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Wisconsin Legislature: AB1207: Bill Text
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AB1207: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-6617/1
ARG:cjs&skw
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 1207
March 19, 2026 - Introduced by Representatives
Johnson
,
Emerson
,
Brown
,
Anderson
,
Clancy
,
McCarville
,
Palmeri
,
Sinicki
and
Udell
, cosponsored by Senators
Spreitzer
,
Pfaff
,
Ratcliff
and
Roys
. Referred to Committee on State Affairs.
AB1207,1,4
1
An Act
to create
15.915 (3), 20.290 and 36.70 of the statutes;
relating to:
2
creating a Civic Information Consortium Board and a grant program
3
administered by a nonprofit corporation to support local journalism and media
4
projects and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a Civic Information Consortium Board attached to the University of Wisconsin System consisting of the following members: 1) four representatives of the UW System, each with experience or expertise in journalism, media, technology, or American civic culture, appointed by the president of the UW System; 2) five representatives of Wisconsin local media, appointed by a majority of the members described in item 1, which must include members who work in traditional print media, online or new media, radio, and television and work for nonprofit and for-profit news providers; and 3) two public members, appointed by a majority of the members described in items 1 and 2.
The bill requires the board to form a nonprofit corporation, called the Wisconsin Civic Information Consortium, Inc., for the purpose of administering the grant program described below. The corporation’s members are the board members identified in item 1, above, and the board manages the affairs of the corporation, including selecting a director to manage the day-to-day operation of the corporation. The board also provides funding to the corporation, through a new general fund appropriation to the board.
The bill requires the corporation to award grants to support Wisconsin local journalism and media projects. A grant application must include an explanation of how the proposed project benefits the state’s civic information needs and provides media literacy skills or local journalism access to currently underserved residents of this state. A grant recipient must agree to remain independent, and the corporation must ensure that at least 30 percent of the total amount of all grants awarded are distributed to off-campus partners in rural communities. The corporation must also collect data on populations and communities in this state that are underserved by local news and prioritize directing its funding toward these populations and communities. The board may not take any action or make any funding decision based on the reporting of a grant recipient.
The bill requires the board to annually submit a report to the governor and the legislature detailing how the corporation’s funding was spent and how it advanced the mission of fostering a more informed and engaged public. The report must also include a summary of the collected data on underserved populations or communities.
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:
AB1207,1
1
Section
1
.
15.915 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1207,2,4
2
15.915
(3)
Civic information consortium board.
(a) There is created a
3
civic information consortium board that is attached to the University of Wisconsin
4
System under s. 15.03.
AB1207,2,6
5
(b) The civic information consortium board shall consist of the following
6
members:
AB1207,2,9
7
1. Four representatives of the University of Wisconsin System, with
8
experience or expertise in journalism, media, technology, or American civic culture,
9
appointed by the president of the University of Wisconsin System.
AB1207,3,3
10
2. Five representatives from local media in this state, including members who
1
work for nonprofit news providers and members who work for for-profit news
2
providers, appointed by a majority of the members specified in subd. 1. The
3
members appointed under this subdivision shall include all of the following:
AB1207,3,4
4
a. At least one member whose primary work is in traditional print media.
AB1207,3,5
5
b. At least one member whose primary work is in online or new media.
AB1207,3,6
6
c. At least one member whose primary work is in radio.
AB1207,3,7
7
d. At least one member whose primary work is in television.
AB1207,3,9
8
3. Two public members appointed by a majority of the members specified in
9
subds. 1. and 2.
AB1207,3,12
10
(c) Members of the civic information consortium board shall be appointed for
11
4-year terms. No member may serve more than 2 terms on the civic information
12
consortium board.
AB1207,2
13
Section
2
.
20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place,
14
insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
-
See PDF for table
AB1207,3
20
Section
3
.
20.290 of the statutes is created to read:
AB1207,3,22
21
20.290
Civic information consortium board.
There is appropriated to the
22
civic information consortium board for the following program:
AB1207,4,2
23
(1)
Wisconsin Civic Information Consortium, Inc.
(a)
Grants and
1
operations.
As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for the
2
purposes specified in s. 36.70 (2) (b).
AB1207,4
3
Section
4
.
