2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2291/2
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2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 159
April 2, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives NOVAK, KITCHENS, ANDERSON,
ARMSTRONG, BARE, BEHNKE, BILLINGS, GREEN, GUNDRUM, HONG, B.
JACOBSON, J. JACOBSON, JOHNSON, KREIBICH, MIRESSE, MURSAU, O'CONNOR,
PALMERI, STEFFEN, TRANEL and TUSLER, cosponsored by Senators QUINN,
TESTIN, PFAFF and SPREITZER. Referred to Committee on Rural Development.
AN ACT to create 238.137 of the statutes; relating to: creating a rural creative
economy development grant program.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a grant program administered by the Wisconsin Economic
Development Corporation. The bill requires WEDC to award rural creative
economy development grants on a competitive basis to cities, villages, towns,
counties, American Indian tribes and bands in this state, economic development
organizations in this state, and nonprofit organizations in this state. A grant
recipient must use grant moneys for any of the following purposes:
1. To develop or implement a plan to increase tourism, enhance visitor
experiences, or bolster community development in rural areas in this state through
the development or promotion of creative enterprises, including by supporting or
expanding public arts performances and exhibitions, renovating or improving
public spaces and vacant or underutilized buildings, supporting community-based
arts education, supporting business accelerator programs, and providing technical
assistance for creative businesses.
2. To market, brand, and promote local creative enterprises, public arts
performances and exhibitions, or public spaces in rural areas in this state.
Under the bill, such a grant may not exceed $50,000 and must be expended
solely for the benefit of rural areas. Additionally, the bill prohibits WEDC from
awarding a grant unless the grant recipient matches the amount of the grant with
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moneys raised from nonstate sources and limits the amount of in-kind match to no
more than 25 percent of the match amount. The bill requires WEDC to submit a
report on the effectiveness of the grants to the Joint Committee on Finance no later
than May 1, 2027.
For further information see the state 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. 238.137 of the statutes is created to read:
238.137 Rural creative economy development grant program. (1) In
this section:
(a) XCreative enterpriseY means an organization, individual, or company
whose products and services have their origin in artistic, cultural, creative, or
aesthetic content.
(b) XEligible applicantY means a city, village, town, county, American Indian
tribe or band in this state, economic development organization in this state, or
organization in this state described in section 501 (c) (3) or (6) of the Internal
Revenue Code that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (a) of the
Internal Revenue Code.
(c) XRural areaY means any of the following:
1. A city, town, or village in this state that has a population of less than
10,000.
2. An area in this state that is not an urbanized area, as defined by the federal
bureau of the census.
3. A county in this state that has a population of less than 55,000.
(2) (a) The corporation shall award rural creative economy development
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grants on a competitive basis to eligible applicants for the purposes described under
par. (b). The corporation shall prescribe the form of application and the information
required to be submitted with an application, which shall include specific goals and
clear outcomes regarding public accessibility, participation, and engagement.
(b) An eligible applicant that is awarded a grant under this subsection shall
expend all grant moneys as specified in the application for any of the following
purposes:
1. To develop or implement a plan to increase tourism, enhance visitor
experiences, or bolster community development in rural areas in this state through
the development or promotion of creative enterprises, including by doing any of the
following:
a. Supporting or expanding public arts, including performances and
exhibitions. Expenditures under this subd. 1. a. may include production costs,
artist stipends, and supplies.
b. Renovating or improving public spaces, signage, and facades, including the
repair or renovation of vacant or underutilized buildings. Expenditures under this
subd. 1. b. may include construction costs, artist stipends, and supplies.
c. Supporting community-based arts education.
d. Supporting business accelerator programs and providing technical
assistance for creative businesses.
2. To market, brand, and promote local creative enterprises, public arts
performances and exhibitions, or public spaces in rural areas in this state.
(c) A grant awarded under this subsection may not exceed $50,000 and shall
be expended solely for the benefit of rural areas in this state.
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(3) The corporation may not award a grant under sub. (2) unless the eligible
applicant has secured from nonstate sources an amount equal to the amount of the
proposed grant. No more than 25 percent of the match amount may be in-kind.
SECTION 2. Nonstatutory provision.
(1) EFFECTIVENESS REPORT. The Wisconsin Economic Development
Corporation shall submit a report on the effectiveness of the rural creative economy
development grants awarded under s. 238.137 to the joint committee on finance no
later than May 1, 2027.
(END)
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