Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers Takes Action On 15 Bills

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today took action on 15 bills, including Senate Bill 99, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 106, which would provide additional eligibility for funding under the Clean Water Fund Program by expanding options for municipalities to fund water quality improvement projects.

“Since Day One, my administration has been working to ensure that every Wisconsinite, no matter their ZIP code, can trust the water from their tap is clean, healthy, and safe,” said Gov. Evers. “I’m proud to be signing a bill today that will expand the Clean Water Fund Program, helping ensure communities across the state have the resources they need to bolster their infrastructure and replace and modernize aging systems.”

The Clean Water Fund Program provides affordable financial assistance to municipalities throughout Wisconsin for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure projects that protect and improve public health and water quality for current and future generations. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Wisconsin Department of Administration have administered the program since 1991, providing over $5.5 billion in financial assistance to Wisconsin municipalities.

Senate Bill 99, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 106:

• Provides additional eligibility for funding under the Clean Water Fund Program. 

In addition to signing Senate Bill 99, Gov. Evers also took action on 14 other bills, including:

Senate Bill 624, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 107:

• Provides an alternative method for a municipality to establish a solid waste facility’s proof of financial responsibility requirement.

Senate Bill 866, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 108:

• Makes several changes to the electronic waste recycling program related to manufacturer target recycling weights, manufacturer reporting, eligible electronic devices, good faith progress toward a target recycling weight, and manufacturer fees.

Senate Bill 34, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 109:

• Requires the DNR to designate the full weekend prior to the third Monday in January as a weekend when license and fee requirements to fish in the state are waived.

Senate Bill 136, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 110:

• Increases the cap on county supplemental snowmobile trail maintenance aid from the current limit of no more than three times the per mile maximum to no more than five times the per mile maximum.
• This would increase the supplemental aid limit from the current rate of $900 per mile to $1,500 per mile.

Senate Bill 255, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 111:

• Eliminates the requirement that wetlands that benefit from the in lieu fee program be open to the public; and 
• Ensures that, to the extent practicable, there is no net loss of public access to wetlands.

Senate Bill 411, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 112:

• Allows a person to transport a dressed or filleted game fish from inland or outlying waters if they provide a physical or digital photograph upon request that proves the time and date of the photograph and physical evidence of the fish’s length prior to the head and tail being removed.

Senate Bill 415, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 113:

• Changes the expiration date of annual vehicle admission receipts issued by the DNR from the last day of the calendar year for which they were issued to the final day of the 12th month following the month of issuance, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Senate Bill 310, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 114:

• Adds identification cards issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to the list of evidence that can be provided to validate domiciliary intent for the purposes of verifying an individual as a resident of the state for DNR online license approvals.

Senate Bill 586, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 115:

• Allows for a person to hunt a wild animal with an airgun in a season open to hunting that animal with a firearm; and
• Defines airgun to mean a weapon originally manufactured to expel one or more metal projectiles by the expansion of compressed air.

Senate Bill 587, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 116:

• Statutorily defines muzzle-loading firearm as it applies to hunting to mean a firearm that shoots a projectile loaded exclusively from the muzzle.

Senate Bill 744, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 117:

• Makes changes to the tuition grant program for National Guard members to make the program less burdensome by providing upfront tuition payments rather than reimbursements.

Senate Bill 381, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 118:

• Allows the required six hours of in-person preadoption training to be completed through a live videoconference.

Senate Bill 520, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 119:

• Expands the definition of those eligible to be kinship caregivers to include adults with a “like-kin” relationship with the child, as well as first cousins once removed.
  • “Like-kin” would be defined to include an individual who has a significant emotional relationship with a child or the child’s family that is similar to a familial relationship.
  • This would include an individual who is identified as kin or like-kin, according to a Tribe, in the case of a Native American child.
  • The definition would not include current or former foster parents for placement purposes.

Senate Bill 741, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 120:

• Implements a number of recommendations from the Wisconsin Ethics Commission regarding the operations of the commission and the laws that it administers.