Wisconsin 2019-2020 Regular Session Status: In Committee 1 R cosponsors

SB 724 — Relating to: the well compensation grant program and making an appropriation. (FE)

Last action — Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

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

This bill died with 2019-2020 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

137 added · 12 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to SB 724 changes the way the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will manage the well compensation grant program. Specifically, it establishes a dedicated position for a well compensation grant program administrator to improve oversight and implementation of the program. This change is important because it aims to enhance the effectiveness of assistance for homeowners and renters whose wells are contaminated, ensuring a more coordinated response to water safety issues.

→
Previous
Latest
- 2020 LEGISLATURE LRBa1096/1 ZDW:kjf SENATE AMENDMENT 1, TO SENATE BILL 724 February 6, 2020 - Offered by Senator TESTIN.
- 2020 LEGISLATURE LRB-5441/1 ZDW:ahe&wlj SENATE BILL 724 January 24, 2020 - Introduced by SenatorESTIN, cosponsored by Representatives SHANKLAND , K RUG, F ELZKOWSKI, POPE , HEBL, K ITCHENS, K URTZ, NOVAK , SUMMERFIELD , ANDERSON , BALLWEG, BILLING, CABRERA , ONSIDINE, EDMING , G RUSZYNSKI, H ORLACHER, K OLSTE, K ULP, B.
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
M EYERS, M ILROY, M URSAU , N EUBAUER, O HNSTAD , PLUMER , SINICK, SKOWRONSKI , SPREITZER, STUBBS , SUBECK , SWEARINGEN , TAUCHEN , C.T AYLOR, THIESFELDT, TRANEL, TUSLER , V ININ, VRUWINK , AMARRIPA and SPIROS.
Referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy.
A N A CT to repeal 281.75 (2) (e), 281.75 (9) (a), 281.75 (11) (a) 8.
and 281.75 (11) (ae);
to renumber and amend 281.75 (5) (f) and 281.75 (9) (b);
to amend 281.75 (7) (c) 7.
and 281.75 (11m);
and to create 20.370 (6) (cb), 281.75 (5) (f) 2., 281.75 (7) (d) and 281.75 (9) (am), (bm), (c) and (d) of the statutes;
relating to:
the well compensation grant program and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill makes changes to the well compensation grant program administered by the Department of Natural Resources.
Under the program currently, an individual owner or renter of a contaminated private well, subject to eligibility requirements, may apply for a grant from DNR to cover a portion of the costs to treat the water, reconstruct the well, construct a new well, connect to a public water supply, or fill and seal the well.
Under current law, a well that is contaminated only by nitrates is eligible for a grant only if the well is a water supply for livestock, is used at least three months in each year, and contains nitrates in excess of 40 parts per million.
The bill eliminates these restrictions, making wells contaminated only by nitrates eligible for the program more generally.
Current law requires DNR to allocate money for payments of claims under the program according to order in which claims are received.
The bill retains this requirement but provides that, among claims for contamination only by nitrates, DNR must allocate payments according to a specified priority ranking.
- 2020 Legislature - 2 - LRB-5441/1 ZDW:ahe&wlj SENATE BILL 724 The bill also requires DNR to award grants for the remediation method that is most effective for the health and welfare of the claimant.
In addition, the bill provides that, of the amounts appropriated to DNR for the program, at least $200,000 must be allocated for claims of water containing nitrates at 10 to 25 parts per million unless DNR determines there are insufficient claims at that level to expend those moneys.
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:
S ECTION 1.
20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes:
at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
2019-20 2020-21 20.370 Natural resources, department of (6) ENVIRONMENTAL AIDS (cb) Environmental aids — compen­ sation for well contamination and abandonment;
state funds GPR C -0- 1,000,000 S ECTION 2.
20.370 (6) (cb) of the statutes is created to read:
20.370 (6) (cb) Environmental aids — compensation for well contamination and abandonment;
state funds.
As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule to pay compensation under s.
281.75.
Of the amounts in the schedule for each fiscal year, not less than $200,000 shall be allocated for claims of water containing nitrates at 10 to 25 parts per million under s.
281.75 (9) (d) unless the department determines there are insufficient claims at that level to expend those moneys.
S ECTION 3.
281.75 (2) (e) of the statutes is repealed.
LRB-5441/1 - 2020 Legislature - 3 - ZDW:ahe&wlj SECTION 4 SENATE BILL 724 SECTION 4.
281.75 (5) (f) of the statutes is renumbered 281.75 (5) (f) 1.
and amended to read:
281.75 (5) (f) 1.
The Subject to subd.
Show all 92 changed rows (52 more)
Previous
Latest
2., the department shall allocate money for the payment of claims according to the order in which completed claims are received.
The department may conditionally approve a completed claim even if the appropriation under s.
20.370 (6) (cb) or (cr) is insufficient to pay the claim.
The department shall allocate money for the payment of a claim which is conditionally approved as soon as funds become available.
SECTION 5.
281.75 (5) (f) 2.
of the statutes is created to read:
281.75 (5) (f) 2.
For claims of contamination by nitrates and not by any other substance, the department shall allocate money for the payment of those collective claims as provided under subd.
Page 5, line 9:
but shall allocate money for the payment of individual claims according to the priority order established under sub.
delete lines 9 to 12 and substitute:
(9).
“(1) P OSITION AUTHORIZATION.
The department shall determine the method for allocating money for the payment of those claims in the manner that most effectively accomplishes the requirements of this paragraph and sub.
The department of natural resources shall reallocate 1.0 FTE position funded from the appropriation under s.
(9).
20.370 (9) (ma) to create a well compensation grant program administrator position within the department of natural resources.”.
SECTION 6.
281.75 (7) (c) 7.
of the statutes is amended to read:
281.75 (7) (c) 7.
If the claim is based on a contaminatedsupply that is eligible under sub.
(11) (ae) contaminated by bacteria, the cost of properly abandoning any improperly abandoned private water supply located on the property owned or leased by the claimant.
SECTION 7.
281.75 (7) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
281.75 (7) (d) The department may issue an award only for the eligible cost under this subsection that the department determines is the remediation method that is most effective for the health and welfare of the claimant.
- 2020 Legislature - 4 - LRB-5441/1 ZDW:ahe&wlj SENATE BILL 724 SECTION 8 SECTION 8.
281.75 (9) (a) of the statutes is repealed.
SECTION 9.
281.75 (9) (am), (bm), (c) and (d) of the statutes are created to read:
281.75 (9) (am) Water containing nitrates in excess of 40 parts per million expressed as nitrate-nitrogen.
(bm) Water containing nitrates in excess of 30 parts per million expressed as nitrate-nitrogen.
(c) Water containing nitrates in excess of 25 parts per million expressed as nitrate-nitrogen.
(d) Water containing nitrates at no fewer than 10 parts per million and not in excess of 25 parts per million expressed as nitrate-nitrogen.
Notwithstanding sub.
(11) (b) 2., for awards under this paragraph, the department shall emphasize the use of reverse osmosis or similar methods prior to well remediation methods if the department determines these methods are the most effective option for the health and welfare of the claimant.
SECTION 10.
281.75 (9) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 281.75 (9) (intro.) and amended to read:
281.75 (9) CONTAMINATION STANDARD;
NITRATES(intro.) Notwithstanding the requirement of contamination under sub.
(7), if a private water supply meets the criteria under par.
(a) and the claim is for claims based upon contamination by nitrates and not by any other substance, the department may make an award only if the private water supply produces water containing nitrates in excess of 40 parts per million expressed as nitrate-nitrogen.
shall make awards in the following order of priority:
SECTION 11.
281.75 (11) (a) 8.
of the statutes is repealed.
SECTION 12.
281.75 (11) (ae) of the statutes is repealed.
LRB-5441/1 - 2020 Legislature - 5 - ZDW:ahe&wlj S ECTION 13 SENATE BILL 724 SECTION 13.
281.75 (11m) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.75 (11m) ABANDONMENT OF CERTAIN PRIVATE WATER SUPPLIES.
If the department determines that there is an improperly abandoned private water supply located on property owned or leased by a claimant with a contaminated private water supply that is eligible under sub.
(11) (ae)ated by bacteria, the department may issue an award only if the claimant properly abandons the improperly abandoned private water supply.
SECTION 14.0Nonstatutory provisions.
(1) POSITION AUTHORIZATIONThe authorized FTE positions for the department of natural resources, funded from the appropriation under s.
20.370 (6) (cb), are increased by 1.0 GPR position for the purpose of creating a well compensation grant program administrator position within the department of natural resources.
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (2)

