Local grant writing and compliance assistance, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-0288/1
EVM:cdc

2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 326
July 8, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Kurtz, Swearingen, Armstrong, Behnke, Brill, Callahan, Goeben, Green, B. Jacobson, Johnson, Kitchens, Kreibich, Krug, Melotik, Murphy, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Steffen and Tranel, cosponsored by Senators Marklein, Cabral-Guevara, Pfaff, Spreitzer and James. Referred to Committee on Local Government.

An Act to create 73.03 (78) of the statutes; relating to: local grant writing and compliance assistance.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Revenue, in each year from 2026 through 2029, to provide grants of up to $5,000 to political subdivisions with populations of less than 7,500 to be used to obtain grant writing and compliance assistance services. These grants may be used to obtain services only for grants related to public works, transportation infrastructure, public safety, utility service, or cybersecurity.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. 73.03 (78) of the statutes is created to read:
73.03 (78) To establish and maintain a local grant writing and compliance assistance program. Under the program, in each year from 2026 through 2029 in 2
grant cycles per year, the department shall award grants to applicant political subdivisions, as defined in s. 66.0602 (1) (c), with populations of less than 7,500 to be used for obtaining grant writing and compliance assistance services. All of the following apply to the program under this subsection:
(a) Grant writing and compliance assistance services grants under this subsection may be used only to obtain services for grants related to any of the following purposes:
1. Public works.
2. Transportation infrastructure.
3. Public safety.
4. Utility costs.
5. Cybersecurity.
(b) The department shall prescribe a simple and clear application that is reasonably accessible to political subdivisions with limited staffing resources. An application under this paragraph shall list all factors upon which the department will award and prioritize grants. An application under this paragraph shall require only the following information be provided by an applicant:
1. The identity of the applicant political subdivision, including the county in which the political subdivision is located.
2. The name and contact information of the individual responsible for the application.
3. The purpose under par. (a) for which grant writing or compliance assistance services are requested.

4. A brief description of the project for which the grant writing or compliance assistance is requested.
5. An estimate of the amount of the grant award for the grant for which grant writing or compliance assistance is requested.
(c) In each year in which this subsection applies, the department shall prioritize grants for political subdivisions that have not previously received a grant under this subsection.
(d) A grant under this subsection may not exceed $5,000.
(e) No later than December 31, 2028, the department shall submit a report to the joint committee on finance evaluating the program under this subsection.
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