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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 589
October 31, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives V INING, MYERS, MOORE
OMOKUNDE, PALMERI, CONSIDINE, J. ANDERSON, C. ANDERSON, BALDEH, BARE,
CONLEY, DRAKE, EMERSON, GOYKE, HONG, JOERS, OHNSTAD, RATCLIFF,
SHANKLAND, SHELTON, SINICKI, SNODGRASS, STUBBS, SUBECK, HAYWOOD,
JACOBSON, CLANCY, DOYLE, ORTIZ-VELEZ, ANDRACA, BILLINGS and NEUBAUER,
cosponsored by Senators AGARD, L. JOHNSON, HESSELBEIN, LARSON, PFAFF,
ROYS, SMITH, SPREITZER, TAYLOR, WIRCH and CARPENTER. Referred to
Committee on Education.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AN ACT to repeal 115.364 (1) (a), (am) and (b), 115.364 (2) (a) 2. and 3. and 115.364
(2) (b) 2.; to renumber and amend 115.364 (1) (intro.) and 115.364 (2) (b) 1.;
to consolidate, renumber and amend 115.364 (2) (a) (intro.) and 1.; and to
amend 20.255 (2) (da), 115.364 (title) and 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. of the statutes;
relating to: school mental health and pupil wellness aid and making an
appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill changes the types of expenditures that are eligible for reimbursement
under the state categorical aid program related to pupil mental health.
Under current law, the Department of Public Instruction must make payments
to school districts, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in
parental choice programs (local education agency) that increased the amount they
spent to employ, hire, or retain social workers. Under current law, DPI first pays each
eligible local education agency 50 percent of the amount by which the eligible local
education agency increased its expenditures for social workers in the preceding
school year over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding
the preceding school year. If, after making those payments, there is money
remaining in the appropriation account for that aid program, DPI makes additional
payments to eligible local education agencies. The amount of those additional
payments is determined based on the amount remaining in the appropriation
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ASSEMBLY BILL 589
account and the amount spent by eligible local education agencies to employ, hire,
and retain social workers during the previous school year.
The bill expands eligibility for the payments under the aid program to include
spending on school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and
school nurses (pupil services professionals). The bill also eliminates the two tier
reimbursement structure of the aid program and eliminates the requirement that a
local education agency is eligible for the aid only if the local education agency
increased its spending. Under the bill, any local education agency that made
expenditures to employ, hire, or retain pupil services professionals during the
previous school year is eligible for reimbursement under the aid program.
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. 20.255 (2) (da) of the statutes is amended to read:
20.255 (2) (da) Aid for school mental Mental health programs and pupil
wellness aid. The amounts in the schedule for aid to school districts and independent
charter schools employ, hire, and retain pupil services professionals under s. 115.364.
SECTION 2. 115.364 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.364 (title) Aid for school mental Mental health programs and pupil
wellness aid.
SECTION 3. 115.364 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (1) and
amended to read:
115.364 (1) In this section:, “pupil services professional” means a school
counselor, school social worker, school psychologist, or school nurse.
SECTION 4. 115.364 (1) (a), (am) and (b) of the statutes are repealed.
SECTION 5. 115.364 (2) (a) (intro.) and 1. of the statutes are consolidated,
renumbered 115.364 (2) (a) and amended to read:
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SECTION 5
ASSEMBLY BILL 589
115.364 (2) (a) Beginning in the 2018-19 2024-25 school year and annually
thereafter, the state superintendent shall do all of the following: 1. Subject, subject
to par. (b), from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da), pay to an eligible
reimburse a school district board, the operator of a charter school established under
s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x), or the governing body of a private school participating in a
program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 for an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount
by which the school district increased its expenditures made by the school board,
operator, or governing body in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain
social workers over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding
the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services
professionals.
SECTION 6. 115.364 (2) (a) 2. and 3. of the statutes are repealed.
SECTION 7. 115.364 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (2) (b) and
amended to read:
115.364 (2) (b) If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da) in any fiscal year
is insufficient to pay the full amount of aid under par. (a), the state superintendent
shall prorate state aid payments among the school districts, private schools, and
independent charter schools boards, operators of charter schools established under
s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x), and governing bodies of private schools participating in
programs under ss. 118.60 and 119.23 that are eligible for the aid.
SECTION 8. 115.364 (2) (b) 2. of the statutes is repealed.
SECTION 9. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. Add the amounts appropriated in the current fiscal year
under s. 20.255 (2), except s. 20.255 (2) (ac), (aw), (az), (bb), (da), (dj), (du), (fm), (fp),
(fq), (fr), (fu), (k), and (m); and s. 20.505 (4) (es); and the amount, as determined by
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SECTION 9 ASSEMBLY BILL 589
the secretary of administration, of the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (s) allocated
for payments to telecommunications providers under contracts with school districts
and cooperative educational service agencies under s. 16.971 (13).
SECTION 10.0Fiscal changes.
(1) MENTAL HEALTH AND PUPIL WELLNESS AID. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3)
for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (da),
the dollar amount for fiscal year 2023-24 is increased by $16,500,000 for the
purposes for which the appropriation is made. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3)
for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (da),
the dollar amount for fiscal year 2024-25 is increased by $18,000,000 for the
purposes for which the appropriation is made.
(END)
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