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. XX04МArts Board. XX05МBoard for People with Developmental Disabilities. XX06МBuilding Commission. XX07МChild Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board. XX08МChildren and Families. XX09МCircuit Courts. XX10МCommerce. XX11МCorrections. XX12МCourt of Appeals. XX13МDistrict Attorneys. XX14МEducationalCommunications Board. XX15МEmployee Trust Funds. XX16МEmployment Relations Commission. XX17МFinancial Institutions. XX18МGovernment Accountability Board. XX19МGovernor. XX20МHealth and Educational Facilities Authority. XX21МHealth Services. XX22МHigher Educational Aids Board. XX23МHistorical Society. XX24МHousing and Economic Development Authority. XX25МInsurance. XX26МInvestment Board. XX27МJoint Committee on Finance. XX28МJudicial Commission. XX29МJustice. XX30МLegislature. LRB−1554/1 2011 − 2012 Legislature − 3 − ALL:all:all ASSEMBLY BILL 40 XX31МLieutenant Governor. XX32МLocal Government. XX33МMedical College of Wisconsin. XX34МMilitary Affairs. XX35МNatural Resources. XX36МPublic Defender Board. XX37МPublic Instruction. XX38МPublic Lands, Board of Commissioners of. XX39МPublic Service Commission. XX40МRegulation and Licensing. XX41МRevenue. XX42МSecretary of State. XX43МState Employment Relations, Office of. XX44МState Fair Park Board. XX45МSupreme Court. XX46МTechnical College System. XX47МTourism. XX48МTransportation. XX49МTreasurer. XX50МUniversityofWisconsinHospitals and Clinics Authority. XX51МUniversityofWisconsinHospitals and Clinics Board. XX52МUniversity of Wisconsin System. XX53МVeterans Affairs. XX54МWorkforce Development. XX55МOther. For example, for general nonstatutory provisions relating to the State Historical Society, see SECTION 9123. For any agency that is not assigned a two−digit identification number and that is attached to another agency, see the number of the latter agency. For any other agency not assigned a two−digit identification number or any provision that does not relate to the functions of a particular agency, see number 55" (Other) within each type of provision. In order to facilitate amendment drafting and the enrolling process, separate section numbers and headings appear for each type of provision and for each state agency, even if there are no provisions included in that section number and heading. Section numbers and headings for which there are no provisions will be deleted in enrolling and will not appear in the published act. Following is a list of the most commonly used abbreviations appearing in the analysis. DATCP. Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection DCF. Department of Children and Families DETF. Department of Employee Trust Funds DFI. Department of Financial Institutions DHS. Department of Health Services 2011 − 2012 Legislature − 4 − LRB−1554/1 ALL:all:all ASSEMBLY BILL 40 DMA. Department of Military Affairs DNR. Department of Natural Resources DOA. Department of Administration DOC. Department of Corrections DOJ. Department of Justice DOR. Department of Revenue DOT. Department of Transportation DPI. Department of Public Instruction DRL. Department of Regulation and Licensing DSPS. Department of Safety and Professional Services DVA. Department of Veterans Affairs DWD. Department of Workforce Development JCF. Joint Committee on Finance OCI. Office of the Commissioner of Insurance PSC. Public Service Commission UW. University of Wisconsin WEDC. Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation WHEDA. Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority WHEFA. Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority __________________________________________________________________ AGRICULTURE Under current law, a farmer may qualify for the farmland preservation tax credit if the farmland is located in a farmland preservation zoning district. Also under current law, a political subdivision may not rezone land out of a farmland preservation zoning district unless the person who requested the rezoning pays a conversion fee equal to the number of acres rezoned multiplied by three times the per acre value of the highest value of cropland in the area, as determined for the purposes of use value assessment. This bill eliminates the requirement that a person who requests that land be rezoned out of a farmland preservation zoning district pay a conversion fee. Under current law, DATCP administers a program under which it, in conjunction with local governments and nonprofit conservation organizations, purchases agricultural conservation easements from willing landowners. An agricultural conservation easement requires that land covered by the easement be kept in agricultural use. This bill eliminates this program. Current law requires DATCP to promote the consumption of locally produced foods and to improve the distribution of foods for local consumption. DATCP also awards grants for projects designed to increase the local sale of food grown in this state. This bill eliminates these provisions. Under current law, DATCP awards grants for land and water resource management projects. This bill increases the general obligation bonding authority for these grants by $7,000,000. LRB−1554/1 2011 − 2012 Legislature − 5 − ALL:all:all ASSEMBLY BILL 40 COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Currently, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) administers, or assists in administering, programs intended to promote economic development in this state. Generally, the programs provide assistance in the form of grants, loans, or tax benefits to persons who meet specified eligibility requirements. With certain exceptions, the bill eliminates current programs that provide grants and loans, and transfers Commerce’s duties under programs that provide tax benefits to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) created in 2011 Wisconsin Act 7. Grant and loan programs With limited exceptions, the bill eliminates all current economic development grant and loan programs administered by Commerce, including grants to Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corporation for a capital access program; grants and loans to a business or researcher for projects generally related to renewable energy; loans to manufacturing businesses for projects generally related to energy efficiency and renewable energy; grants and loans to businesses for diversifying a local economy; grants and loans for improving the profitability of businesses negatively impacted by a casino; grants to the city of Milwaukee to fund remediation and redevelopment projects in the Menomonee Valley; grants to the Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation; grants to businesses for employee skills training or other education; grants to businesses for expenses in hiring students as paid interns; and grants and loans to businesses, municipalities, and other entities for encouraging minority businesses and businesses in economically distressed areas, and for strengthening urban and rural communities. Commerce currently awards grants to businesses for innovation and research assistance and awards grants to the Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WBIC). The bill transfers administration of these grants to