AB 235

This bill requires the governor to allocate $50,000,000 of the funds accepted

under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) for the Wisconsin

Economic Development Corporation to do all of the following:

1. Expend moneys for any economic development program WEDC is

administering as of the date on which the bill becomes law if the expenditure assists

economic development in a rural county.

2. Expend moneys for any economic development program WEDC begins

administering after the date on which the bill becomes law if the expenditure assists

economic development in a rural county. The bill requires passive review by the Joint

Committee on Finance before WEDC first expends moneys allocated under the bill

on each such program and requires WEDC to adopt policies and procedures

establishing, to the extent feasible, matching requirements for any such

expenditure.

3. Subject to passive review by JCF, award grants to state agencies, including

other authorities, if WEDC determines that a state agency's expenditure of the grant

moneys will assist economic development in a rural county.

4. Award onetime grants to certain county and regional economic development

organizations serving rural counties for the purpose of creating or expanding

revolving loan funds that promote economic development and entrepreneurial

start-ups in rural counties. The bill additionally authorizes WEDC to award limited

onetime grants to such organizations for the organizations' program operations and

marketing in rural counties.

With respect to WEDC's administration of all of the programs described above,

the bill requires WEDC to make every effort to ensure that underserved communities

in rural counties are prioritized. Additionally, under the bill, WEDC must submit

a report to JCF no later than June 30 of each fiscal year in which WEDC expends

moneys allocated under the bill that describes in detail WEDC's use of those moneys

in that fiscal year.

The bill also requires the governor to allocate $50,000,000 of the funds accepted

under ARPA for the Department of Revenue to provide grants to farmers. Under the

bill, a farmer is eligible for a grant if the farmer's gross sales of farm products for 2019

exceeds $35,000 but not does exceed $5,000,000 and the farmer has experienced

financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill directs DOR to

consult with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in

providing the grants.