Relating to: creating a Civic Information Consortium Board and a grant program administered by a nonprofit corporation to support local journalism and media projects and making an appropriation. (FE)

This bill creates a new Civic Information Consortium Board attached to the University of Wisconsin System to administer a grant program supporting local journalism and media projects across the state. The board would include representatives from the university system, local media organizations covering print, online, radio, and television, and two public members, with initial staggered terms to ensure continuity. The program would provide $20 million in 2025-26 and $1 million in 2026-27 to a nonprofit corporation that awards grants for projects addressing community information needs, media literacy, and civic engagement, with at least 30 percent of funding directed to rural areas. The bill includes safeguards requiring grant recipients to remain independent from state influence and mandates annual reporting on how funds were used and their impact on public information access.