Wisconsin AB 68: Relating to: state finances and appropriations, constituting the executive budget act of the 2021 legislature. (FE)

Bill Text

Date of enactment: July 8, 2021
2021 Assembly Bill 68 Date of publication*: July 9, 2021
2021 WISCONSIN ACT 58
(Vetoed in Part)
AN ACT; relating to: state finances and appropriations, constituting the executive budget act of the 2021 legislature.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in
senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. 13.48 (20m) (c) of the statutes is amended
to read:
13.48 (20m) (c) The building commission may
authorize up to $25,000,000 in general fund supported
borrowing under par. (b), including up to $3,000,000 for
the project described in par. (d).
SECTION 2. 13.48 (20m) (d) of the statutes is created
to read:
13.48 (20m) (d) 1. The legislature finds and deter-
mines that supporting entrepreneurs and innovators, pro-
viding facilities for job training, and promoting dynamic
community revitalization and development are of vital
importance in creating jobs and contributing to economic
development and tourism in this state and are statewide
responsibilities of statewide dimension. It is therefore in
the public interest, and it is the public policy of this state,
to assist the Incourage Community Foundation, Inc., in
redeveloping the former Daily Tribune building in the
city of Wisconsin Rapids into an economic and commu-
nity hub.
2. The building commission may under this subsec-
tion assist the Incourage Community Foundation, Inc., in
redeveloping the former Daily Tribune building in the
city of Wisconsin Rapids into an economic and commu-
nity hub. The state funding commitment shall be in the
form of a grant to the Incourage Community Foundation,
Inc. Before approving any state funding commitment for
redeveloping the former Daily Tribune building, the
building commission shall determine that the Incourage
Community Foundation, Inc., has secured additional
funding for the project from nonstate revenue sources at
least equal to the state’s grant.
3. If the building commission authorizes a grant to
the Incourage Community Foundation, Inc., under subd.
2., and if, for any reason, the facility that is redeveloped
with funds from the grant is not used for an economic and
community hub, the state shall retain an ownership inter-
est in the facility equal to the amount of the state’s grant.
SECTION 3. 13.48 (20t) of the statutes is created to
read:
13.48 (20t) PSYCHIATRIC AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
TREATMENT BEDS. (a) The legislature finds and deter-
mines that expanding psychiatric bed capacity as
described in par. (b) would greatly benefit state residents
by expanding access to timely inpatient mental health
treatment and other behavioral health services and
allowing public financial resources to be better distrib-
uted to more effectively improve delivery of mental
health services and is a statewide responsibility of state-
wide dimension. It is therefore in the public interest, and
* Section 991.11, WISCONSIN STATUTES: Effective date of acts. “Every act and every portion of an act enacted by the legislature over the governor’s
partial veto which does not expressly prescribe the time when it takes effect shall take effect on the day after its date of publication.”

− 2 −2021 Wisconsin Act 58 2021 Assembly Bill 68
it is the public policy of this state, to expand psychiatric
bed capacity and behavioral health treatment capacity.
(b) The building commission may authorize up to
$5,000,000 in general fund supported borrowing to make
a grant for the purpose of renovating an existing mental
health facility in Marathon County. The renovation shall
provide 26 beds for expanded capacity for psychiatric
and other behavioral health treatment to an organization
that applies to the building commission and meets all of
the following criteria:
1. The organization provides mental and behavioral
health services in the north central region of the state and
has a campus in Marathon County.
2. The organization agrees to renovate an existing
mental health facility in Marathon County to provide 16
adult inpatient psychiatric beds, 5 beds for emergency
stabilization, and 5 beds for detoxification and substance
use treatment. The organization shall serve individuals,
including individuals who meet the criteria for emer-
gency detention under s. 51.15 or 51.45, who are from
Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, and Vilas
Counties.
3. The organization identifies measures that it
believes will serve the needs of area residents with behav-
ioral health needs, especially, as a critical component of
the measures, in reducing the burden on state−operated
facilities.
4. The organization agrees to annually report to the
legislature, in the manner described under s. 13.172 (2),
the services provided with the resources funded by the
grant awarded under this subsection, including the num-
ber of individuals diverted from state−operated mental
health institutes.
5. The organization recognizes that it is liable to
repay the grant funds to the state if the organization fails
to continue to maintain the expanded