WI
Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB92

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB92 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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11 2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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44 2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 92
55 February 28, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives TITTL, WITTKE, TUSLER,
66 ANDERSON, ARNEY, BRILL, CLANCY, DITTRICH, DUCHOW, MADISON, MURSAU,
77 NEUBAUER, O'CONNOR, PHELPS, SINICKI, SPIROS, SUBECK, SUMMERFIELD and
88 UDELL, cosponsored by Senators WANGGAARD, CARPENTER, HABUSH SINYKIN,
99 JAMES, RATCLIFF, SPREITZER, TOMCZYK and LARSON. Referred to Committee
1010 on Colleges and Universities.
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1212 ***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
1313 AN ACT to create 15.197 (20), 20.435 (1) (cd) and 255.45 of the statutes;
1414 relating to: spinal cord injury research grants and symposia and making an
1515 appropriation.
1616 Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
1717 This bill requires the Department of Health Services to establish a program to
1818 award grants to persons in this state for research into spinal cord injuries. The
1919 grants must support research into new and innovative treatments and
2020 rehabilitative efforts for the functional improvement of individuals with spinal cord
2121 injuries. Research topics may include pharmaceutical, medical device, brain
2222 stimulus, and rehabilitative approaches and techniques. DHS must make annual
2323 reports to the legislature about the grants. The bill specifies that no more than 8
2424 percent of any grant award may be used for administrative or indirect costs and
2525 expenses.
2626 The bill also requires DHS to appoint a Spinal Cord Injury Council with one
2727 member representing the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public
2828 Health who is a researcher specializing in spinal cord injuries, one member
2929 representing Marquette University who is a researcher specializing in spinal cord
3030 injuries, one member representing the Medical College of Wisconsin who is an
3131 expert in spinal cord injuries, and the following members: 1) a person with a spinal
3232 cord injury; 2) a family member of a person with a spinal cord injury; 3) a veteran
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4040 with a spinal cord injury; 4) a physician specializing in the treatment of spinal cord
4141 injuries; 5) a neurosurgery researcher; and 6) a researcher employed by the federal
4242 Veterans Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. If
4343 DHS is unable to appoint any of the foregoing members, the bill allows DHS to
4444 appoint, in lieu of that member, a member representing the general public.
4545 Members of the council have two-year terms. The bill requires the council to
4646 develop criteria for DHS to evaluate and award grants, review and make
4747 recommendations on grant applications, and perform other duties specified by
4848 DHS. Council members must make written disclosures of financial interests in
4949 organizations that the council recommends for grants.
5050 Finally, the bill allows DHS, with the permission of the council, to hold
5151 symposia, not more than once every two years, for grant recipients to present
5252 findings of research supported by the grants.
5353 For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
5454 an appendix to this bill.
5555 The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
5656 enact as follows:
5757 SECTION 1. 15.197 (20) of the statutes is created to read:
5858 15.197 (20) SPINAL CORD INJURY COUNCIL. (a) There is created in the
5959 department of health services a spinal cord injury council that, except as provided
6060 in par. (b), consists of the following members appointed by the department for 2-
6161 year terms:
6262 1. One member representing the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine
6363 and Public Health who is a researcher specializing in spinal cord injuries.
6464 2. One member representing Marquette University who is a researcher
6565 specializing in spinal cord injuries.
6666 3. One member representing the Medical College of Wisconsin who is an
6767 expert in spinal cord injuries.
6868 4. One member who has a spinal cord injury.
6969 5. One member who is a family member of a person with a spinal cord injury.
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8787 6. One member who is a veteran who has a spinal cord injury.
8888 7. One member who is a physician specializing in the treatment of spinal cord
8989 injuries.
9090 8. One member who is a researcher in the field of neurosurgery.
9191 9. One member who is a researcher employed by the veterans health
9292 administration of the U.S. department of veterans affairs.
9393 (b) If the department of health services is unable to appoint a member
9494 specified in par. (a) 1. to 9., the department of health services may appoint a
9595 member representing the general public in lieu of the member so specified.
9696 SECTION 2. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place,
9797 insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
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9999 20.435 Health services, department of
100100 (1) PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES PLANNING,
101101 REGULATION, AND DELIVERY
102102 (cd) Spinal cord injury research GPR B 2,500,0002,500,000
103103 SECTION 3. 20.435 (1) (cd) of the statutes is created to read:
104104 20.435 (1) (cd) Spinal cord injury research. Biennially, the amounts in the
105105 schedule for grants and symposia under s. 255.45 (2) and (3).
106106 SECTION 4. 255.45 of the statutes is created to read:
107107 255.45 Spinal cord injury research grants and symposia. (1)
108108 DEFINITIONS. In this section:
109109 (a) XCouncilY means the spinal cord injury council.
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137137 (b) XGrant programY means the program established under sub. (2).
138138 (2) GRANT PROGRAM. From the appropriation under s. 20.435 (1) (cd), the
139139 department shall award grants to persons in this state for research into spinal cord
140140 injuries. The purpose of the grants is to support research into new and innovative
141141 treatments and rehabilitative efforts for the functional improvement of individuals
142142 with spinal cord injuries, and research topics may include pharmaceutical, medical
143143 device, brain stimulus, and rehabilitative approaches and techniques. Grant
144144 recipients shall agree to present their research findings at symposia held by the
145145 department under sub. (3).
146146 (3) SYMPOSIA. If the council approves, the department shall hold a
147147 symposium for recipients of grants under the grant program to present findings of
148148 research supported by the grants. The department may not hold a symposium
149149 under this subsection more than once every 2 years.
150150 (4) GRANT REPORTS. By January 15 of each year, the department shall submit
151151 an annual report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s.
152152 13.172 (3) that identifies the recipients of grants under the grant program and the
153153 purposes for which the grants were used.
154154 (5) COUNCIL. (a) The council shall do all of the following:
155155 1. Develop criteria for the department to evaluate and award grants under the
156156 grant program.
157157 2. Review and make recommendations to the department on applications
158158 submitted under the grant program.
159159 3. Perform other duties specified by the department.
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186186 SECTION 4
187187 (b) Each member of the council shall disclose in a written statement any
188188 financial interest in any organization that the council recommends to receive a
189189 grant under the grant program. The council shall include the written statements
190190 with its recommendations to the department under par. (a) 2. on grant applications.
191191 (6) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES. A recipient of a grant under sub. (2) may
192192 annually expend no more than 8 percent of the amount received under sub. (2) for
193193 administrative or indirect costs and expenses.
194194 SECTION 5. Nonstatutory provisions.
195195 (1) SPINAL CORD INJURY COUNCIL; INITIAL APPOINTMENTS. Notwithstanding
196196 the length of terms specified for the members of the spinal cord injury council under
197197 s. 15.197 (20) (a) (intro.), initial appointments to the council shall be made as
198198 follows:
199199 (a) The members appointed under s. 15.197 (20) (a) 1., 3., 5., 7., and 9., or in
200200 lieu of those members under s. 15.197 (20) (b), shall be appointed for terms expiring
201201 on July 1, 2027.
202202 (b) The members appointed under s. 15.197 (20) (a) 2., 4., 6., and 8., or in lieu
203203 of those members under s. 15.197 (20) (b), shall be appointed for terms expiring on
204204 July 1, 2028.
205205 SECTION 6. Effective date.
206206 (1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after
207207 publication of the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.
208208 (END)
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