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AB851: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5949/1
ZDW&EHS:emw
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 851
January 16, 2026 - Introduced by Representatives
Brown
,
Anderson
,
Arney
,
Bare
,
Billings
,
Clancy
,
DeSanto
,
DeSmidt
,
Emerson
,
Fitzgerald
,
Goodwin
,
Hong
,
Hysell
,
J. Jacobson
,
Joers
,
Johnson
,
Madison
,
McCarville
,
Miresse
,
Neubauer
,
Phelps
,
Roe
,
Sheehan
,
Sinicki
,
Stubbs
,
Subeck
,
Tenorio
and
Udell
, cosponsored by Senators
Spreitzer
,
Smith
,
Carpenter
,
Dassler-Alfheim
,
Drake
,
Habush Sinykin
,
Hesselbein
,
Keyeski
,
Larson
,
Pfaff
,
Ratcliff
and
Roys
. Referred to Committee on Agriculture.
AB851,1,4
1
An Act
to repeal
23.197 (15);
to amend
20.866 (1) (u) and 93.73 (2) (b);
to
2
create
20.115 (7) (br), 20.115 (7) (tb) and 20.866 (2) (wg) of the statutes;
3
relating to:
the agricultural conservation easement purchase program and
4
making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
In the 2009-11 biennial budget act, the agricultural conservation easement purchase program was created for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements, from willing landowners, by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in conjunction with political subdivisions and nonprofit conservation organizations. An agricultural conservation easement (easement) is an interest in land that preserves the land for agricultural use while the ownership of the land itself remains with the landowner. Under the program as it was created in the act, DATCP was required to solicit applications to the program at least once annually and was provided $12,000,000 in general fund supported borrowing for the purchase of the easements. Since the program was first created, the requirement that DATCP solicit applications to the program at least once annually was repealed, DATCP’s authority for $12,000,000 in general fund supported borrowing for the purchase of the easements was repealed, and a new provision required the Department of Natural Resources to provide to DATCP funds from the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship program for the purchase of the easements. This bill undoes those changes, reinstating DATCP’s requirement to solicit applications to the program at least once annually, providing DATCP authority for $25,000,000 in general fund supported borrowing for the purchase of easements, and removing the requirement that DNR provide DATCP funds from the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship program for the purchase of the easements.
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:
AB851,1
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
AB851,2
9
Section
2
.
20.115 (7) (br) of the statutes is created to read:
AB851,3,2
10
20.115
(7)
(br)
Principal repayment and interest; agricultural conservation
11
easements.
A sum sufficient to reimburse s. 20.866 (1) (u) for the principal and
12
interest costs incurred in purchasing agricultural conservation easements under s.
13
93.73, to make the payments determined by the building commission under s.
14
13.488 (1) (m) that are attributable to the proceeds of obligations incurred to
15
purchase agricultural conservation easements under s. 93.73, and to make
1
payments under an agreement or ancillary arrangement entered into under s.
2
18.06 (8) (a).
AB851,3
3
Section
3
.
20.115 (7) (tb) of the statutes is created to read:
AB851,3,11
4
20.115
(7)
(tb)
Principal and interest; agricultural conservation easements.
5
From the working lands fund, the amounts in the schedule to reimburse s. 20.866
6
(1) (u) for the principal and interest costs incurred in purchasing agricultural
7
conservation easements under s. 93.73, to make the payments determined by the
8
building commission under s. 13.488 (1) (m) that are attributable to the proceeds of
9
obligations incurred to purchase agricultural conservation easements under s.
10
93.73, and to make payments under an agreement or ancillary agreement entered
11
into under s. 18.06 (8) (a).
AB851,4
12
Section
4
.
20.866 (1) (u) of the statutes, as affected by
2025 Wisconsin Act
13
15
, is amended to read:
AB851,4,3
14
20.866
(1)
(u)
Principal repayment and interest.
A sum sufficient from
15
moneys appropriated under sub. (2) (zp) and ss. 20.115 (2) (d) and (7) (b)
and
, (br),
16
(s)
, and (tb)
, 20.190 (1) (c), (d), (i), and (j), 20.225 (1) (c) and (i), 20.245 (1) (e) and (j),
17
20.250 (1) (c) and (e), 20.255 (1) (d), 20.285 (1) (d), (gj), and (je), 20.320 (1) (c) and (t)
18
and (2) (c), 20.370 (7) (aa), (ad), (ag), (aq), (ar), (at), (au), (bq), (br), (cb), (cc), (cd),
19
(cg), (cq), (cr), (cs), (ct), (ea), (eq), and (er), 20.395 (6) (af), (aq), (ar), and (au), 20.410
20
(1) (e), (ec), and (ko) and (3) (e) and (fm), 20.435 (2) (ee), 20.465 (1) (d), 20.485 (1) (f)
21
and (go) and (4) (qm), 20.505 (4) (es), (et), (ha), and (hb) and (5) (c), (g), and (kc),
22
20.855 (8) (a), and 20.867 (1) (a) and (b) and (3) (a), (b), (bb), (bc), (bd), (be), (bf), (bg),
23
(bh), (bj), (bL), (bm), (bn), (bo), (bq), (br), (bt), (bu), (bv), (bw), (bx), (cb), (cd), (cf),
24
(ch), (cj), (cq), (cr), (cs), (cv), (cw), (cx), (cy), (cz), (g), (h), (i), (kd), and (q) for the
1
payment of principal, interest, premium due, if any, and payment due, if any, under
2
an agreement or ancillary arrangement entered into under s. 18.06 (8) (a) relating
3
to any public debt contracted under subchs. I and IV of ch. 18.
AB851,5
4
Section
5
.
20.866 (2) (wg) of the statutes is created to read:
AB851,4,9
5
20.866
(2)
(wg)
Agricultural conservation easements.
From the capital
6
improvement fund, a sum sufficient for the department of agriculture, trade and
7
consumer protection to purchase agricultural conservation easements under s.
8
93.73. The state may contract public debt in an amount not to exceed $25,000,000
9
for this purpose.
AB851,6
10
Section
6
.
23.197 (15) of the statutes is repealed.
AB851,7
11
Section
7
.
93.73 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB851,4,18
12
93.73
(2)
(b) The department, after consultation with the council under sub.
13
(13), shall solicit applications under sub. (3)
at least annually
. The department
14
shall issue each solicitation in writing and shall publish a notice announcing the
15
solicitation. In soliciting applications, the department may specify the total
16
amount of funds available, application deadlines, application requirements and
17
procedures, preliminary criteria for evaluating applications, and other relevant
18
information.
AB851,4,19
19
(end)
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