36.70 of the statutes is created to read:
AB1207,4,5
4
36.70
Wisconsin civic information consortium.
(1)
Definitions.
In this
5
section:
AB1207,4,6
6
(a) “Board” means the civic information consortium board.
AB1207,4,8
7
(b) “Corporation” means the corporation formed by the board under sub. (2)
8
(a).
AB1207,4,18
9
(2)
Formation of corporation.
(a) The board shall organize and maintain
10
a nonstock, nonprofit corporation under ch. 181 for the purpose of administering
11
the grant program under sub. (3). Notwithstanding s. 181.0401 (2), the name of the
12
corporation shall be the Wisconsin Civic Information Consortium, Inc. The board
13
shall organize the corporation so that the board members appointed under s. 15.915
14
(3) (b) 1. shall be the members of the corporation. The board shall manage the
15
affairs of the corporation, including selecting a president who shall be known as the
16
director. The director shall manage the day-to-day operation of the corporation.
17
Notwithstanding s. 181.0840 (1), the corporation is not required to have a secretary
18
or treasurer.
AB1207,4,22
19
(b) From the appropriation under s. 20.290 (1) (a), the board shall provide
20
funding to the corporation to make grants under sub. (3) and for the corporation’s
21
operations. The board may not take any action or make any funding decision based
22
on the reporting of a recipient of a grant under sub. (3).
AB1207,5,4
23
(3)
Award of grants.
(a) The corporation shall award grants to support
1
local journalism and media projects in this state for the purpose of addressing
2
communities’ information needs, bolstering media literacy and civic engagement
3
across the state, and supporting state residents’ access to high quality, consistent
4
local journalism, resulting in a more informed and engaged public.
AB1207,5,5
5
(b) A grant application shall include all of the following:
AB1207,5,8
6
1. An explanation of how the proposed project benefits the state’s civic
7
information needs and provides media literacy skills or local journalism access to
8
currently underserved residents of this state.
AB1207,5,9
9
2. Any other information that the corporation requires.
AB1207,5,13
10
(c) The corporation may not award a grant unless the grant recipient enters
11
into a written agreement specifying that the grant recipient is and shall remain
12
independent from the influence of the state, any institution, and any other provider
13
of funds related to the grant.
AB1207,5,15
14
(d) The corporation shall ensure that at least 30 percent of the total amount of
15
all grants awarded are distributed to off-campus partners in rural communities.
AB1207,5,18
16
(e) The corporation shall collect data on populations and communities in this
17
state that are underserved by local news and shall prioritize directing its funding
18
toward these populations and communities.
AB1207,5,23
19
(4)
Report.
Annually, the board shall submit a report to the governor, and to
20
the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3), detailing
21
how the funding provided to the corporation under sub. (2) (b) was spent and how it
22
advanced the mission of fostering a more informed and engaged public. The report
23
shall also include a summary of the data collected under sub. (3) (e).
AB1207,5
1
Section
5
. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB1207,6,12
2
(
1
)
Statement of legislative intent.
The legislature finds that an
3
informed and engaged electorate is essential to the healthy functioning of
4
democratic government. Further, the legislature finds that recent cuts to local
5
news media and community organizations have reduced Wisconsinites’ access to
6
coverage of important local and state matters. The legislature reaffirms the
7
importance of freedom of speech under the First Amendment and the independence
8
of the media. It is not the intent of the legislature and this act to influence the
9
reporting of any grant recipient. Rather, it is the intent of the legislature and this
10
act to address the civic information needs of all Wisconsinites, especially
11
underserved communities, by fostering media literacy and civic participation across
12
the state through access to high quality local journalism.
AB1207,6,16
13
(
2
)
Civic information consortium board; staggered terms.
14
Notwithstanding the length of terms specified for the members of the civic
15
information consortium board under s. 15.915 (3) (c), the following members shall
16
be appointed for an initial 6-year term:
AB1207,6,17
17
(
a
) Two of the members appointed under s. 15.915 (3) (b) 1.
AB1207,6,18
18
(
b
) Two of the members appointed under s. 15.915 (3) (b) 2.
AB1207,6,19
19
(
c
) One of the members appointed under s. 15.915 (3) (b) 3.
AB1207,6,20
20
(end)
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