Action History

  1. Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  2. Available for scheduling

  3. Report passage as amended recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 16, Noes 0

  4. Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Joint Committee on Finance, Ayes 13, Noes 3

  5. Executive action taken

  6. Fiscal estimate received

  7. Withdrawn from committee on Senate Organization and rereferred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)

  8. Available for scheduling

  9. Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  10. Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  11. Executive action taken

  12. Senator Miller added as a coauthor

  13. Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Testin

  14. Public hearing held

  15. Read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources and Energy

  16. Introduced by Senator Testin; cosponsored by Representatives Shankland, Krug, Felzkowski, Pope, Hebl, Kitchens, Kurtz, Novak, Summerfield, Anderson, Ballweg, Billings, Cabrera, Considine, Edming, Gruszynski, Horlacher, Kolste, Kulp, B. Meyers, Milroy, Mursau, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Plumer, Sinicki, Skowronski, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck, Swearingen, Tauchen, C. Taylor, Thiesfeldt, Tranel, Tusler, Vining, Vruwink, Zamarripa and Spiros

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 131 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (131)

131 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 131 →

"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.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Subjects

environment agriculture
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 724?
SB 724 is sponsored by Testin, Patrick (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 724?
This bill died with 2019-2020 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 724?
Track SB 724 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on SB 724

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of SB 724

Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →