Wisconsin Senate Bill SB8

Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/27/23
• Refer: 1/27/23
• Report Pass: 9/6/23
• Failed: 4/15/24

Caption

The University of Wisconsin Missing-in-Action Recovery and Identification Project and making an appropriation. (FE)

Impact

The approval of Senate Bill 8 is expected to enhance the efforts in locating and identifying Wisconsin veterans who have been declared missing. As this project receives state funding, it underscores the state's commitment to honoring its veterans and addressing unresolved cases that may have languished for years. The bill mandates that any funding requests be reviewed and that committees involved in veterans affairs have a role in the approval process, ensuring collaboration with various stakeholders.

Summary

Senate Bill 8 aims to establish a funding mechanism for the University of Wisconsin's Missing-in-Action Recovery and Identification Project (MIA Recovery Project). The bill allows the MIA Recovery Project to request $180,000 annually for fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25 from the Joint Committee on Finance to support missions that seek to recover and identify Wisconsin veterans listed as missing in action. The structured funding process includes a mandatory research prospectus and spending plan for transparency and accountability.

Contention

While the bill enjoys support for its intent and the significance of helping families of missing veterans, there is potential contention regarding the sufficiency of funding and effectiveness of the proposed oversight mechanisms. Some legislators may raise concerns about how the funds will be allocated and managed, as well as the importance of ensuring that the MIA Recovery Project meets its objectives without excessive bureaucratic hurdles.

Notable_points

Notably, the bill stipulates that if initial funding requests are not acted upon within a specific timeframe, they are automatically considered approved. This passive approval process is designed to hasten funding flows but could raise questions about the checks and balances meant to ensure accountability within the funding structure.