Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB535 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 SENATE BILL 535
5	5	October 16, 2023 - Introduced by Senators AGARD, L. JOHNSON, HESSELBEIN, LARSON,
6	6	PFAFF, ROYS, SMITH, SPREITZER, TAYLOR, WIRCH and CARPENTER, cosponsored by
7	7	Representatives VINING, MYERS, MOORE OMOKUNDE, PALMERI, CONSIDINE, J.
8	8	ANDERSON, C. ANDERSON, BALDEH, BARE, CONLEY, DRAKE, EMERSON, GOYKE,
9	9	HONG, JOERS, OHNSTAD, RATCLIFF, SHANKLAND, SHELTON, SINICKI, SNODGRASS,
10	10	STUBBS, SUBECK, HAYWOOD, JACOBSON, CLANCY, DOYLE, ORTIZ-VELEZ, ANDRACA,
11	11	BILLINGS and NEUBAUER. Referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance
12	12	Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.
13	13	AN ACT to repeal 115.364 (1) (a), (am) and (b), 115.364 (2) (a) 2. and 3. and 115.364
14	14	(2) (b) 2.; to renumber and amend 115.364 (1) (intro.) and 115.364 (2) (b) 1.;
15	15	to consolidate, renumber and amend 115.364 (2) (a) (intro.) and 1.; and to
16	16	amend 20.255 (2) (da), 115.364 (title) and 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. of the statutes;
17	17	relating to: school mental health and pupil wellness aid and making an
18	18	appropriation.
19	19	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
20	20	This bill changes the types of expenditures that are eligible for reimbursement
21	21	under the state categorical aid program related to pupil mental health.
22	22	Under current law, the Department of Public Instruction must make payments
23	23	to school districts, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in
24	24	parental choice programs (local education agency) that increased the amount they
25	25	spent to employ, hire, or retain social workers. Under current law, DPI first pays each
26	26	eligible local education agency 50 percent of the amount by which the eligible local
27	27	education agency increased its expenditures for social workers in the preceding
28	28	school year over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding
29	29	the preceding school year. If, after making those payments, there is money
30	30	remaining in the appropriation account for that aid program, DPI makes additional
31	31	payments to eligible local education agencies. The amount of those additional
32	32	payments is determined based on the amount remaining in the appropriation
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40	40	SENATE BILL 535
41	41	account and the amount spent by eligible local education agencies to employ, hire,
42	42	and retain social workers during the previous school year.
43	43	The bill expands eligibility for the payments under the aid program to include
44	44	spending on school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and
45	45	school nurses (pupil services professionals). The bill also eliminates the two tier
46	46	reimbursement structure of the aid program and eliminates the requirement that a
47	47	local education agency is eligible for the aid only if the local education agency
48	48	increased its spending. Under the bill, any local education agency that made
49	49	expenditures to employ, hire, or retain pupil services professionals during the
50	50	previous school year is eligible for reimbursement under the aid program.
51	51	For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
52	52	printed as an appendix to this bill.
53	53	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
54	54	enact as follows:
55	55	SECTION 1. 20.255 (2) (da) of the statutes is amended to read:
56	56	20.255 (2) (da) Aid for school mental Mental health programs and pupil
57	57	wellness aid. The amounts in the schedule for aid to school districts and independent
58	58	charter schools employ, hire, and retain pupil services professionals under s. 115.364.
59	59	SECTION 2. 115.364 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
60	60	115.364 (title) Aid for school mental Mental health programs and pupil
61	61	wellness aid.
62	62	SECTION 3. 115.364 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (1) and
63	63	amended to read:
64	64	115.364 (1) In this section:, “pupil services professional” means a school
65	65	counselor, school social worker, school psychologist, or school nurse.
66	66	SECTION 4. 115.364 (1) (a), (am) and (b) of the statutes are repealed.
67	67	SECTION 5. 115.364 (2) (a) (intro.) and 1. of the statutes are consolidated,
68	68	renumbered 115.364 (2) (a) and amended to read:
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85	85	SECTION 5
86	86	SENATE BILL 535
87	87	115.364 (2) (a) Beginning in the 2018-19 2024-25 school year and annually
88	88	thereafter, the state superintendent shall do all of the following: 1. Subject, subject
89	89	to par. (b), from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da), pay to an eligible
90	90	reimburse a school district board, the operator of a charter school established under
91	91	s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x), or the governing body of a private school participating in a
92	92	program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 for an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount
93	93	by which the school district increased its expenditures made by the school board,
94	94	operator, or governing body in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain
95	95	social workers over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding
96	96	the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services
97	97	professionals.
98	98	SECTION 6. 115.364 (2) (a) 2. and 3. of the statutes are repealed.
99	99	SECTION 7. 115.364 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (2) (b) and
100	100	amended to read:
101	101	115.364 (2) (b) If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da) in any fiscal year
102	102	is insufficient to pay the full amount of aid under par. (a), the state superintendent
103	103	shall prorate state aid payments among the school districts, private schools, and
104	104	independent charter schools boards, operators of charter schools established under
105	105	s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x), and governing bodies of private schools participating in
106	106	programs under ss. 118.60 and 119.23 that are eligible for the aid.
107	107	SECTION 8. 115.364 (2) (b) 2. of the statutes is repealed.
108	108	SECTION 9. 118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. of the statutes is amended to read:
109	109	118.40 (2r) (e) 2p. a. Add the amounts appropriated in the current fiscal year
110	110	under s. 20.255 (2), except s. 20.255 (2) (ac), (aw), (az), (bb), (da), (dj), (du), (fm), (fp),
111	111	(fq), (fr), (fu), (k), and (m); and s. 20.505 (4) (es); and the amount, as determined by
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138	138	SECTION 9 SENATE BILL 535
139	139	the secretary of administration, of the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (s) allocated
140	140	for payments to telecommunications providers under contracts with school districts
141	141	and cooperative educational service agencies under s. 16.971 (13).
142	142	SECTION 10.0Fiscal changes.
143	143	(1) MENTAL HEALTH AND PUPIL WELLNESS AID. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3)
144	144	for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (da),
145	145	the dollar amount for fiscal year 2023-24 is increased by $16,500,000 for the
146	146	purposes for which the appropriation is made. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3)
147	147	for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (da),
148	148	the dollar amount for fiscal year 2024-25 is increased by $18,000,000 for the
149	149	purposes for which the appropriation is made.
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