Assembly Bill 797 establishes a new program administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide grants for testing privately owned wells and educating the public about well testing. The bill allows counties, cities, villages, and towns with privately owned wells to apply for grants up to $10,000 for testing and mapping groundwater quality, assessing contamination, and studying geological characteristics and well construction practices. Additionally, county health departments and land and water conservation departments can receive similar grants for educational outreach. Recipients of testing grants are required to share their findings with the DNR and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Center for Watershed Science and Education, while ensuring that no personally identifiable information is included in the submitted results.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that municipalities with privately owned wells inform their residents about the importance of regular well testing. It also includes provisions for the DNR to promulgate emergency rules related to the grant program without the usual requirements for demonstrating an emergency situation. The bill aims to enhance groundwater quality assessment and public awareness regarding well safety, thereby promoting better health outcomes for communities relying on private water supplies.