act113 Act 113

State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
May 8, 2000

To the Honorable Members of the Assembly:

I have approved Assembly Bill 806 as 1999 Wisconsin Act 113 and have deposited it in the Office of the Secretary of State. I have exercised the partial veto in Sections 1 and 29.

AB 806 provides immunity to landlords from liability for claims of lead poisoning or lead exposure if they have had an investigation and receive a certificate from a certified lead assessor who finds that their property is lead-free or lead-safe. This provides a very strong incentive to property owners through the granting of immunity to take actions which will reduce the risk to children of lead exposure. The bill also includes many other provisions related to the procedures under which such certificates may be obtained, the rules which the Department of Health and Family Services must develop for the program and funding to support the program.

I am partially vetoing sections 1 and 29 to clarify that the fees collected from the lead-free and lead-safe certificates can be used to support all of the activities specified in s. 254.179, such as setting the standards for what is considered to be lead-free or lead-safe and setting the period of validity for the certificates. As the language is written, the use of the fees is restricted to issuing the certificates and maintaining the registry for lead-free or lead-safe homes. This technical veto ensures that all specified program activities may be supported by program fees.

Sincerely,

Tommy G. Thompson

Governor
________________________