2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
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2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 1189
April 9, 2024 - Introduced by Representative MCGUIRE. Referred to Committee on
Education.
1 AN ACT to amend 119.04 (1); and to create 20.255 (2) (dq) and 115.453 of the
2 statutes; relating to: grants for participation in esports competitions and
3 making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a pilot program under which the Department of Public
Instruction awards grants to eligible teams for expenses related to participating in
esports competitions. Under the bill, an esports competition is an organized,
multiplayer video game competition. To be eligible for an esports participation grant,
a team must consist of pupils and at least one mentor and must demonstrate to DPI
that it will provide matching funds equal to the amount of the grant. Under the bill,
DPI must administer the esports participation grant pilot program in the 2024-25,
2025-26, and 2026-27 school years. Finally, the bill requires DPI to publish a list
of grant recipients on its website and to submit a report on the pilot program to the
legislature.
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:
4 SECTION 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
5 the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
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ASSEMBLY BILL 1189 SECTION 1
2023-24 2024-25
1 20.255 Public instruction, department of
2 (2) AIDS FOR LOCAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
3 (dq) Esports participation grant pro­
4 gram GRP A -0- 250,000
5 SECTION 2. 20.255 (2) (dq) of the statutes is created to read:
6 20.255 (2) (dq) Esports participation grant program. The amounts in the
7 schedule for grants to eligible teams under s. 115.453. No moneys may be
8 encumbered from this appropriation after June 30, 2027.
9 SECTION 3. 115.453 of the statutes is created to read:
10 115.453 Esports participation grants; pilot program. (1) In this section:
11 (a) “Allowable expenses" includes equipment, software, fees, and supplies
12 required to participate in an esports competition and a stipend for a mentor of an
13 eligible team.
14 (b) “Eligible team" means a team that consists of pupils and at least one mentor.
15 (c) “Esports competition" means an organized, multiplayer video game
16 competition.
17 (2) (a) By no later than April 1, 2025, April 1, 2026, and April 1, 2027,
18 respectively, the department shall notify school boards, operators of charter schools
19 under s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x), governing bodies of private schools, and administrators
20 of home-based private educational programs that applications for grants to
21 participate in one or more esports competitions will be accepted from eligible teams
22 until a date set forth in the notice. As a condition of receiving a grant under this
23 section, an applicant eligible team shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
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ASSEMBLY BILL 1189 SECTION 3
1 department that the applicant eligible team will provide matching funds in an
2 amount equal to the amount awarded under this section.
3 (b) In the 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 school years, from the appropriation
4 under s. 20.255 (2) (dq), the department shall award grants to eligible teams selected
5 from the applicants under par. (a). Grant funds awarded under this section may be
6 applied only towards allowable expenses. The department may not award more than
7 $10,000 to an eligible team in a school year.
8 (3) The department shall publish on its website a list of grant recipients and
9 submit to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3)
10 a report on the program under this section.
11 SECTION 4. 119.04 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 2023 Wisconsin Act 12, is
12 amended to read:
13 119.04 (1) Subchapters IV, V and VII of ch. 115, ch. 121 and ss. 66.0235 (3) (c),
14 66.0603 (1m) to (3), 115.01 (1) and (2), 115.28, 115.31, 115.33, 115.34, 115.343,
15 115.345, 115.363, 115.364, 115.365 (3), 115.366, 115.367, 115.38 (2), 115.415, 115.445,
16 115.453, 118.001 to 118.04, 118.045, 118.06, 118.07, 118.075, 118.076, 118.10, 118.12,
17 118.124, 118.125 to 118.14, 118.145 (4), 118.15, 118.153, 118.16, 118.162, 118.163,
18 118.164, 118.18, 118.19, 118.196, 118.20, 118.223, 118.225, 118.24 (1), (2) (c) to (f), (6),
19 (8), and (10), 118.245, 118.25, 118.255, 118.258, 118.291, 118.292, 118.293, 118.2935,
20 118.30 to 118.43, 118.46, 118.50, 118.51, 118.52, 118.53, 118.55, 118.56, 120.12 (2m),
21 (4m), (5), and (15) to (27), 120.125, 120.13 (1), (2) (b) to (g), (3), (14), (17) to (19), (26),
22 (34), (35), (37), (37m), and (38), 120.137, 120.14, 120.20, 120.21 (3), and 120.25 are
23 applicable to a 1st class city school district and board but not, unless explicitly
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ASSEMBLY BILL 1189 SECTION 4
1 provided in this chapter or in the terms of a contract, to the commissioner or to any
2 school transferred to an opportunity schools and partnership program.
3 (END)