Wisconsin Code § 16.54

Acceptance of federal funds
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this section
(1) Whenever the
United States government shall make available to this state funds
for the education, the promotion of health, the relief of indigency,
the promotion of agriculture or for any other purpose other than
the administration of the tribal or any individual funds of Wisconsin Indians, the governor on behalf of the state is authorized
to accept the funds so made available. In exercising the authority
herein conferred, the governor may stipulate as a condition of the
acceptance of the act of congress by this state such conditions as
in the governor’s discretion may be necessary to safeguard the interests of this state.
(2) (a) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., whenever funds
shall be made available to this state through an act of congress
and the funds are accepted as provided in sub. (1), the governor
shall designate the state board, commission or department to administer any of such funds, and the board, commission or department so designated by the governor is authorized and directed to
administer such funds for the purpose designated by the act of
congress making an appropriation of such funds, or by the department of the United States government making such funds available to this state. Whenever a block grant is made to this state, no
moneys received as a part of the block grant may be transferred
from use as a part of one such grant to use as a part of another
such grant, regardless of whether a transfer between appropriations is required, unless the joint committee on finance approves
the transfer.
2. Whenever a block grant is made to this state under any
federal law enacted after August 31, 1995, which authorizes the
distribution of block grants for the purposes for which the grant is
made, the governor shall not administer and no board, commission or department may encumber or expend moneys received as
a part of the grant unless the governor first notifies the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance, in writing, that the
grant has been made. The notice shall contain a description of
the purposes proposed by the governor for expenditure of the
moneys received as a part of the grant. If the cochairpersons of
the committee do not notify the governor that the committee has
scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed
expenditure of grant moneys within 14 working days after the
date of the governor’s notification, the moneys may be expended
as proposed by the governor. If, within 14 working days after the
date of the governor’s notification, the cochairpersons of the
committee notify the governor that the committee has scheduled
a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed expenditure
of grant moneys, no moneys received as a part of the grant may be
expended without the approval of the committee. This subdivision does not apply to the expenditure of block grant funds that
are allocated under s. 49.175.
3. In this subsection, “block grant” means a multipurpose
federal grant so designated under federal law.
(b) Upon presentation by the department to the joint committee on finance of alternatives to the provisions under s. 16.27, the
joint committee on finance may revise the eligibility criteria under s. 16.27 (5) or benefit payments under s. 16.27 (6), and the
department shall implement those revisions. Benefits or eligibility criteria so revised shall take into account and be consistent
with the requirements of federal regulations promulgated under
42 USC 8621 to 8629. If funds received under 42 USC 8621 to
8629 in a federal fiscal year total less than 90 percent of the
amount received in the previous federal fiscal year, the department shall submit to the joint committee on finance a plan for expenditure of the funds. The department may not use the funds
unless the committee approves the plan.
(c) Notwithstanding s. 20.435, before using any of the funds
disbursed by the federal government to the governor under 42
USC 1397 to 1397f, commencing with funds disbursed for federal fiscal year 1986, the department of health services shall submit to the joint committee on finance and to the chief clerk of
each house of the legislature, for distribution to the appropriate
legislative standing committees under s. 13.172 (3), the proposed
state report required under 42 USC 1397c. The appropriate legislative standing committees shall review the reports, conduct
public hearings on the reports and submit recommendations to
the department of health services regarding the reports. The department of health services may not use the federal funds unless
the joint committee on finance approves the report.
(4) Any board, commission or department of the state government designated to administer any such fund, shall, in the administration of such fund, comply with the requirements of the
act of congress making such appropriation and with the rules and
regulations which may be prescribed by the United States government or by the department of the federal government making
such funds available.
(5) Whenever any agency of the federal government shall require that as a condition to obtaining federal aid the state agency
entrusted with the administration of such aid shall submit a budget, plan, application, or other project proposal, then the budget,
plan, application or proposal shall, before it is submitted to the
federal authorities for approval, first be approved by the governor
and reported to the joint committee on finance.
(6) The governor may accept for the state the provisions of
any act of congress whereby funds or other benefits are made
available to the state, its political subdivisions, or its citizens, so
far as the governor considers the provisions to be in the public interest. To this end, the governor may take or cause to be taken all
necessary acts including, without limitation because of enumeration, the following:
(a) The making of leases or other contracts with the federal
government.
(b) The preparation, adoption and execution of plans, methods, and agreements.
(c) The designation of state, municipal or other agencies to
perform specific duties.
(7) The governor may accept for the state at all times the provisions of any act of congress whereby funds are made available
to the state for any purpose whatsoever, including the school
health program under the social security act, and perform all
other acts necessary to comply with and otherwise obtain, facilitate, expedite, and carry out the required provisions of such acts
of congress.
(8) An agency may request the governor to create or abolish a
full-time equivalent position or portion thereof funded from revenues specified in s. 20.001 (2) (e) in the agency. Upon receiving
such a request, the governor may change the authorized level of
full-time equivalent positions funded from such revenues in the
agency. The governor may approve a different authorized level of
positions than is requested by the agency. The governor, through
the secretary, shall notify the joint committee on finance at least
quarterly of any federal funds received in excess of those approved in the biennial budget process and of any positions created
or abolished under this section.
(8g) Subsections (1) to (8) do not apply to federal moneys
made available to the board of regents of the University of Wis-

