Senate Bill 254 aims to establish a funding mechanism for the War Memorial Center in Milwaukee County, the only county in Wisconsin with a population of 750,000 or more. The bill creates a continuing appropriation account under section 20.485 (2) (a) of the statutes, allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) to provide funds to the War Memorial Center's memorial board. To request these funds, the memorial board must detail the intended use of the funds and confirm that it has secured matching funds to cover at least half of the total anticipated costs for the project. The bill also mandates that the memorial board submit an annual report to the Joint Committee on Finance detailing how the funds were utilized and the remaining balance in the appropriation account.

Additionally, the bill outlines the specific purposes for which the funds can be used, including operational expenses, maintenance, repairs, and improvements of the memorial's facilities. The DVA is required to review funding requests within 60 days and respond with approval or denial, with the option for the memorial board to appeal a denial within 90 days. The effective date of the act is set for the day after publication or the second day after the publication of the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.