Creating a program for reimbursing the higher education debt of small farm operators, creating an individual income tax deduction for certain amounts received from such a program, granting rule-making authority, making an appropriation, and providing a penalty. (FE)

The bill creates a five-member council in the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, called the Small Farm Higher Education Debt Council, which must establish the program and has rule-making power. The council consists of the DATCP secretary or his or her designee and the chancellor of the UW-Extension or his or her designee. The DATCP secretary appoints the following other members for three-year terms: 1) an individual who administers or participates or cooperates in programs of the Farm Service Agency of the U.S.

Department of Agriculture; 2) a representative of agricultural lenders; and 3) a representative of higher education loan providers or servicers. The bill requires DATCP to provide administrative support to the council.

To be eligible for reimbursement, the council must find that an individual satisfies the above educational requirements and that an individual is a state resident whose primary occupation is to operate a small farm. The bill defines "operate" as to engage in agricultural activities at a small farm and participate in the day-to-day operation of the farm. Also, to be eligible, an individual must begin to operate a small farm no later than five years after obtaining a baccalaureate or associate's degree or completing a farm and industry short course. In addition, the individual must intend to operate a small farm for at least five years after applying to the council for reimbursement. An individual is not eligible for reimbursement if another individual who also operates the small farm obtains reimbursement under the program.

The bill requires the Higher Educational Aids Board to enter into agreements with individuals whom the council finds satisfy the eligibility requirements. In addition, HEAB must find that the repayment period of each student that is reimbursed under the program does not exceed ten years, and, for a federal student loan, that the individual has entered into the standard repayment plan of the federal Department of Education. However, HEAB may waive the foregoing requirements based on financial hardship. In an agreement with HEAB, an individual must express his or her commitment to pursue a long-term career in farming in this state and to make a good faith effort to comply with the requirements of the program. An agreement must also require an individual to annually submit documentation to HEAB showing that the individual continues to be a state resident whose primary occupation is to operate a small farm and that in the preceding year he or she has made all required payments on outstanding higher education debt. An agreement must also require an individual to notify HEAB within 60 days if he or she ceases to be a state resident or his or her primary occupation ceases to be the operation of a small farm. Except as described below, an agreement and the payments terminate if an individual ceases to be a state resident or ceases to have as a primary occupation the operation of a small farm. The bill provides that an individual whose agreement terminates is liable to HEAB for a specified portion of the individual's most recent annual payment.

The bill requires HEAB to make five annual payments of equal amounts to individuals who satisfy the bill's requirements. HEAB must make the first payment as soon as practicable after entering into the agreement and the subsequent payments annually thereafter after receiving the documentation required in an agreement. The total amount of the annual payments is $30,000, which is adjusted for inflation, or the total amount of an individual's outstanding higher education debt, whichever is less. The bill appropriates the following maximum amounts for the program: in fiscal year 2016-17, $60,000; in fiscal year 2017-18, $120,000; in fiscal year 2018-19, $180,000; in fiscal year 2019-20, $240,000; and in fiscal year 2020-21 and each fiscal year thereafter, $300,000. The Department of Administration must adjust the foregoing amounts based on inflation.

The bill creates a penalty for individuals who intentionally provide false information to HEAB or the council, which is a civil forfeiture of no more than $500.

In addition, if an individual with whom HEAB has entered into an agreement intentionally provides false information or fails to notify HEAB that he or she ceases to be a state resident or ceases to operate a small farm as his or her primary occupation, the agreement terminates and the individual is liable to HEAB for the total amount of payments he or she has received together with 10 percent annual interest. If funding is available due to agreement terminations or because the maximum amounts described above have not been exceeded in a fiscal year, the council may advise HEAB of other individuals who are eligible for reimbursement payments and, based on the amount of available funding, HEAB may limit the total amount of annual payments to those individuals. If funding is not available to make payments to all eligible individuals who apply for reimbursement, the council must give priority to applicants in specified categories.

The bill allows certain individuals with whom HEAB has entered into agreements to remain eligible for payments despite ceasing to be state residents or ceasing to have as a primary occupation the operation of small farms. The bill requires HEAB to consult with the council and promulgate rules allowing such individuals to remain eligible if the ineligibility is due to circumstances beyond their control, and those circumstances must include deployment in the United States armed forces or national guard. The rules must provide for suspending the payments during ineligibility and reinstituting the payments when an individual is a state resident or has as a primary occupation the operation of a small farm.

The bill also creates an individual income tax subtract modification (deduction) for payments made to an individual under the bill. The deduction first applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2015.

The bill requires the Legislative Audit Bureau to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in achieving the purpose of the program, which the bill specifies as to recruit and retain new Wisconsin farmers of diverse backgrounds who have completed postsecondary education, regardless of field of study, previous state residency, or background in agriculture. The bill also specifies that the purpose is to sustain the state's small and midsize family farms while fostering innovation in sustainable best practices. Employment of sustainable best practices is one of the categories for the council to prioritize applicants if sufficient funding is not available.

No later than July 1, 2023, and every ten years thereafter, the Legislative Audit Bureau must submit a report to the legislature regarding the evaluation. The report must include the bureau's recommendations on terminating, continuing, revising, or expanding the program, including any funding recommendations.

Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.