A state matching grant program for recipients of federal per diem payments, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5116/1
MJW:klm

2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 597
October 27, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Franklin, Moses, Hurd, Summerfield, Armstrong, Behnke, Brill, Dittrich, Donovan, Goeben, Green, B. Jacobson, Kaufert, Knodl, O'Connor, Penterman, Snyder, Spiros, Tucker, Wichgers and Mursau, cosponsored by Senators Wimberger, James, Quinn, Stafsholt and Tomczyk. Referred to Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs.

An Act to create 45.49 of the statutes; relating to: a state matching grant program for recipients of federal per diem payments.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current federal law, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs awards per diem payments to eligible organizations that furnish services to homeless veterans in an amount of up to $82.73 per day per veteran housed.
This bill creates a state matching grant program to provide state matching per diem payments to organizations that, on the date of their grant application, have been awarded federal per diem payments for the upcoming fiscal year. Under the bill, the state Department of Veterans Affairs may approve grants of $25 per day per veteran that may be housed, and must pay the grant awards on a quarterly basis in an amount that equals $25 per day per veteran housed by the eligible entity in the previous quarter.
For further information see the state 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. 45.49 of the statutes is created to read:

45.49 State matching grants for recipients of federal per diem payments. (1) Definition. In this section, “eligible entity” means an eligible entity under 38 USC 2011 (d) other than the state that, on the date of application under this section, has been awarded per diem payments under 38 USC 2012 (a) for the upcoming fiscal year.
(2) Matching per diem payments. (a) The department may award state matching grants to eligible entities, in the order in which the applications are received, for services that qualify for federal per diem payments under 38 USC 2012.
(b) The department shall take applications for grants under this section on an annual basis, and may approve grants of $25 per day per veteran that the eligible entity is capable of housing, for up to 365 days per year.
(c) The department shall pay grants awarded to eligible entities under par. (b) on a quarterly basis in an amount that equals $25 per day per veteran housed by the eligible entity in the previous quarter.
(end)