SB 323

This bill creates a dairy cattle innovation program, under which the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation provides no-interest loans to eligible milk producers for certain activities. A “milk producer” is defined under current law to mean a person who owns or operates a dairy farm and who sells or distributes milk produced on that farm.

Under the bill, to be eligible for a no-interest loan under the program, an applicant’s dairy operation must include between 50 and 714 producing dairy cows. In addition, the applicant must be located in this state; may not have been the subject of any regulatory enforcement actions in the past five years for a violation of environmental, worker safety, food processing, or food safety laws; must employ only individuals who are legally authorized to work in this state; and may not be the subject of an open bankruptcy proceeding.

A no-interest loan received under the dairy cattle innovation program may be used only to improve farm efficiencies, animal care and health, or milk quality; to reduce environmental effects associated with manure management or other dairy activities; or to rent or build buildings or technology necessary to expand the dairy operation’s capacity or its manure management systems.

The bill requires WEDC, in awarding a loan under this program, to give priority to applicants that propose to create new skilled jobs; to improve practices related to milk production and manure management; to reduce the dairy operation’s environmental effects per fluid gallon of milk produced; or to improve labor efficiency associated with milk production and manure management. Under the bill, WEDC may consult with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to administer the requirements in the bill.