LRB-5490/1
JPC:kms&wlj
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
2023 SENATE BILL 901
January 11, 2024 - Introduced by Senators TAYLOR, LARSON, CARPENTER, WIRCH, L.
JOHNSON, SPREITZER and AGARD, cosponsored by Representatives STUBBS,
CABRERA, NEUBAUER, SNODGRASS, SUBECK, EMERSON, SHANKLAND, CONLEY,
SINICKI, HONG, RATCLIFF, MOORE OMOKUNDE, C. ANDERSON, MADISON, BARE,
JOERS, VINING, O'CONNOR, ANDRACA, PALMERI, OHNSTAD, CONSIDINE, JACOBSON,
GOYKE and ORTIZ-VELEZ. Referred to Committee on Health.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AN ACT to amend 15.01 (6) and 15.02 (3) (c) 1.; and to create 15.194 (2) and
250.25 of the statutes; relating to: community violence intervention and
creation of the Office of Violence Prevention in the Department of Health
Services.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates the Office of Violence Prevention in the Department of Health
Services, establishes certain duties with respect to the office, and directs the office
to award grants for community violence intervention. The bill provides that the
office shall coordinate and expand violence prevention activities and work to reduce
the incidences of interpersonal violence and reduce death by homicide. To achieve
these goals, the office must do all of the following:
1. Establish a violence prevention focus within DHS and any local unit of
government that receives funding from DHS.
2. Collaborate with other state agencies that are interested or active in the
reduction of interpersonal violence.
3. Integrate violence prevention education into existing and planned
state-funded substance use and abuse prevention programs.
4. Support the development and implementation of comprehensive,
community-based violence prevention initiatives within cities and towns across the
state.
5. Develop sources of funding beyond state revenues to maintain the office and
expand its activities.
1
2
3
4 - 2 -2023 - 2024 Legislature LRB-5490/1
JPC:kms&wlj
SENATE BILL 901
6. Create a directory of existing violence prevention services and activities in
each county.
7. Develop and recommend additional wraparound and support services that
include both interpersonal violence and suicide prevention programs and are funded
by local governing bodies.
8. Support local organizations that provide violence prevention services in
seeking out and applying for grant funding in support of their initiatives.
9. With the support of DHS, develop and implement a public health strategy
for preventing violence.
10. Conduct a statewide public health campaign on the effect of violence,
strategies for violence cessation, and the use of alternative dispute resolution
techniques.
The bill directs the office to establish and implement a program to award grants
to support effective violence reduction initiatives in communities that are
disproportionately affected by violence. Grants are to be awarded competitively to
counties and cities that are disproportionately affected by violence, and to
community-based organizations that serve the residents of those counties or cities.
Where appropriate, the bill allows two or more counties or cities to submit joint
applications to provide more comprehensive solutions. Grantees must submit to the
office at regular intervals reports that describe the grantee's progress in achieving
the grant objectives.
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. 15.01 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
15.01 (6) “Division," “bureau," “section," and “unit" means the subunits of a
department or an independent agency, whether specifically created by law or created
by the head of the department or the independent agency for the more economic and
efficient administration and operation of the programs assigned to the department
or independent agency. The office of credit unions in the department of financial
institutions, the office of the inspector general in the department of children and
families, the office of the inspector general in the department of health services, the
office of violence prevention in the department of health services, and the office of
children's mental health in the department of health services have the meaning of
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 - 3 -2023 - 2024 Legislature
LRB-5490/1
JPC:kms&wlj
SECTION 1
SENATE BILL 901
“division" under this subsection. The office of the long-term care ombudsman under
the board on aging and long-term care and the office of educational accountability
in the department of public instruction have the meaning of “bureau" under this
subsection.
SECTION 2. 15.02 (3) (c) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
15.02 (3) (c) 1. The principal subunit of the department is the “division". Each
division shall be headed by an “administrator". The office of credit unions in the
department of financial institutions, the office of violence prevention in the
department of health services, and the office of children's mental health in the
department of health services have the meaning of “division" and the director of
credit unions in the department of financial institutions, the director of the office of
violence prevention in the department of health services, and the director of the office
of children's mental health in the department of health services have the meaning
of “administrator" under this subdivision.
SECTION 3. 15.194 (2) of the statutes is created to read:
15.194 (2) OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION. There is created an office of violence
prevention in the department of health services. The director of the office shall be
appointed by the governor to serve at the pleasure of the governor.
SECTION 4. 250.25 of the statutes is created to read:
250.25 Office of violence prevention. (1) PURPOSE. The office of violence
prevention shall coordinate and expand violence prevention activities.
(2) DUTIES. The office of violence prevention shall do all of the following:
(a) Establish a violence prevention focus within the department and any local
unit of government that receives funding from the department.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24 - 4 -2023 - 2024 Legislature LRB-5490/1
JPC:kms&wlj
SECTION 4 SENATE BILL 901
(b) Collaborate with other state agencies that are interested or active in the
reduction of interpersonal violence, including child abuse, elder abuse, violence
against youth, domestic violence, gun violence, intimate partner violence, sexual
assault, and violence against persons based on perceived or actual sexual
orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
(c) Integrate violence prevention education into existing and planned
state-funded substance use and abuse prevention programs.
