LRB-2283/1
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2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE
July 29, 2015 - Introduced by Representatives Jorgensen, Spreitzer, Subeck,
Goyke, Kolste, Berceau, Brostoff, Bowen, Considine, Doyle, Genrich,
Hesselbein, Johnson, Kahl, Kessler, Mason, Ohnstad, Pope, Sargent,
Sinicki, Zamarripa and Zepnick, cosponsored by Senators Shilling,
Carpenter, Hansen, Harris Dodd, C. Larson, Miller, Ringhand, Vinehout
and Wirch. Referred to Committee on Public Benefit Reform.
AB292,1,3 1An Act to create 20.435 (4) (d) and 49.798 of the statutes; relating to: a Grow
2Wisconsin pilot program providing benefits to FoodShare recipients for
3purchasing Wisconsin-grown foods and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill directs the Department of Health Services (DHS) to design and
implement a pilot program, known as Grow Wisconsin, that will operate in Dane,
Rock, and Milwaukee counties and facilitate the purchasing, by recipients under the
federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as FoodShare
in Wisconsin and formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, of foods and food
products that are grown or made in Wisconsin. FoodShare provides benefits to
eligible low-income individuals and households for the purchase of food. The
benefits, which are electronically debited to a Quest card, are paid entirely with
federal funds. FoodShare is administered by DHS, and the state and federal
governments share the cost of administration.
Under the bill, farmers' markets and grocery stores located in Dane, Rock, or
Milwaukee County that apply to, and satisfy criteria set by, DHS may participate in
Grow Wisconsin. Under the program, DHS issues to participating farmers' markets
tokens worth $2 each. For every $2 that a recipient spends on food with his or her
Quest card at a participating farmers' market, up to $20 per farmers' market per day,
the recipient receives a token, which the recipient may then use at any time at any
participating farmers' market to purchase fruit, vegetables, meat, or dairy products
that were grown or made in Wisconsin. DHS issues to participating grocery stores

rewards cards worth $10 each. A recipient who spends at least $10 with his or her
Quest card on fresh fruit or vegetables at a participating grocery store receives a
rewards card, limited to one rewards card per day, from the participating grocery
store. The rewards card must be used, during the same or next shopping trip at the
participating grocery store that issued it, to purchase fruit, vegetables, meat, or dairy
products that were grown or made in Wisconsin.
The bill specifies certain duties for DHS related to the pilot program, such as
establishing criteria for participation by farmers' markets and grocery stores;
establishing guidelines for labeling Wisconsin-grown or Wisconsin-made fruits,
vegetables, meats, and dairy products; and establishing accounting and reporting
requirements for farmers' markets and grocery stores. In addition, DHS must
submit a report on the program to the legislature no later than September 1, 2018.
The report must contain recommendations on making changes to the program and
whether the program should be expanded statewide. The bill appropriates $144,902
of general purpose revenue per fiscal year in the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium for the
program.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB292,1 1Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
2the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table PDF
AB292,2 3Section 2. 20.435 (4) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
AB292,2,64 20.435 (4) (d) Grow Wisconsin pilot program. Biennially, the amounts in the
5schedule for designing, implementing, administering, and paying all costs under the
6program under s. 49.798.
AB292,3 7Section 3. 49.798 of the statutes is created to read:
AB292,2,9 849.798 Grow Wisconsin pilot program for buying Wisconsin-grown
9foods.
(1) Definitions. In this section:
AB292,3,2
1(a) "Benefit card" means the electronic benefit transfer card used by a recipient
2to purchase food under FoodShare.
AB292,3,43 (b) "FoodShare" means the food stamp program, as defined in s. 49.79 (1) (c),
4operating in this state.
AB292,3,65 (c) "Program" means the Grow Wisconsin pilot program described in this
6section.
AB292,3,87 (d) "Recipient" means an individual, or a member of a household, that is eligible
8for and receiving benefits under FoodShare.
AB292,3,12 9(2) Program description. (a) General. The department shall design,
10implement, and administer a pilot program as outlined in this section. The program
11shall operate in Dane, Rock, and Milwaukee counties. Any recipient may participate
12in the program at any participating farmers' market or grocery store.
AB292,3,1813 (b) Farmers' markets. 1. Any farmers' market operating in Dane County, Rock
14County, or Milwaukee County may apply to the department to participate in the
15program. If an applying farmers' market meets the criteria established by the
16department for participation of farmers' markets, the department shall issue tokens
17to the farmers' market. Each token is worth $2 for the purchase of foods specified
18in subd. 2. at participating farmers' markets but has no cash value.
AB292,3,2419 2. For every $2 worth of food that a recipient purchases with his or her benefit
20card at a participating farmers' market, limited to $20 per farmers' market per day,
21the recipient shall receive a token. The recipient may use the tokens at any time at
22any participating farmers' market in any of the counties in which the program is
23operating to purchase fruit, vegetables, meat, or dairy products that were grown or
24made in Wisconsin.
AB292,4,5
1(c) Grocery stores. 1. Any grocery store located in Dane County, Rock County,
2or Milwaukee County may apply to the department to participate in the program.
3If an applying grocery store meets the criteria established by the department for
4participation of grocery stores, the department shall issue preloaded debit rewards
5cards, worth $10 each, to the grocery store.
AB292,4,126 2. A recipient who purchases at least $10 worth of fresh fruit and vegetables
7with his or her benefit card at a participating grocery store shall receive a rewards
8card. A recipient may receive only one rewards card per day and must use the
9rewards card either during the same shopping trip or the next time the recipient
10shops at the participating grocery store where he or she received the rewards card
11to purchase fruit, vegetables, meat, or dairy products that were grown or made in
12Wisconsin.
AB292,4,14 13(3) Department responsibilities. The department shall do at least all of the
14following:
AB292,4,1615 (a) Establish criteria for participation in the program by farmers' markets and
16grocery stores.
AB292,4,1817 (b) Provide up-to-date information to recipients on which farmers' markets
18and grocery stores are participating in the program.
AB292,4,2019 (c) Establish accounting practices and policies and reporting requirements for
20redeeming tokens and using rewards cards.
AB292,4,2221 (d) Establish guidelines or requirements for farmers' markets and grocery
22stores for all of the following:
AB292,4,2323 1. Distributing tokens and rewards cards.
AB292,4,2424 2. Redeeming tokens and rewards cards.
AB292,5,2
13. Identifying and labeling Wisconsin-grown or Wisconsin-made fruits,
2vegetables, meats, and dairy products.
AB292,5,43 4. Ensuring that tokens and rewards cards are used only for the purchase of
4Wisconsin-grown or Wisconsin-made fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products.
AB292,5,13 5(4) Report. No later than September 1, 2018, the department shall submit to
6the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature under
7s. 13.172 (2) a report that analyzes the various effects of the program. The
8department shall include in the report any changes to the program that the
9department recommends, such as expanding the program to more geographic areas
10or statewide, limiting participation to just farmers' markets or just grocery stores,
11making participation in the program mandatory for farmers' markets or grocery
12stores, limiting or expanding the foods that may be purchased with tokens or rewards
13cards, and modifying the token or rewards card value.
AB292,5,1414 (End)
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