consin System for instruction, extension, special projects or
emergency employment opportunities.
(8r) (a) Whenever the federal government makes available
moneys for instruction, extension, special projects or emergency
employment opportunities, the board of regents of the University
of Wisconsin System may accept the moneys on behalf of the
state. The board of regents shall, in the administration of the expenditure of such moneys, comply with the requirements of the
act of congress making the moneys available and with the regulations prescribed by the federal government or the federal agency
administering the act, insofar as the act or regulations are consistent with state law. The board of regents may submit any plan,
budget, application or proposal required by the federal agency as
a precondition to receipt of the moneys. The board of regents
may, consistent with state law, perform any act required by the act
of congress or the federal agency to carry out the purpose of the
act of congress. The board of regents shall deposit all moneys received under this paragraph in the appropriation account under s.
20.285 (1) (m).
(b) Annually by October 1 the board of regents shall report to
the governor and the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance concerning the date, amount and purpose of any federal
moneys accepted by the board under par. (a) during the preceding
fiscal year.
(9) (a) In this subsection:
1. “Agency” means an office, department, independent
agency, institution of higher education, association, society or
other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, which is entitled to expend
moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the
courts, but not including an authority created in subch. II of ch.
114 or in ch. 231, 233, 234, 237, 238, or 279.
2. “Indirect cost reimbursement” means moneys received by
an agency from the federal government as reimbursement for indirect costs of administration of a federal grant or contract for
which no specific use is mandated by the federal government.
(b) An indirect cost reimbursement may be utilized for administrative purposes, program purposes, funding of positions, payment of federal aid disallowances, or other purposes authorized
by law. If an indirect cost reimbursement is not utilized for such
a purpose, the head of the agency receiving the reimbursement
shall request the department to transfer the reimbursement to the
general fund as general purpose revenue — earned. All transfers
and other expenditures are subject to approval of the secretary under s. 16.50 (2) and the governor under this section.
(c) All moneys received as indirect cost reimbursements shall
be deposited in the account for the proper appropriation under ss.
20.115 to 20.855 for receipt of indirect cost reimbursements.
(d) The department shall coordinate the development of a
statewide indirect cost allocation plan to be used by all agencies
as part of their indirect cost allocation plans prepared for federal
grant applications. Upon request of the department, all agencies
shall prepare individual, specific, indirect cost allocation plans in
accordance with federal regulations and submit the plans to the
department. Upon request of the department, all agencies shall
prepare and submit to the department updated indirect cost allocation plans. The secretary may modify any plan to bring it into
compliance with applicable state laws or procedures established
under s. 16.52 or this section, and to maintain consistency between the plans of agencies.
(10) Before acceptance of any federal grant on behalf of the
state which will or may involve the provision of auditing services
by the legislative audit bureau, all departments shall provide written notification to the state auditor. Each such federal grant shall,
to the maximum extent permitted by federal law and regulation,
include an allocation for the cost of such auditing services within
the grant budget, plan, application or project proposal.
(11) The state board, commission or department designated
by the governor under sub. (2) to administer federal payments in
lieu of taxes on national forest lands shall distribute those payments to towns, cities and villages, but not to counties, that provide general governmental services and contain national forest
lands. That distribution shall reflect the level of services provided by, and the number of acres of national forest land within,
the town, city or village in accordance with 31 USC 6907.
(12) (a) The department of health services may not expend
or encumber any moneys received under s. 20.435 (8) (mm) unless the department of health services submits a plan for the expenditure of the moneys to the department of administration and
the department of administration approves the plan.
(b) The department of children and families may not expend
or encumber any moneys credited to the appropriation account
under s. 20.437 (2) (mm) or (3) (mm) unless the department of
children and families submits a plan for the expenditure of the
moneys to the department of administration and the department
of administration approves the plan.
(c) The department of administration may approve any plan
submitted under par. (a) or (b) in whole or in part. If the department approves any such plan in whole or part, the department
shall notify the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance,
in writing, of the department’s action under this paragraph.
(d) At the end of each fiscal year, the department of administration shall determine the amount of moneys that remain in the
appropriation accounts under ss. 20.435 (8) (mm) and 20.437 (2)
(mm) and (3) (mm) that have not been approved for encumbrance
or expenditure by the department pursuant to a plan submitted
under par. (a) or (b) and shall require that such moneys be lapsed
to the general fund. The department shall notify the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance, in writing, of the department’s action under this paragraph.
(13) (a) If the state receives any interest payments from the
federal government relating to the timing of transfers of federal
grant funds for programs that are funded with moneys from the
general fund and that are covered in an agreement between the
federal department of the treasury and the state under the federal
Cash Management Improvement Act of 1990, as amended, the
payments, less applicable administrative costs, shall be deposited
in the general fund as general purpose revenue — earned.
(b) If the state is required to pay any interest payments to the
federal government relating to the timing of transfers of federal
grant funds for programs that are funded with moneys from the
general fund and that are covered in an agreement between the
federal department of the treasury and the state under the federal
Cash Management Improvement Act of 1990, as amended, the
secretary shall notify the cochairpersons of the joint committee
on finance, in writing, that the state is required to pay an interest
payment. The notice shall contain an accounting of the amount
of interest that the state is required to pay.

‹ Prev All Wisconsin sections Next ›


Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.