LRB-0431/1
JAM:emw
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 695
November 27, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives J. ANDERSON, HONG, MOORE
OMOKUNDE, C. ANDERSON, CLANCY, JACOBSON, JOERS, MADISON, PALMERI,
RATCLIFF, BALDEH, BARE, CABRERA, CONLEY, DRAKE, EMERSON, ORTIZ-VELEZ,
SHELTON, SINICKI, SNODGRASS, STUBBS and SUBECK, cosponsored by Senators L.
JOHNSON, ROYS, AGARD, CARPENTER, HESSELBEIN, SPREITZER and TAYLOR.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AN ACT to create 16.312 and 20.505 (7) (d) of the statutes; relating to: grants
to provide legal services to tenants in eviction actions, granting rule-making
authority, and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Administration to establish a grant
program to provide funds to attorneys to provide legal services for low-income
tenants in eviction actions or in actions in which the tenant alleges he or she was
wrongfully evicted. Under the bill, the grant moneys may only be used to provide
legal services to a tenant whose family has an income at or below 200 percent of the
federal poverty line.
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. 16.312 of the statutes is created to read:
16.312 Grants to provide legal services for tenants in eviction actions.
(1) The department shall establish and administer a grant program to provide funds
1
2
3
4
5
6 - 2 -2023 - 2024 Legislature LRB-0431/1
JAM:emw
SECTION 1 ASSEMBLY BILL 695
to attorneys or law firms to provide legal services to tenants in eviction actions and
actions in which a tenant alleges that the tenant was excluded, forcibly evicted, or
constructively evicted from the tenant's dwelling unit other than by an eviction
procedure under ch. 799.
(2) (a) The department shall promulgate rules for awarding grants under sub.
(1).
(b) The rules promulgated under par. (a) shall require that the recipient of a
grant may provide the legal services under sub. (1) only to a tenant whose family
income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, as defined under 42 USC
9902 (2), for a family the size of the tenant's family.
SECTION 2. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
2023-24 2024-25
20.505 Administration, department of
(7) HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
(d)Legal services for tenants in
eviction actions GPR A 250,000 250,000
SECTION 3. 20.505 (7) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
20.505 (7) (d) Legal services for tenants in eviction actions. The amounts in the
schedule to provide grants for providing legal services under s. 16.312.
SECTION 4.0Effective date.
(1) This act takes effect on the day after publication or on the 2nd day after
publication of the 2023 biennial budget act, whichever is later.
(END)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23