Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB589 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
4	4	2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 589
5	5	October 31, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives V INING, MYERS, MOORE
6	6	OMOKUNDE, PALMERI, CONSIDINE, J. ANDERSON, C. ANDERSON, BALDEH, BARE,
7	7	CONLEY, DRAKE, EMERSON, GOYKE, HONG, JOERS, OHNSTAD, RATCLIFF,
8	8	SHANKLAND, SHELTON, SINICKI, SNODGRASS, STUBBS, SUBECK, HAYWOOD,
9	9	JACOBSON, CLANCY, DOYLE, ORTIZ-VELEZ, ANDRACA, BILLINGS and NEUBAUER,
10	10	cosponsored by Senators AGARD, L. JOHNSON, HESSELBEIN, LARSON, PFAFF,
11	11	ROYS, SMITH, SPREITZER, TAYLOR, WIRCH and CARPENTER. Referred to
12	12	Committee on Education.
13	13	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
14	14	AN ACT to repeal 115.364 (1) (a), (am) and (b), 115.364 (2) (a) 2. and 3. and 115.364
15	15	(2) (b) 2.; to renumber and amend 115.364 (1) (intro.) and 115.364 (2) (b) 1.;
16	16	to consolidate, renumber and amend 115.364 (2) (a) (intro.) and 1.; and to
17	17	amend 20.255 (2) (da), 115.364 (title) and 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. of the statutes;
18	18	relating to: school mental health and pupil wellness aid and making an
19	19	appropriation.
20	20	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
21	21	This bill changes the types of expenditures that are eligible for reimbursement
22	22	under the state categorical aid program related to pupil mental health.
23	23	Under current law, the Department of Public Instruction must make payments
24	24	to school districts, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in
25	25	parental choice programs (local education agency) that increased the amount they
26	26	spent to employ, hire, or retain social workers. Under current law, DPI first pays each
27	27	eligible local education agency 50 percent of the amount by which the eligible local
28	28	education agency increased its expenditures for social workers in the preceding
29	29	school year over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding
30	30	the preceding school year. If, after making those payments, there is money
31	31	remaining in the appropriation account for that aid program, DPI makes additional
32	32	payments to eligible local education agencies. The amount of those additional
33	33	payments is determined based on the amount remaining in the appropriation
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41	41	ASSEMBLY BILL 589
42	42	account and the amount spent by eligible local education agencies to employ, hire,
43	43	and retain social workers during the previous school year.
44	44	The bill expands eligibility for the payments under the aid program to include
45	45	spending on school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and
46	46	school nurses (pupil services professionals). The bill also eliminates the two tier
47	47	reimbursement structure of the aid program and eliminates the requirement that a
48	48	local education agency is eligible for the aid only if the local education agency
49	49	increased its spending. Under the bill, any local education agency that made
50	50	expenditures to employ, hire, or retain pupil services professionals during the
51	51	previous school year is eligible for reimbursement under the aid program.
52	52	For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
53	53	printed as an appendix to this bill.
54	54	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
55	55	enact as follows:
56	56	SECTION 1. 20.255 (2) (da) of the statutes is amended to read:
57	57	20.255 (2) (da) Aid for school mental Mental health programs and pupil
58	58	wellness aid. The amounts in the schedule for aid to school districts and independent
59	59	charter schools employ, hire, and retain pupil services professionals under s. 115.364.
60	60	SECTION 2. 115.364 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
61	61	115.364 (title) Aid for school mental Mental health programs and pupil
62	62	wellness aid.
63	63	SECTION 3. 115.364 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (1) and
64	64	amended to read:
65	65	115.364 (1) In this section:, “pupil services professional” means a school
66	66	counselor, school social worker, school psychologist, or school nurse.
67	67	SECTION 4. 115.364 (1) (a), (am) and (b) of the statutes are repealed.
68	68	SECTION 5. 115.364 (2) (a) (intro.) and 1. of the statutes are consolidated,
69	69	renumbered 115.364 (2) (a) and amended to read:
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86	86	SECTION 5
87	87	ASSEMBLY BILL 589
88	88	115.364 (2) (a) Beginning in the 2018-19 2024-25 school year and annually
89	89	thereafter, the state superintendent shall do all of the following: 1. Subject, subject
90	90	to par. (b), from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da), pay to an eligible
91	91	reimburse a school district board, the operator of a charter school established under
92	92	s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x), or the governing body of a private school participating in a
93	93	program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 for an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount
94	94	by which the school district increased its expenditures made by the school board,
95	95	operator, or governing body in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain
96	96	social workers over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding
97	97	the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services
98	98	professionals.
99	99	SECTION 6. 115.364 (2) (a) 2. and 3. of the statutes are repealed.
100	100	SECTION 7. 115.364 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (2) (b) and
101	101	amended to read:
102	102	115.364 (2) (b) If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da) in any fiscal year
103	103	is insufficient to pay the full amount of aid under par. (a), the state superintendent
104	104	shall prorate state aid payments among the school districts, private schools, and
105	105	independent charter schools boards, operators of charter schools established under
106	106	s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x), and governing bodies of private schools participating in
107	107	programs under ss. 118.60 and 119.23 that are eligible for the aid.
108	108	SECTION 8. 115.364 (2) (b) 2. of the statutes is repealed.
109	109	SECTION 9. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
110	110	118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. Add the amounts appropriated in the current fiscal year
111	111	under s. 20.255 (2), except s. 20.255 (2) (ac), (aw), (az), (bb), (da), (dj), (du), (fm), (fp),
112	112	(fq), (fr), (fu), (k), and (m); and s. 20.505 (4) (es); and the amount, as determined by
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139	139	SECTION 9 ASSEMBLY BILL 589
140	140	the secretary of administration, of the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (s) allocated
141	141	for payments to telecommunications providers under contracts with school districts
142	142	and cooperative educational service agencies under s. 16.971 (13).
143	143	SECTION 10.0Fiscal changes.
144	144	(1) MENTAL HEALTH AND PUPIL WELLNESS AID. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3)
145	145	for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (da),
146	146	the dollar amount for fiscal year 2023-24 is increased by $16,500,000 for the
147	147	purposes for which the appropriation is made. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3)
148	148	for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (da),
149	149	the dollar amount for fiscal year 2024-25 is increased by $18,000,000 for the
150	150	purposes for which the appropriation is made.
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