Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB254 Compare Versions

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

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1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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4	4	2025 SENATE BILL 254
5	5	May 9, 2025 - Introduced by Senators WIMBERGER, BRADLEY, CARPENTER, HABUSH
6	6	SINYKIN, L. JOHNSON, PFAFF, WIRCH and RATCLIFF, cosponsored by
7	7	Representatives KURTZ, DONOVAN, SINICKI, ANDERSON, BROWN, DESMIDT,
8	8	DITTRICH, DOYLE, FRANKLIN, GOEBEN, GUNDRUM, B. JACOBSON, KNODL,
9	9	KREIBICH, MCCARVILLE, MELOTIK, MOORE OMOKUNDE, MURSAU, NOVAK,
10	10	O'CONNOR, PENTERMAN, PIWOWARCZYK, PRADO, SNODGRASS, SNYDER,
11	11	STEFFEN, TENORIO, TUCKER and WICHGERS. Referred to Committee on
12	12	Natural Resources, Veteran and Military Affairs.
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14	14	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
15	15	AN ACT to create 20.485 (2) (a) and 45.75 (9) of the statutes; relating to:
16	16	funding for the War Memorial Center and making an appropriation.
17	17	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
18	18	Under current law, by agreement between the county board and any nonprofit
19	19	private corporation, a county having a population of 750,000 or more may establish
20	20	and maintain a memorial to commemorate the lives and deeds of persons who
21	21	served the state or nation in war or other national service. Milwaukee County is
22	22	the only county in the state with a population of 750,000 or more, and the county
23	23	established and maintains a memorial called the War Memorial Center. This bill
24	24	creates a continuing appropriation account for the Department of Veterans Affairs
25	25	from which the War Memorial Center[s memorial board may request DVA to
26	26	provide funds to it for support of the memorial. In making a request for the funds,
27	27	the memorial board is required to describe its intended use of the funds, and to aver
28	28	that it has secured equal matching funds that it will contribute to its intended
29	29	project supporting the War Memorial Center. In addition, in each fiscal year in
30	30	which the War Memorial Center[s memorial board receives funds from DVA as
31	31	described under the bill, the War Memorial Center[s memorial board is required to
32	32	submit a report to the Joint Committee on Finance that describes how the funds
33	33	were used and that indicates how much money remains in the appropriation
34	34	account.
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40	40	SECTION 1.
41	41	For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
42	42	printed as an appendix to this bill.
43	43	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
44	44	enact as follows:
45	45	SECTION 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place,
46	46	insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
47	47	2025-26 2026-27
48	48	20.485 Veterans affairs, department of
49	49	(2) LOANS AND AIDS TO VETERANS
50	50	(a) War memorials in populous
51	51	counties GPR C 9,000,000 -0-
52	52	SECTION 2. 20.485 (2) (a) of the statutes is created to read:
53	53	20.485 (2) (a) War memorials in populous counties. As a continuing
54	54	appropriation, the amounts in the schedule to support war memorials in populous
55	55	counties as provided under s. 45.75 (9).
56	56	SECTION 3. 45.75 (9) of the statutes is created to read:
57	57	45.75 (9) (a) The memorial board may request from the department funds
58	58	from the appropriation account under s. 20.485 (2) (a) for one or more purposes
59	59	specified under par. (b). In a request for funds under this paragraph, the memorial
60	60	board must include all of the following:
61	61	1. A description of the purpose for which the memorial board is requesting the
62	62	funds and the memorial board[s intended use of the requested funds.
63	63	2. A written averment from the memorial board that it has, or has a written
64	64	financial commitment to receive, a full match of the amount of funds it is requesting
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87	87	SECTION 3
88	88	from the department, which matching funds the memorial board will ensure are
89	89	used to meet at least half of the memorial board[s total anticipated cost for the
90	90	purpose for which the memorial board is requesting funds.
91	91	(b) Funds requested under par. (a) may be used by a war memorial
92	92	established under sub. (1) for any of the following purposes:
93	93	1. Expenses relating to the operation of the war memorial, including
94	94	memorials, capital projects, exhibits, programs, salaries, and insurance.
95	95	2. Maintenance, repairs, development, construction, or improvements of the
96	96	war memorial[s facilities, properties, or grounds or other property owned, operated,
97	97	or maintained by the war memorial.
98	98	(c) Within 60 days of a memorial board[s request for funds under par. (a), the
99	99	department shall review the request and determine whether to fully or partially
100	100	approve the request, request more information from the memorial board, or deny
101	101	the request if the request does not meet the requirements under par. (a). Upon the
102	102	department[s full or partial approval of a request made under this paragraph, the
103	103	department shall within 30 days provide to the war memorial the approved funds.
104	104	Upon the department[s full or partial denial of a request made under this
105	105	paragraph, the memorial board may within 90 days request that the department
106	106	revisit and review its denial decision.
107	107	(d) By the end of each fiscal year in which a memorial board receives funds
108	108	from the department as the result of a request made under par. (a), the memorial
109	109	board shall submit a report to the joint committee on finance and to the chief clerk
110	110	of each house of the legislature for distribution under s. 13.172 (3) to the standing
111	111	committees having jurisdiction over veterans matters. The report shall describe
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139	139	SECTION 3
140	140	how the memorial board used or plans to use the received funds and shall indicate
141	141	how much money remains in the appropriation account under s. 20.485 (2) (a).
142	142	SECTION 4. Effective date.
143	143	(1) This act takes effect the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after
144	144	publication of the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.
145	145	(END)
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