An Act to amend 38.14 (2) (d) 1. of the statutes; Relating to: technical collegesâ lease of their facilities to others. (FE)
Summary
AB21 would create a narrow exception to current law governing technical college facilities. Under existing statute, technical college district boards generally may not lease facilities to others for school purposes after June 30, 1999. This bill would amend that rule to allow a technical college, with approval from the Technical College System Board, to lease its facilities to another party for the operation of a child care center.
The measure is limited in scope and does not broadly reopen technical college leasing authority. Instead, it specifically authorizes leases for child care center operations and applies only to leases entered into on the effective date of the act. In practical terms, the bill would give technical colleges an additional tool to support child care access by making campus space available for that purpose.
Impact
AB21 would amend s. 38.14 (2) (d) 1. of the Wisconsin statutes to carve out an exception to the long-standing prohibition on technical college facility leases for school purposes. The change would affect technical college district boards and the Technical College System Board by allowing approved leases for child care centers, while leaving the general post-1999 prohibition in place for other types of school-purpose leases. The bill could also affect child care providers and families by expanding opportunities to locate child care services in technical college facilities.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no detailed public debate to characterize. Based on the bill text, the proposal appears practical and targeted rather than controversial, with an emphasis on enabling child care use of existing public facilities. The bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating it did not advance to enactment despite its narrow scope.
Contention
Because there are no committee discussion transcripts or vote records provided, no specific objections or competing viewpoints are documented in the available materials. The main policy issue implied by the bill is whether technical colleges should be permitted to make facilities available for child care operations, which may raise questions about facility use, oversight, and the scope of exceptions to the existing leasing ban. Any contention would likely center on balancing child care access against maintaining the current limits on leasing public educational facilities.