Date of enactment: May 8, 2023
2023 Assembly Bill 65 Date of publication*: May 9, 2023
2023 WISCONSIN ACT 5
AN ACT to amend 93.59 (2) (a), 93.59 (2) (d), 93.59 (3), 281.68 (1t) (intro.), 281.68 (3) (a) 1. and 281.69 (3) (a);
and to create 281.68 (1) (ar), 281.69 (1b) (br), 281.70 (1) (am) and 281.70 (4) (a) 4. of the statutes; relating to: eligi-
bility for producer−led watershed, lake, and river protection grants.
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 addi-
tional agricultural producers who are not required to be
operators of eligible farms.
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 voluntar-
ily 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 water-
shed or watersheds under sub. (2) (a).
SECTION 4. 281.68 (1) (ar) of the statutes is created
to read:
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:
281.68 (1t) LAKE MONITORING AND PROTECTION CON-
TRACTS. (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 non-
profit conservation organizations, as defined in s.
23.0955 (1), producer−led groups conducting producer−
led group projects, counties, cities, towns, villages, quali-
fied lake associations, town sanitary districts, qualified
school districts, public inland lake protection and reha-
bilitation districts, and other local governmental units, as
defined in s. 66.0131 (1) (a), that are established for the
purpose of lake management. 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.
* Section 991.11, WISCONSIN STATUTES: Effective date of acts. “Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the governor’s
partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication.” − 2 −2023 Wisconsin Act 5 2023 Assembly Bill 65
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 organiza-
tions, 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.
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.
SECTION 9. 281.70 (1) (am) of the statutes is created
to read:
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. 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.