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Conference committee clarifies intent language on walleye capital requests and requires grant agreement before municipal fund release
Summary
A legislative conference committee reviewed language changes to a bill’s Section 19 that would make future capital requests for walleye propagation part of the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s annual capital budget request and agreed to require a grant agreement between the state and a municipality before releasing housing infrastructure funds.
A conference committee formed from the two institutions’ institutions committees reviewed and clarified language on capital funding for wildlife propagation and municipal housing infrastructure, but did not take a final vote.
The committee examined Section 19, which addresses intent language tied to walleye propagation, and debated a separate provision that would require a grant agreement to be in place between the state and a municipality before release of funds for municipally owned or long-term leased housing infrastructure. John Gray, counsel to the committee, read the walleye provision aloud: “So is the intent of the general assembly that the Department of Fish and Wildlife initiate and submit any future requests for capital funding to support the purpose wildlife propagation and any associated infrastructure needs within that annual capital budget request.”
The nut graf: committee members said the walleye paragraph is a statement of intent and would not change current law by itself, and they sought clearer language that grant agreements must exist prior to releasing funds to municipalities.
Committee members repeatedly emphasized that Section 19, as drafted, is intent language and that any change would come later if the legislature adopts implementing statutory text. One committee member summarized that point: “Right. So this is a statement of intent, and the actual change would happen in the future.”
On the municipal funding provision (appearing on page 25 of the working draft), the committee discussed directing funds through the Agency of Commerce and Community Development for infrastructure improvements that are either municipally owned or leased for at least 30 years and that support new or rehabilitated housing. A committee member clarified the committee’s intent: the grant agreement must be in place between the state and the municipality "prior to the release of funds to the municipality." The committee member added, “That's clearly my intent, and my intent is the my understanding is that the grant agreement will, enforce the conditions that we have here and not come up with other conditions that are unreasonable.”
Members also noted the bill draft circulated that day included numerical (dollar) changes that remained to be inserted. One participant said, “That's the only language change. Obviously, there are numerical changes.” The committee did not record a formal motion or vote during the excerpted discussion; a committee member said they hoped to have a unanimous vote on the bill if possible.
The discussion clarified process and scope but left substantive implementation steps to future action: Department of Fish and Wildlife would need to include any capital requests related to walleye propagation in its annual capital budget request, and the state will not release municipal housing infrastructure funds until a grant agreement between the state and the municipality is executed. The committee scheduled to reconvene after finalizing numerical adjustments.
