State of Wisconsin

Recovery Plan 

State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds 

2021 Report
STATE OF WISCONSIN 

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

Tony Evers, Governor

Joel Brennan, Secretary

State of Wisconsin 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 1

Executive Summary

The State of Wisconsin (“State”) has been allocated $2.53 billion under the American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARPA) 

State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund program (SLFRF). As of July 31, 2021, the State’s entire allocation has been 

further allocated into one of several thematic program categories: pandemic response and government 

operations, infrastructure, small business support, tourism recovery, workforce initiatives, economic wellbeing 

and healthy recovery, and a future response reserve.

Using U.S. Treasury’s eligibility criteria, the Evers Administration is designing high-impact programs that will 

serve all Wisconsinites. The State of Wisconsin is committed to spending these funds expeditiously, carefully, 

and effectively so that Wisconsin can recover quickly and equitably from the pandemic while making 

investments for building a stronger future.

Use of Funds

The State of Wisconsin intends to use SLFRF funds to address immediate needs relating to the pandemic while 

creating an equitable and sustainable future for all Wisconsinites. Accomplishing this includes thoughtful 

evaluation of needs informed by stakeholder outreach and public listening sessions.

Each program established using SLFRF funding will belong to one of several groups: pandemic response and 

government operations, infrastructure, small business support, tourism recovery, workforce initiatives,

economic wellbeing and healthy recovery, and a future response reserve. The amounts allocated to each group 

and to individual announced programs are shown in the appendix.

Announced programs as of July 31, 2021, for each category of eligible expenditures are as follows:

Negative public health impacts

While the spread of COVID-19 is still a risk, the most urgent priority will continue to be responding to the 

pandemic and its negative impacts to public health. This means ensuring state agencies, local public health 

agencies, and other partners have the resources they need to contain the virus and treat cases. The State of 

Wisconsin is carefully studying opportunities to improve all aspects of public health to identify projects that 

could be supported by SLFRF funding.

Negative economic impacts

Equally important to the Evers Administration is using SLFRF funding to mitigate potential job loss by providing

immediate stability to the most impacted businesses and industries. Wisconsin has committed over $500 million 

for small businesses in the form of various recovery grants. In addition, more than $140 million has been 

announced to support the tourism, travel, and entertainment industries, such as lodging operators, movie 

theaters, live events and venues, minor league sports teams, destination marketing organizations, and summer 
STATE OF WISCONSIN 

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

Tony Evers, Governor

Joel Brennan, Secretary

State of Wisconsin 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 2

camps. Given the ability to expend SLFRF funds through the end of 2026 and the time needed to recover from 

an economic recession based on historical data, there will also be a long-term emphasis on ensuring 

communities are well-positioned to thrive in the future that includes investments in workers across the state.

Services to disproportionately impacted communities

The State of Wisconsin intends to target resources towards individuals, populations, and communities that have 

been disproportionately hurt due to the pandemic as well as preexisting disparities. Beyond the Classroom, a 

$50-million grant program for out-of-school organizations, will support increased enrollment capacity, additional 

learning opportunities, and improvements to mental health support for school-age children. The Evers 

Administration has allocated $50 million for an Equitable Recovery program to support organizations whose 

work encourages equity and inclusion across economic, educational, health, housing, and environmental lines. 

The program is based on findings from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s Wisconsin 

Tomorrow 2021 report on establishing a roadmap for an equitable and prosperous economy for all 

Wisconsinites. Furthermore, a series of workforce initiatives—totaling $130 million—includes programs to 

subsidize employment and training and provide career coaching. The target participants will be unemployed and 

underemployed workers who are likely to have suffered disproportionately from the pandemic. 

Water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure

Gov. Evers has prioritized broadband access, given its importance in education, for businesses, and at home. As 

such, the Evers Administration has committed $100 million to broadband grants. The program’s application 

window closed on July 27, 2021. Applicants are expected to bring broadband to households, schools, and 

businesses with insufficient or nonexistent service at a targeted speed of 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps

upload (lower upload speeds may be considered if there are significant issues making preferred minimum 

speeds not practical). Last mile, fiber optics, and affordability are other desirable characteristics of applications.

Revenue replacement

As of the initial reporting period, no revenue replacement funds are currently obligated for spending. The Evers 

Administration will prioritize these funds in ways that restore reduced or eliminated government services, 

respond to the public health and economic effects of the pandemic, and ensure a robust and equitable recovery.

Promoting Equitable Outcomes

Most programs are in preliminary administrative stages, so data on outputs and outcomes are unavailable as of 

the close of the first reporting period. The State of Wisconsin’s SLFRF-funded programs will use equity as a 

guiding principle. From grants for broadband to out-of-school organizations to equitable recovery work, these

programs have been designed with all Wisconsinites achieving their individual--and the state’s collective—

potential in mind.
STATE OF WISCONSIN 

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

Tony Evers, Governor

Joel Brennan, Secretary

State of Wisconsin 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 3

Goals

The Evers Administration intends for most programs to reach residents spanning the state. Moreover, the

programs have equity as a foundational goal so that they can reach people who have been disproportionately 

impacted and historically overlooked as well as organizations that serve them. The funding made available 

through ARPA will be a tremendous resource and complements the state’s Badger Bounceback agenda to 

recover from the pandemic with a stronger and fairer economy.

