Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 15 R · 7 D cosponsors

AB 65 — Relating to: eligibility for producer-led watershed, lake, and river protection grants. (FE)

Last action — Published 5-9-2023

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 23, 2023. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Tony Evers (Democratic) on May 08, 2023.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 98% · high confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 29 sponsors

    29 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (15 R · 7 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

100 added · 15 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendments to Assembly Bill 65 expand the eligibility for grants aimed at protecting watersheds, lakes, and rivers. Previously, only farmer groups within the same watershed could apply for these grants; the new changes allow groups of farmers from adjacent watersheds to also qualify. Additionally, if a producer-led group is not a recognized legal entity, the amendments stipulate that a legal entity can apply on their behalf. This is significant because it increases collaboration among farmers and streamlines access to funding for water protection efforts.

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- 2024 LEGISLATURE LRBa0052/1 MCP:amn&skw ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT 1, TO ASSEMBLY BILL 65 March 23, 2023 - Offered by RepresentatiITCHENS.
- 2024 LEGISLATURE LRB-1717/1 MCP:skw ASSEMBLY BILL 65 February 23, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives K ITCHENS, N OVAK, TRANEL, S HANKLAND , KRUG , .
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
ANDERSON , ANDRACA , ARMSTRONG , B ALDEH, BEHNKE , C ONSIDINE, DITTRIC, DONOVAN , MERSON , GREEN , OERS, S.JOHNSON , KNODL, M URSAU , 'CONNOR , OLDENBURG , ETRYK , LUMER , OZAR, SINICK, NODGRASS , S NYDER, PIROS and VANDER M EER, cosponsored by SenatorsOWLES , ALLWEG , C ABRAL-G UEVARA, FEYEN, JACQUE , MARKLEIN, PFAFF, QUINN , PREITZER and T ESTIN.
1.
Referred to Committee on Environment.
Page 2, line 5:
A N A CT to amend 93.59 (2) (a), 93.59 (2) (d), 93.59 (3), 281.68 (1t) (intro.), 281.68 (3) (a) 1.
delete the material beginning with “In this paragraph" and ending with “hydrologic unit code 12)." on line 8.
and 281.69 (3) (a);
2.
and to create 281.68 (1) (ar), 281.69 (1b) (br), 281.70 (1) (am) and 281.70 (4) (a) 4.
Page 3, line 14:
of the statutes;
on lines 14 and 24, after “lake management." insert “If a producer-led group is not a legal entity, the eligible recipient shall be a legal entity on behalf of the producer-led group.".
relating to:
3.
eligibility for producer-led watershed, lake, and river protection grants.
Page 4, line 4:
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill expands eligibility for producer-led watershed protection grants, lake protection grants, and river protection grants.
after “group projects." insert “If a producer-led group is not a legal entity, the eligible recipient shall be a legal entity on behalf of the producer-led group.".
Under current law, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection administers a program to provide watershed protection grants to producer-led groups made up of farmers located in one watershed.
The bill allows grants under the program to be awarded to producer-led groups that are made up of farmers located in adjacent watersheds.
Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources provides lake protection grants and lake management grants for monitoring and improving water quality in lakes and lake classification grants for classifying lakes.
Currently, eligible recipients for these grants include nonprofit conservation organizations, counties and municipalities, qualified lake associations, town sanitary districts, qualified school districts, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, and other local governmental units that are established for the purpose of lake management.
DNR also provides river protection grants for monitoring and improving water quality in rivers.
Currently, eligible recipients for these grants include local governmental units, qualified river management organizations, and - 2024 Legislature - 2 - LRB-1717/1 MCP:skw ASSEMBLY BILL 65 nonprofit conservation organizations.
The bill provides that producer-led groups are eligible to receive lake protection, management, and classification grants and river protection grants provided by DNR.
The bill defines “producer-led group” to mean any group that meets the criteria for a producer-led watershed protection grant issued by DATCP.
For further information see the state and local 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:
SECTION 1.
93.59 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
93.59 (2) (a) The producer-led group includes at least 5 agricultural producers each of whom operates an eligible farm, as defined in s.
91.86 (1), in one watershed or in adjacent watersheds The group may include additional agricultural producers who are not required to be operators of eligible farms.
In this paragraph, “watershed” means a watershed delineated by the U.S.
geological survey using a nationwide system based on surface hydrologic features at the 12-digit basin scale (the hydrologic unit code 12).
SECTION 2.
93.59 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
93.59 (2) (d) The group assists agricultural producers in the watershed or watersheds under par.
(a) to voluntarily conduct nonpoint source water pollution abatement activities.
SECTION 3.
93.59 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
93.59 (3) A producer-led group that receives, or on whose behalf a legal entity receives, a grant under this section shall annually file a report with the department describing the activities conducted with the grant and the impact of those activities on water quality in the watershed or watersheds under sub.
(2) (a).
SECTION 4.
281.68 (1) (ar) of the statutes is created to read:
LRB-1717/1 - 2024 Legislature - 3 - MCP:skw SECTION 4 ASSEMBLY BILL 65 281.68 (1) (ar) “Producer-led group” means any group that meets the criteria under s.
93.59 (2).
SECTION 5.
281.68 (1t) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
Show all 67 changed rows (27 more)
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281.68 (1t) LAKE MONITORING AND PROTECTION CONTRACTS.
(intro.)The department may award contracts to public groups or persons for the creation and support of a statewide lake monitoring network.
The contracts may include payments for the costs of all of the following:
SECTION 6.
281.68 (3) (a) 1.
of the statutes is amended to read:
281.68 (3) (a) 1.
Eligible recipients to consist of nonprofit conservation organizations, as defined in s.
23.0955 (1), producer-led groups conducting producer-led group projects, counties, cities, towns, villages, qualified lake associations, town sanitary districts, qualified school districts, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, and other local governmental units, as defined in s.
66.0131 (1) (a), that are established for the purpose of lake management.
SECTION 7.
281.69 (1b) (br) of the statutes is created to read:
281.69 (1b) (br) “Producer-led group” means any group that meets the criteria under s.
93.59 (2).
SECTION 8.
281.69 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.69(3) (a) A designation of eligible recipients, which shall include nonprofit conservation organizations, producer-led groups conducting producer-led group projects, counties, cities, towns, villages, qualified lake associations, town sanitary districts, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, and other local governmental units, as defined in s.
66.0131 (1) (a), that are established for the purpose of lake management.
SECTION 9.
281.70 (1) (am) of the statutes is created to read:
- 2024 Legislature - 4 - LRB-1717/1 MCP:skw ASSEMBLY BILL 65 SECTION 9 281.70 (1) (am) “Producer-led group” means any group that meets the criteria under s.
93.59 (2).
SECTION 10.
281.70 (4) (a) 4.
of the statutes is created to read:
281.70 (4) (a) 4.
Producer-led groups conducting producer-led group projects.
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Action History

