An Act to create 13.40 of the statutes; Relating to: requiring the legislature to convene an extraordinary session if an executive order of the president of the United States freezes federal aid to the state.
Summary
AB150 would create a new statutory section requiring the Wisconsin Legislature to convene an extraordinary session if the President of the United States issues an executive order freezing federal aid that had previously been authorized by Congress for Wisconsin. The extraordinary session would be triggered automatically and would be used to consider legislation establishing a process for estimating the amount of frozen federal aid affecting state agencies, eligible local governmental units, and eligible nonprofit organizations.
The bill also directs that the contemplated legislation provide for payments from the state budget stabilization fund to offset those estimated losses, with priority given to aid supporting essential services. For local governments and nonprofits, payments could not exceed the amount they would have received under the relevant state appropriation but for the freeze. The bill further contemplates repayment of the budget stabilization fund if frozen federal aid is later restored, either through direct reimbursement to the fund or by requiring recipients of back payments to remit equivalent amounts back to the state.
Impact
If enacted, AB150 would add a new legislative trigger tied to federal executive action and would create a framework for using Wisconsin’s budget stabilization fund as a temporary backstop when federal aid is frozen. It would affect state agencies, certain local governmental units, and qualifying nonprofit organizations that receive federal moneys through state appropriations, and it would require the legislature to address estimation, prioritization, and repayment procedures in a follow-up bill. The measure would not itself appropriate money, but it would change how state law responds to interruptions in federal funding and could influence the administration of state aid and reserve funds.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been introduced as a proactive response to concerns about federal funding disruptions, with a clear policy preference for protecting essential services and maintaining continuity for state and local recipients of federal aid. The available record does not include committee testimony or recorded votes, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to indicate broad support or opposition. Its introduction by a large group of Assembly Democrats and two Senate cosponsors suggests partisan sponsorship, but the bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.
Contention
The main points of contention likely center on whether the Legislature should be automatically compelled to convene in response to a presidential executive order, and whether the state should use the budget stabilization fund to temporarily replace frozen federal dollars. Potential concerns include the fiscal exposure to the state reserve fund, the scope of eligible recipients, and the mechanics of estimating losses and recouping money if federal aid is later restored. Supporters would likely emphasize continuity of essential services and protection for local governments and nonprofits, while skeptics may question the mandate, the breadth of the response, and the precedent of state backfilling federal funding interruptions.
Crossfiled
An Act to create 13.40 of the statutes; Relating to: requiring the legislature to convene an extraordinary session if an executive order of the president of the United States freezes federal aid to the state.
Requiring the legislature to convene an extraordinary session if an executive order of the president of the United States freezes federal aid to the state.
States findings of the Legislature and makes three separate applications to the United States Congress to call a convention of the states under Article V of the Constitution of the United States.
Urging The President Of The United States, And All Members Of Any Current And Future Administration, To Abide By The Laws Of The United States Of America, Including By Complying With Orders Issued By The United States Courts.
Urging the President of the United States to unfreeze previously appropriated Federal funds and cease future action freezing Federal funds that the Congress has appropriated.
This bill requires the President to notify Congress and the public before issuing executive orders relating to the natural resources of the United States and the environment.
States findings of the Legislature and requests that Congress call a convention for proposing amendments under Article V of the Constitution of the United States.