2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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2025 SENATE BILL 187
April 14, 2025 - Introduced by Senators L. JOHNSON, DRAKE, HESSELBEIN, LARSON,
SPREITZER and WIRCH, cosponsored by Representatives MADISON, HAYWOOD,
MOORE OMOKUNDE, ARNEY, GOODWIN, RIVERA-WAGNER, STUBBS, TAYLOR,
BARE, BROWN, CLANCY, DESMIDT, FITZGERALD, HONG, JOERS, KIRSCH,
MIRESSE, PHELPS, PRADO, ROE, TENORIO and UDELL. Referred to Committee
on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development.
AN ACT relating to: study of guaranteed employment grant program and
making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Workforce Development to study the
creation of a job guarantee and full employment grant program. Under the
program, DWD and municipalities provide grants to public and nonprofit
employers in the care economy to provide certain job opportunities in positions
covered by a collective bargaining unit to individuals with disabilities, heads of
households with incomes that are 150 percent or less than the federal poverty line,
individuals who have been unemployed for extended periods, individuals who were
previously incarcerated, and individuals between 18 and 24 years old. The bill
requires DWD to submit a report with the findings and recommendations.
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. Nonstatutory provisions.
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SECTION 1
(1) JOB GUARANTEE AND FULL EMPLOYMENT GRANT STUDY. The department of
workforce development shall conduct a study of the requirements to create a grant
program administered by the department of workforce development or a
municipality to award grants to public and nonprofit entities in the care economy to
create and offer guaranteed jobs in positions that are covered by a collective
bargaining agreement, for at least 100 days of 8 hours per day at a pay rate of $20
per hour. In this subsection, Xcare economyY means job sectors that prioritize care
for people, communities, and the environment, and includes health care, child care,
elder and disability care, social services, public transportation, sustainability,
conservation or climate change mitigation, public infrastructure, education, public
and social housing, and criminal legal reform. The study shall determine the
number of positions required, the cost, the number of individuals who would be
eligible for a position under the grant program, paid training strategies for jobs
offered under the program, and strategies to create pathways to and opportunities
for full-time employment. Eligible employers would be able to use grant money to
create and offer jobs in 25-day increments to any of the following:
(a) Individuals between 18 and 24 years old.
(b) Individuals with a disability.
(c) Heads of households whose household income is 150 percent or less of the
nonfarm federal poverty line for the continental United States, as defined in 42
USC 9902 (2).
(d) Individuals who have been unemployed and searching for a job for 27
weeks or more, or who have been unemployed for 3 of the preceding 5 years, except
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SECTION 1
that employers of such individuals would no longer be eligible for a grant under the
program for individuals who have been employed by the same employer for more
than 12 consecutive months.
(e) Individuals who were previously incarcerated.
(2) JOB GUARANTEE AND FULL EMPLOYMENT REPORT. No later than 18 months
after the effective date of this subsection, the department of workforce development
shall submit a report with its written findings and recommendations resulting
from the study under sub. (1) to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of
the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees in the
manner provided under s. 13.172 (3).
SECTION 2. Fiscal changes.
(1) JOB GUARANTEE AND FULL EMPLOYMENT GRANT STUDY. In the schedule
under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of workforce
development under s. 20.445 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2025-26 is
increased by $250,000 to conduct the study under SECTION 1 (1) of this act and to
create the report under SECTION 1 (2) of this act.
SECTION 3. Effective date.
(1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after
publication of the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.
(END)
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