(d) Support the development and implementation of comprehensive
community-based violence prevention initiatives within cities and towns across the
state, including the prevention of child abuse, elder abuse, violence against youth,
domestic violence, gun violence, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and
violence against persons based on perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender
identity, or gender expression.
(e) Develop sources of funding beyond state revenues to maintain the office and
expand its activities.
(f) Create a directory of existing violence prevention services and activities in
each county.
(g) Develop and recommend additional wraparound and support services that
include both interpersonal violence and suicide prevention programs and are funded
by local governing bodies.
(h) Support local organizations that provide violence prevention services in
seeking out and applying for grant funding in support of their initiatives and provide
technical assistance and support to the organizations to maximize the organizations'
likelihood of success with their applications.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24 - 5 -2023 - 2024 Legislature
LRB-5490/1
JPC:kms&wlj
SECTION 4
SENATE BILL 901
(i) With the support of the division of the department responsible for public
health, develop and implement a public health strategy that provides for all of the
following:
1. The use of culturally competent and community-wide risk-assessment
tools.
2. The identification of heavy utilizers of public services.
3. The provision of cognitive and family-based therapy.
4. The coordination of available services to combat the spread of violence.
5. Technical assistance from culturally competent organizations or individuals.
(j) Conduct a statewide public health campaign concerning the effect of
violence, strategies for violence cessation, and the use of alternative dispute
resolution techniques.
(3) GRANTS. (a) The office of violence prevention shall develop and implement
a program to award grants to support effective violence reduction initiatives in
communities that are disproportionately affected by violence, including gun
violence, group violence, suicides, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and
gender-based violence.
(b) The grants under this subsection shall be used to support, expand, and
replicate evidence-based violence reduction initiatives, including hospital-based
violence intervention programs, evidence-based street outreach programs, and
focused deterrence strategies, that seek to interrupt the cycles of violence,
victimization, and retaliation in order to reduce the incidence of firearm violence.
These initiatives must be primarily focused on providing violence intervention
services and support to the small segment of the population that is identified as
having the highest risk of perpetrating or being victimized by firearm violence.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25 - 6 -2023 - 2024 Legislature LRB-5490/1
JPC:kms&wlj
SECTION 4 SENATE BILL 901
(c) Grants under this subsection shall be awarded on a competitive basis to
counties and cities that are disproportionately affected by violence and to
community-based organizations that serve the residents of those counties or cities.
Where appropriate, 2 or more counties or cities may submit joint applications to
provide more comprehensive solutions.
(d) An applicant for a grant under this subsection shall submit to the office on
a form provided by the office a proposal that includes all of the following:
1. A problem statement describing the issue or concern followed by a list of
objectives and activities that describe how the applicant proposes to use the grant
to implement an evidence-based violence reduction initiative in accordance with this
subsection.
2. A statement describing how the applicant proposes to use the grant to
enhance the local coordination of existing violence prevention and intervention
programs and minimize duplication of services.
(e) In awarding grants under this subsection, the office shall give preference
to applicants whose grant proposals demonstrate to the greatest extent all of the
following:
1. A substantial likelihood of reducing violence in the applicant's community
without contributing to mass incarceration.
2. Partnership with one or more entities, including community-based
organizations and public agencies, provided that at least one applicant is a
community-based organization.
3. Leadership reflective of the demographics of the population being served.
4. Experience working with formerly incarcerated or otherwise
justice-involved individuals.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25 - 7 -2023 - 2024 Legislature
LRB-5490/1
JPC:kms&wlj
SECTION 4
SENATE BILL 901
5. Experience working with persons who are currently or were formerly
involved with interpersonal violence.
(f) Each county or city that receives a grant under this subsection shall
distribute not less than one-half of the grant funds awarded to one or more of any
of the following entities:
1. Community-based organizations.
2. Indian tribes and tribal organizations.
3. Public agencies or departments that are primarily dedicated to community
safety or gun violence prevention.
(g) The office shall form a grant selection advisory committee that shall include
persons who have been affected by violence, formerly incarcerated persons, and
persons with direct experience in implementing evidence-based violence reduction
initiatives, including initiatives that incorporate public health, community-based,
or ecological systems approaches.
(h) A grantee under this subsection shall report to the office, on a form provided
by the office and in intervals prescribed by the office, the grantee's progress in
achieving the stated grant objectives.
(i) The office may contract with an entity that has expertise in evaluating
community-based, grant-funded programs to evaluate a grant proposal' s
effectiveness, provided that all of the following are satisfied:
1. The entity uses both qualitative and quantitative methods in evaluating the
grant proposal.
2. To the extent practicable, the entity uses participatory action research
methods or other research methods that incorporate subject engagement.
SECTION 5.0Effective date.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25 - 8 -2023 - 2024 Legislature LRB-5490/1
JPC:kms&wlj
SECTION 5 SENATE BILL 901
(1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 2nd month beginning after
publication.
(END)
1
2
3