Awareness

The state’s programs have and will be announced prominently through press releases and events. These 

activities generate considerable coverage through TV, radio, print, and online media that reach audiences across 

the state. Following the announcement, interested parties can sign up to receive information via email as it is 

made available in addition to postings on the Badger Bounceback website. There are also significant efforts 

made to contact relevant parties for a given program through agency relationships as well as stakeholder 

outreach.

Access and distribution

Given the current preliminary status of existing programs, the State of Wisconsin does not yet have data on 

access and distribution. Grants are often made through competitive applications and scored by unbiased subject 

matter experts. Efforts have been made to ensure the application process is streamlined and unburdensome. 

This means clear questions on the application, reasonable application windows, and transparent scoring criteria 

and rubrics.

Outcomes

Governor Evers’ ultimate goals are strong economic and public health recoveries from the pandemic and a state 

that is more equitable and more competitive for whatever challenges the future brings. The state’s agencies will 

align the qualitative and quantitative outputs of each SLFRF-funded initiative to ensure they achieve tangible 

improvements in outcomes.

Community Engagement

In Spring 2021, the Evers Administration conducted considerable outreach as part of the state’s executive 

budget proposal for the 2021-2023 biennium. This included six virtual listening sessions for Wisconsinites to 

participate in the policymaking process through discussion, feedback, and story-sharing. Topics for the sessions 

included healthcare, transportation and infrastructure, education, safety and criminal justice, and climate 

change and environment. Stories shared by constituents during these sessions focused considerably on the 

impacts of the pandemic and the need for assistance in addressing continuing challenges. The Evers 
STATE OF WISCONSIN 

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

Tony Evers, Governor

Joel Brennan, Secretary

State of Wisconsin 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 4

Administration has worked to incorporate this feedback into its ARPA SLFRF planning and programming. This 

public participation combined with ongoing stakeholder outreach helps the Evers Administration translate the 

priorities of communities across the state into actionable policies.

Labor Practices

As of the end of the first reporting period, Wisconsin’s announced infrastructure projects consist of a broadband 

grant program. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission, the administering agency, has closed the application

window but has not yet announced grantees. Eventual grantees will be encouraged to use strong labor 

standards, provide competitive wages, and hire locally, and any projects funded at more than $10 million will 

provide documentation on the wages and labor standards they utilize.

Use of Evidence

Applicants will be encouraged to use best practices and conduct program evaluations when applicable and as 

resources allow.

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category

 Cumulative 

expenditures to date ($) 

 Amount spent since 

last Recovery Plan 

1 Expenditure Category: Public Health

1.6 Medical Expenses (including Alternative Care Facilities) $ 7,523,530.00 $ 7,523,530.00

1.9 Payroll Costs for Public Health, Safety, and Other Public Sector Staff Responding to COVID-19 $ 1,985,229.88 $ 1,985,229.88

2 Expenditure Category: Negative Economic Impacts

2.9 Small Business Economic Assistance (General) $ 275,119,383.96 $ 275,119,383.96

2.11 Aid to Tourism, Travel, or Hospitality $ 32,892.93 $ 32,892.93

3 Expenditure Category: Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities

4 Expenditure Category: Premium Pay

5 Expenditure Category: Infrastructure

6 Expenditure Category: Revenue Replacement

7 Administrative and Other

7.1 Administrative Expenses $ 22,728.01 $ 22,728.01

7.4 Transfers to Nonentitlement Units

(States and Territories only)

$ 204,645,128.75 $ 204,645,128.75

Category
STATE OF WISCONSIN 

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

Tony Evers, Governor

Joel Brennan, Secretary

State of Wisconsin 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 5

Appendix 1: State of Wisconsin’s Allocations of ARPA SLFRF

Program Category Initiative

Amount Allocated 

through July 31, 2021

Pandemic Response and 

Government Operations

Total Allocated $525.0 million

Reserved for Future 

Response

Total Allocated $416.9 million

Infrastructure Broadband Access $100.0 million

Announced Suballocations $100.0 million

Total Allocated $200.0 million

Small Business Support

Wisconsin Tomorrow Recovery Grants $420.0 million

We're All In Business Grants $46.7 million

Main Street Bounceback $50.0 million

Live Events $12.0 million

Live Venues $10.0 million

Summer Camps $8.0 million

Movie Theaters $11.3 million

Announced Suballocations $557.9 million

Total Allocated $650.0 million

Tourism Recovery

Hotels and Lodging $75.0 million

Minor League Sports Teams $2.8 million

Destination Marketing Organizations $15.0 million

Department of Tourism Marketing $7.5 million

Wisconsin Historical Society Funds $1.0 million

Announced Suballocations $101.3 million

Total Allocated $101.3 million
STATE OF WISCONSIN 

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

Tony Evers, Governor

Joel Brennan, Secretary

State of Wisconsin 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 6

Workforce Initiatives

Workforce Innovation $100.0 million

Worker Connection Program $10.0 million

Worker Advancement Initiative $20.0 million

Announced Suballocations $130.0 million

Total Allocated $130.0 million

Economic Wellbeing and 

Healthy Recovery

Beyond the Classroom $50.0 million

Equitable Recovery $50.0 million

Announced Suballocations $100.0 million

Total Allocated $510.0 million

Allocation Totals

Grand Total Allocated $2,533.2 million

Pending Allocation $0.0 million

All ARPA Treasury Sources Total Funding Available $2,533.2 million