  1. Published 5-9-2023

  2. Report approved by the Governor on 5-8-2023. 2023 Wisconsin Act 5

  3. Presented to the Governor on 5-4-2023

  4. Report correctly enrolled on 4-20-2023

  5. Received from Senate concurred in

  6. Ordered immediately messaged

  7. Read a third time and concurred in

  8. Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  9. Ordered to a third reading

  10. Read a second time

  11. Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 5, Noes 0

  12. Placed on calendar 4-19-2023 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  13. Available for scheduling

  14. Read first time and referred to committee on Senate Organization

  15. Received from Assembly

  16. Ordered immediately messaged

  17. Read a third time and passed

  18. Rules suspended

  19. Ordered to a third reading

  20. Assembly Amendment 1 adopted

  21. Representatives Born, Subeck and Shelton added as coauthors

  22. Read a second time

  23. Representatives Steffen and Billings added as coauthors

  24. Placed on calendar 4-18-2023 by Committee on Rules

  25. Referred to committee on Rules

  26. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Environment, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  27. Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Environment, Ayes 8, Noes 0

  28. Executive action taken

  29. Representative Conley added as a coauthor

  30. Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Kitchens

  31. Public hearing held

  32. Fiscal estimate received

  33. Fiscal estimate received

  34. Representative C. Anderson added as a coauthor

  35. Representative Jacobson added as a coauthor

  36. Read first time and referred to Committee on Environment

  37. Introduced by Representatives Kitchens, Novak, Tranel, Shankland, Krug, J. Anderson, Andraca, Armstrong, Baldeh, Behnke, Considine, Dittrich, Donovan, Emerson, Green, Joers, S. Johnson, Knodl, Mursau, O'Connor, Oldenburg, Petryk, Plumer, Rozar, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Snyder, Spiros and VanderMeer; cosponsored by Senators Cowles, Ballweg, Cabral-Guevara, Feyen, Jacque, Marklein, Pfaff, Quinn, Spreitzer and Testin

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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29 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 103 not signed on

Sponsors (29)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (103)

103 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 103 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Votes

Subjects

environment agriculture
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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors AB 65?
AB 65 is sponsored by Kitchens, Joel (Republican), Novak, Todd (Republican), Tranel, Travis (Republican), Shankland, Krug, Scott (Republican), Andraca, Deb (Democrat), Armstrong, David (Republican), Baldeh, Behnke, Elijah (Republican), Considine, Dittrich, Barbara (Republican), Donovan, Bob (Republican), Emerson, Jodi (Democrat), Green, Chanz (Republican), Joers, Alex (Democrat), Knodl, Daniel (Republican), Mursau, Jeffrey (Republican), O'Connor, Jerry (Republican), Oldenburg, Petryk, Plumer, Rozar, Sinicki, Christine (Democrat), Snodgrass, Lee (Democrat), Snyder, Patrick (Republican), Spiros, John (Republican), VanderMeer, Nancy (Republican), Anderson, Clinton (Democrat), and Johnson, Tara (Democrat).
What is the current status of AB 65?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 23, 2023. Enacted.
Where can I track AB 65?
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