Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB118 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
2	2	LRB-1441/1
3	3	JAM:cdc&emw
4	4	2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 118
5	5	March 11, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives NOVAK, TRANEL, ANDERSON,
6	6	BEHNKE, DITTRICH, GUNDRUM, J. JACOBSON, JOERS, JOHNSON, KITCHENS,
7	7	KRUG, MIRESSE, MOORE OMOKUNDE, MOSES, MURPHY, MURSAU, PALMERI,
8	8	TUCKER, TUSLER, UDELL and WICHGERS, cosponsored by Senators JAMES,
9	9	TESTIN, DASSLER-ALFHEIM, KEYESKI, PFAFF, SMITH, SPREITZER and WALL.
10	10	Referred to Committee on Agriculture.
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12	12	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
13	13	AN ACT to create 20.115 (4) (t) and 93.60 of the statutes; relating to: a
14	14	transition to grazing pilot program and making an appropriation.
15	15	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
16	16	This bill creates a Xtransition to grazing pilot programY in the Department of
17	17	Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to provide support and grants to
18	18	farmers who are implementing livestock forage-based managed grazing systems
19	19	and farmers and agribusinesses in the grazing-fed livestock business. Under the
20	20	bill the department may award up to $40,000 to each grantee, and may disperse up
21	21	to 75 percent of the grant in the first year following the department[s decision to
22	22	grant the award and may disperse up to 12.5 percent of the award in each of the
23	23	second and third years following the department[s decision to grant the award.
24	24	For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
25	25	an appendix to this bill.
26	26	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
27	27	enact as follows:
28	28	SECTION 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place,
29	29	insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
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33	33	4 2025 - 2026 Legislature
34	34	ASSEMBLY BILL 118
35	35	- 2 - LRB-1441/1
36	36	JAM:cdc&emw
37	37	SECTION 1
38	38	2025-26 2026-27
39	39	20.115 Agriculture, trade and consumer
40	40	protection, department of
41	41	(4) AGRICULTURAL ASSISTANCE
42	42	(t) Transition to grazing pilot
43	43	program SEG A 500,000 500,000
44	44	SECTION 2. 20.115 (4) (t) of the statutes is created to read:
45	45	20.115 (4) (t) Transition to grazing pilot program. From the environmental
46	46	fund, the amounts in the schedule for the transition to grazing pilot program under
47	47	s. 93.60.
48	48	SECTION 3. 93.60 of the statutes is created to read:
49	49	93.60 Transition to grazing pilot program. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this
50	50	section:
51	51	(a) XManaged grazingY means a grazing system alternative to continuous
52	52	grazing, in which pastured fields are subdivided into smaller paddocks, livestock
53	53	density is controlled, and animals are rotated through paddocks at a frequency that
54	54	maintains perennial forage-based vegetative cover, ensures regular access to fresh
55	55	higher quality forage, and reduces soil compaction and erosion.
56	56	(b) XMarginal areaY means land that is excluded from cultivation due to
57	57	economic infeasibility or physical restriction for growing conventional crops, and
58	58	includes riparian areas, low areas prone to flooding, and steep lands not conducive
59	59	to conventional cultivation.
60	60	(2) TRANSITION TO GRAZING PILOT PROGRAM. From the appropriation under s.
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84	84	ASSEMBLY BILL 118
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87	87	SECTION 3
88	88	20.115 (4) (t), the department shall create and administer a transition to grazing
89	89	pilot program that awards grants to farmers for managed grazing technical
90	90	assistance and implementation support.
91	91	(3) GRAZING GRANTS. (a) Subject to par. (b), the transition to grazing pilot
92	92	program shall award grants to farmers for any of the following purposes:
93	93	1. Assist a farmer with establishing perennial forages for rotational grazing of
94	94	livestock raised in a forage-based managed grazing system.
95	95	2. Provide assistance to a farmer in establishing harvestable continuous cover
96	96	in marginal areas that can produce supplemental feed for livestock that is raised in
97	97	a forage-based managed grazing system.
98	98	3. Provide a farmer with incentive payments during the first 3 years of the
99	99	farmer[s transition to forage-based managed grazing systems.
100	100	4. Assist a farmer with paying for forage-based managed grazing system
101	101	infrastructure needs, including fencing, watering, and other livestock management
102	102	infrastructure.
103	103	5. Technical assistance and support from a certified grazing specialist in
104	104	developing grazing plans, including determining field layout, infrastructure setup,
105	105	seed selection, and establishment of rotational grazing patterns.
106	106	(b) Grants awarded under par. (a) shall only be awarded to a farmer
107	107	implementing a new forage-based managed grazing system or a new managed
108	108	grazing practice that improves the conservation and financial performance of
109	109	existing grazing systems; grants may not be awarded to a farmer for the support of
110	110	the farmer[s existing grazing practices.
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137	137	SECTION 3
138	138	(c) The department may not award more than $40,000 in grants under par. (a)
139	139	to any one grantee.
140	140	(d) In the year following the department[s decision to grant an award under
141	141	par. (a) the department may provide up to 75 percent of the award to the grantee,
142	142	and in each of the 2nd and 3rd years following the department[s decision to grant an
143	143	award under par. (a), the department may provide up to 12.5 percent of the award to
144	144	the grantee.
145	145	(4) SUPPORT FOR FARMERS. (a) The transition to grazing pilot program shall
146	146	provide the following for farmers and persons in agribusiness:
147	147	1. Assistance in navigating and analyzing the economics of forage-based
148	148	managed grazing and providing forage-fed livestock research, market development
149	149	initiatives, and other market opportunities.
150	150	2. Best practices for meeting consumer demand for forage-fed livestock
151	151	products.
152	152	3. Assistance in fostering innovation in and expanding farm and agribusiness
153	153	strategies in forage-based managed grazing systems and forage-fed livestock
154	154	practices.
155	155	(b) The department shall support the state[s forage-fed livestock supply chain,
156	156	including regional processors, aggregators, distributors, and markets.
157	157	SECTION 4. Nonstatutory provisions.
158	158	(1) The authorized FTE positions for the department of agriculture, trade and
159	159	consumer protection are increased by 0.5 SEG position, to be funded from the
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181	181	22 2025 - 2026 Legislature
182	182	ASSEMBLY BILL 118
183	183	- 5 - LRB-1441/1
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185	185	SECTION 4
186	186	appropriation under s. 20.115 (4) (t), for a position supporting the performance of
187	187	the transition to grazing pilot program functions required under s. 93.60 (4).
188	188	SECTION 5. Effective date.
189	189	(1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after
190	190	publication of the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.
191	191	(END)
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