This week's e-update, the seventh in a series of articles focusing on legislative and budgetary accomplishments from the current session, centers on Alzheimer's and dementia and veterans affairs. This session, the legislature continued to make funding for families and individuals suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia, a chief priority. For the second consecutive session, a series of initiatives were enacted to help combat these serious and often fatal afflictions.

In August 2015, members of the Assembly leadership team, established the Speaker's Task Force on Alzheimer's and Dementia, designed to make recommendations on policy initiatives to improve the care of those suffering from these deadly ailments. Specifically, members of the Assembly leadership team presented the task force with a myriad of goals, including identifying ways to improve and sustain in-home care, improving and promoting community-based resources for those suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia, continuing to raise awareness about these diseases and determining ways to ensure future quality of care while lowering the cost of long-term care. Legislation designed to address each of the aforementioned goals was passed and signed into law by Governor Walker, last session.

This session, the legislature continued to provide much-needed resources to Alzheimer's and dementia by enacting legislation and appropriating funds in the budget that:

• Increased the number of dementia care specialists from 10 to 25 in 2018--These individuals connect family caregivers with assistance and support, including discussing options for care and making future care plans.

• Strengthened Silver Alerts by requiring law enforcement to refer both the individual making the report and the missing person to a local aging and disability resource center (ADRC)

• Required the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to review a missing adult's driver's license to determine if restrictions should be imposed for the safety of the person or the public

• Created a voluntary "certified dementia specialist" designation for certified nurse assistants, nurses, and assisted living center administrators to improve caregiving of individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia

• Distributed $500,000 in grants to community programs to raise awareness for Alzheimer's and dementia resources in hopes of identifying the onset of these diseases sooner and discussing treatment options

• Allow Wisconsin courts to communicate with out-of-state courts if court-appointed adult guardians reside in another state as the individual that they assist in making legal, economic, and personal well-being decisions

Veterans Affairs

Like Alzheimer's and dementia, the legislature appropriated additional funding for veteran outreach and educational opportunities. As the father of a West Point graduate and active duty solider, I strongly support funding increases for the brave men and women who dedicated their lives to advancing freedom. The following represents several veterans-related appropriations included in the 2017-19 biennial budget:

• Appropriated an additional $160,000 to provide transportation to disabled veterans

• Provided nonresident students who are members of the National Guard or a Reserve unit, with a tuition exemption at University of Wisconsin System or Wisconsin Technical College System institutions

• Required the University of Wisconsin  and Wisconsin Technical College Systems to provide academic credit for military training

• Established "Green Alerts," similar to "Amber" and "Silver" alerts, which assist law enforcement in locating missing at-risk veterans who have service-related mental health issues

• Developed the Veterans Outreach and Recovery Program as a state-funded pilot program to provide veterans suffering from mental health and substance abuse treatment, transportation, and case management

• Eliminated the minimum service-connected disability rating needed for the Department of Administration's certification of disabled veteran-owned businesses for state procurement and contracting purposes

• Enabled Purple Heart recipients and veterans with a disability rating greater than 50 percent, to obtain wild turkey hunting licenses and tags without being subject to the cumulative preference system

• Created the Veteran Farmer Assistance and Outreach program with DATCP to help integrate veterans into the agriculture field and support those currently working in agriculture

• Generated a logotype for certified veteran-owned farms and products--This allows veterans to promote themselves throughout Wisconsin and make their products more readily available to consumers who desire to support veteran-owned farms

• Extended Wisconsin's sales and use tax exemptions to "state organizations or departments of a national veterans organization incorporated by an act of Congress"

• Developed a transitional job program to help veterans find employment

• Inaugurated a pilot program designed to provide outreach, mental health services, and support to veterans who have a mental health condition or substance abuse disorder

Providing additional resources to the brave men and women who fought to advance the cause of freedom, is a necessary and worthwhile investment.

Special Session on School Safety

Last week, Governor Scott Walker called a special session of the legislature for the purpose of passing legislation relating to school safety. The Assembly will be on the floor Thursday, March 22, 2018, to debate and ultimately pass the package of bills relating to school safety.

Our students, families, and communities deserve peace of mind when it comes to the safety of our schools. I look forward to reviewing the specifics of the $100 million school safety package unveiled by Governor Walker, last week. The following issues will be addressed by the legislature as part of the special session on school safety:

• Establish the Office of School Safety under the Wisconsin Department of Justice--The office would work with law enforcement and schools to establish best practices for school safety plans; provide training opportunities and other relevant resources to schools.

• Create a $100 million School Safety grant program under the Office of School Safety--The grant program would be available to all schools for security improvements to school buildings, training opportunities, and school resource officers.

• Require mandatory reporting for any threats of school violence--This package includes a provision that makes all current mandatory reporters for suspected child abuse to also be mandatory reporters for any threats of school violence.

• Amend the bullying statute to include prompt parental notification--This proposal would amend the current bullying notification statutes to require parents or guardians to be notified within 48 hours of a bullying incident involving their child.

• Incorporate trauma-informed care (TIC) and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) into training programs--Training could include trauma sensitive schools and screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment, which is currently used in a number of schools.

• Strengthen school safety plan requirements--This legislation strengthens the school safety plan requirements, originally adopted under 2009 Act 309. The additional requirements would include emergency prevention and mitigation and security plans for after school activities, among other requirements.

• Encourage cooperation with local law enforcement--Ensure live video streams can be shared with local law enforcement without violating pupil privacy laws.

Each of the aforementioned is in addition to the historic investment of $11.5 billion in K-12 education contained in the 2017-19 biennial budget--which also includes a new investment of $6.65 million in mental health services within schools.

Members of the Civil Air Patrol visited the Wisconsin State Capitol

This week, my staff and I had the opportunity to meet with cadets from the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol, founded in 1941 to mobilize the nation's civilian aviation resources for national defense service, is the nation's premier public service organization for carrying out emergency services and disaster relief missions. As the auxiliary of the United States Air Force, Civil Air Patrol's vigilant citizen volunteers search for and find the lost, provide comfort in times of disaster, and work to keep the homeland safe. Currently, the Civil Air Patrol is comprised of more than 58,000 members and possesses a robust cadet program.

Civil Air Patrol's cadet program affords students with the opportunity to embolden their knowledge of leadership, aerospace, fitness, and character, through a robust and curriculum and training program. As cadets participate in these four elements, they advance through a series of achievements, earning honors and increased responsibilities along the way.

One member of my staff is a member of the Civil Air Patrol's legislative squadron and another recently applied to join. I, too, intend to join the legislative squadron, recognizing the tremendous benefits it provides to citizens affected by natural and man-made disasters.

My staffer, Darla, and I meeting with Civil Air Patrol cadets.

Town Hall meetings

On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, I will be accompanying United States Representative Jim Sensenbrenner at his next round of office hours to be held in the 60th Assembly District. Representative Sensenbrenner will host two half-hour open forums to respond to constituent inquiries, questions, and concerns affecting Wisconsin at the state and local levels.

I will be in attendance to address constituent inquiries and questions relating to Wisconsin policy issues. I very much look forward to hearing feedback pertaining to issues of greatest importance to you.

Representative Sensenbrenner and I will visit the following locations on March 27, 2018:

9:00-9:30 a.m.: Newburg Village Hall--614 Main Street, Newburg, WI 53060

11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Jackson Village Hall--N168W20733 Main Street, Jackson, WI 53037

Participating in a town hall meeting with United States Representative Jim Sensenbrenner

Have a great week,

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