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AB797: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5401/1
ZDW:skw
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 797
December 23, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives
Miresse
,
Palmeri
,
Billings
,
Andraca
,
Anderson
,
Arney
,
Bare
,
Brown
,
Clancy
,
Cruz
,
DeSanto
,
DeSmidt
,
Doyle
,
Emerson
,
Fitzgerald
,
Goodwin
,
Haywood
,
Hong
,
Hysell
,
J. Jacobson
,
Joers
,
Johnson
,
Kirsch
,
Madison
,
Mayadev
,
McCarville
,
Moore Omokunde
,
Neubauer
,
Phelps
,
Prado
,
Rivera-Wagner
,
Roe
,
Sheehan
,
Sinicki
,
Snodgrass
,
Spaude
,
Stroud
,
Stubbs
,
Subeck
,
Taylor
,
Tenorio
,
Udell
,
Vining
and
McGuire
, cosponsored by Senators
Smith
,
Spreitzer
,
Habush Sinykin
,
Carpenter
,
Dassler-Alfheim
,
Drake
,
Hesselbein
,
L. Johnson
,
Keyeski
,
Larson
,
Pfaff
,
Ratcliff
,
Roys
,
Wall
and
Wirch
. Referred to Committee on Environment.
AB797,1,4
1
An Act
to create
20.370 (6) (cs), 281.73 and 281.74 of the statutes;
relating to:
2
grants for testing privately owned wells and providing education, providing an
3
exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority,
4
and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to create and administer a program to provide grants, not to exceed $10,000 1) to any county, city, village, or town that contains privately owned wells or water supplies to test and map privately owned wells to assess groundwater quality and determine the extent of any contamination and to study and map geologic characteristics and well construction practices to determine any correlation between water quality, geology, and well construction and 2) to county health departments and county land and water conservation departments to provide education and outreach related to well testing. Applicants may apply for a grant individually or jointly with other applicants and may apply for both types of grants simultaneously. The recipient of a testing and mapping grant must share the results of its testing with DNR and the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point Center for Watershed Science and Education. The bill also requires cities, villages, and towns that contain privately owned wells or water supplies to inform its residents of the importance of regular well testing.
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:
AB797,1
1
Section
1
.
20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place,
2
insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
-
See PDF for table
AB797,2
8
Section
2
.
20.370 (6) (cs) of the statutes is created to read:
AB797,2,11
9
20.370
(6)
(cs)
Environmental aids - private well testing grant program.
From
10
the environmental fund, the amounts in the schedule to provide grants for testing
11
privately owned wells under s. 281.73.
AB797,3
12
Section
3
.
281.73 of the statutes is created to read:
AB797,2,15
13
281.73
Private well testing grant program.
(1)
The department shall
14
administer a program to provide the following grants from the appropriation under
15
s. 20.370 (6) (cs):
AB797,3,3
16
(a) Grants to any county and to any city, village, or town that contains
17
privately owned wells or water supplies for the purpose of testing and mapping
18
privately owned wells to assess groundwater quality and to determine the extent
19
and type of any contamination and to study and map geologic characteristics and
1
well construction practices, including depth to bedrock and well age, to determine
2
any correlation between water quality, geology, and well construction. A grant
3
provided under this paragraph may not exceed $10,000.
AB797,3,7
4
(b) Grants to county health departments and county land and water
5
conservation departments for the purpose of providing education and outreach
6
related to well testing. A grant provided under this paragraph may not exceed
7
$10,000.
AB797,3,10
8
(2)
Eligible applicants may apply for the grants under sub. (1) individually or
9
jointly with any other eligible applicant and may apply for the grants under sub. (1)
10
(a) and (b) simultaneously.
AB797,3,15
11
(3)
The recipient of a grant under sub. (1) (a) shall submit the results of its
12
testing and study to the department and the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
13
Center for Watershed Science and Education but may not include any personally
14
identifiable information, including specific property locations, with the submitted
15
results.
AB797,3,16
16
(4)
The department may promulgate rules to implement this section.
AB797,4
17
Section
4
.
281.74 of the statutes is created to read:
AB797,3,20
18
281.74
Well testing importance.
A city, village, or town that contains
19
privately owned wells or water supplies shall inform its residents of the importance
20
of regular well testing.
AB797,5
21
Section
5
. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB797,4,8
22
(
1
)
Emergency rules.
The department of natural resources may use the
23
procedure under s. 227.24 to promulgate emergency rules relating to the private
1
well testing grant program under s. 281.73 for the period before the effective date of
2
any permanent rules promulgated under s. 281.73 but not to exceed the period
3
authorized under s. 227.24 (1) (c), subject to extension under s. 227.24 (2).
4
Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (1) (a), (2) (b), and (3), when promulgating emergency
5
rules under this subsection, the department is not required to provide evidence that
6
promulgating a rule under this subsection as an emergency rule is necessary for the
7
preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to
8
provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this subsection.
AB797,4,9
9
(end)
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