Date of enactment:
2023 Senate Bill 518 Date of publication*:
2023 WISCONSIN ACT
AN ACT to create 20.192 (1) (c) and 238.145 of the statutes; relating to: University of Wisconsin System branch
campus redevelopment grants and making an appropriation.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in
senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts
for the purposes indicated:
2023−24 2024−25
20.192 Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
(1) PROMOTION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(c)Branch campus redevelopment grantsGPR C −0− −0−
SECTION 2. 20.192 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to
read:
20.192 (1) (c) Branch campus redevelopment grants.
As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the sched-
ule for grants to political subdivisions under s. 238.145.
SECTION 3. 238.145 of the statutes is created to read:
238.145 Branch campus redevelopment grants.
(1) DEFINITIONS. In this section:
(a) “Branch campus” means any of the former col-
lege campuses that were partnered with a university in
the University of Wisconsin System restructuring plan
approved by the Higher Learning Commission on or
about June 28, 2018.
(b) “Planning costs” include, among other expenses,
expenses incurred in connection with hiring consultants,
site planning, viability studies, and environmental com-
pliance or remediation activities.
(c) “Political subdivision” means a city, village,
town, or county.
(2) GRANTS. (a) From the appropriation under s.
20.192 (1) (c), and subject to pars. (b) to (f), the corpora-
tion shall award grants to political subdivisions for costs,
including planning costs and demolition costs, associated
with the redevelopment of buildings or other sites owned
by the political subdivision on a branch campus or former
branch campus that are or will no longer be used for aca-
demic purposes.
(b) A grant may be awarded under this subsection
only to fund activities that contribute to the overall eco-
nomic improvement and enhancement of the community.
These activities may include, among others, activities
that facilitate job creation, workforce development,
small business support, housing, or public infrastructure
improvement.
* 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 2023 Senate Bill 518
(c) The corporation may not award a grant under this
subsection unless the political subdivision applying for
the grant satisfies all of the following:
1. The political subdivision submits to the corpora-
tion community letters of support for the grant.
2. The political subdivision provides matching fund-
ing from local sources in an amount of at least 20 percent
of the amount of the grant awarded.
(d) No grant awarded under this subsection may
exceed $2,000,000.
(e) The corporation shall award a grant under this
subsection to Richland County before awarding a grant
under this subsection to any other political subdivision.
After the grant to Richland County is awarded, the corpo-
ration shall award grants to Fond du Lac County, Wash-
ington County, and Marinette County before awarding a
grant under this subsection to any other political subdivi-
sion. This paragraph applies to a county only if the
county satisfies all requirements under this subsection for
the award of a grant.
(f) Upon receiving a political subdivision’s applica-
tion for a grant under this subsection, the corporation
shall request under s. 13.101 (3) that the joint committee
on finance supplement the appropriation under s. 20.192
(1) (c) by the grant amount if the corporation determines
that the requirements under this subsection for awarding
the grant are satisfied. The corporation shall submit a
separate request to the joint committee on finance for
each grant to be awarded. The joint committee on finance
may supplement the appropriation under s. 20.192 (1) (c)
without finding that an emergency exists under s. 13.101
(3) (a) 1.
(3) REPORTS. No later than 90 days after completion
of a project for which a grant is awarded under sub. (2),
the political subdivision receiving the grant shall submit
to the corporation and to the chief clerk of each house of
the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing
committees under s. 13.172 (3) a report containing all of
the following information:
(a) The name of the grant recipient and the amount
of the grant awarded.
(b) A detailed description of how the grant funds
were spent.
SECTION 4.0Fiscal changes.
(1) In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appro-
priation to the joint committee on finance under s. 20.865
(4) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2023−24 is
increased by $20,000,000 to provide funding for grants
under s. 238.145.