AB 682

Paper mills; grant and loan guarantee

This bill authorizes the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation award

a grant of up to $1,000,000 to an eligible recipient to maintain operations at the Verso

Paper Mill in the city of Wisconsin Rapids. The grant is to be upon the terms and

conditions determined by WEDC, and WEDC may award the grant only as approved

or modified by the Joint Committee on Finance.

The bill also authorizes WEDC to issue a loan guarantee of up to $15,000,000

to an eligible borrower to purchase or make infrastructure improvements to the Park

Falls Pulp and Paper Mill in the city of Park Falls. The loan guarantee is to be upon

the terms and conditions determined by WEDC, and WEDC may issue the loan

guarantee only as approved or modified by the Joint Committee on Finance.

Substance abuse on transportation and public utility projects

With certain exceptions, current law prohibits employees from using,

possessing, attempting to possess, distributing, delivering, or being under the

influence of a drug, or from using or being under the influence of alcohol, while

performing certain work on certain projects of public works or public utility projects

and requires that, before an employer may commence work on a qualifying project

of public works or a public utility project, the employer have in place a written

employee substance abuse program.

This bill does the following:

1. Applies the substance abuse prevention requirements under current law to

all transportation projects for the construction or reconstruction of any road or bridge

performed under contract for a local governmental unit.

2. Provides that a public utility, for purposes of determining which projects

qualify as public utility projects under the substance abuse prevention program,

includes an owner of fiber optics, broadband, or cable.

3. Requires an employer that performs work on a transportation project or

public utility project, if the cost of the contract to perform the work is more than

$25,000, to either a) certify its compliance with the substance abuse prevention

requirements annually on forms and in a manner prescribed by the Department of

Workforce Development; or b) certify, on a per-contract basis, with the contracting

agency for the project and file the employer's substance abuse prevention program

with the contracting agency. The bill prohibits an employer that is required to certify

from commencing work on a covered project until the employer is in compliance.

4. Requires DWD to do all of the following:

a. Promulgate rules to implement the certification requirements created under

the bill for employers that choose to file annually with DWD their substance abuse

prevention programs.

b. Send by mail to businesses an annual notice describing the certification

requirements created under the bill.