TDD#: (608) 264-8777
Health and Family Services
(Community Services, Chs. HFS/HSS 30--)
Rule Submittal Date
On September 21, 1999, the Department of Health and Family Services submitted a proposed rule to the Legislative Council Rules Clearinghouse.
Analysis
Section 51.42 (7) (b), Stats.
The proposed rule repeals subch. V of ch. HFS 61 and creates ch. HFS 35, relating to standards for outpatient mental health clinics.
Reason for rules, intended effects, requirements:
This order renumbers and updates the Department's rules for certification of outpatient mental health clinics, which in the current rules are called outpatient psychotherapy clinics. There are 851 certified clinics in Wisconsin. The current rules are ss. HFS 61.91 to 61.98. They date from 1984. General provisions in ss. HFS 61.01 to 61.23 also currently apply to the clinics.
The new rules for clinics make the certification process and enforcement provisions similar to those in new rules for other community mental health certified programs. Some sections and other rule parts, including waivers, client satisfaction, suicide monitoring and prevention and reporting of certain deaths are standard or mostly standard in all new community mental health program rules.
The revised rules give greater flexibility to clinics by permitting a clinic to meet standards of one of 2 specified national accrediting organizations in lieu of the standards in the rules and permitting Master's-level mental health clinicians to offer one of 4 national professional listings in place of the requirement for 3000 hours of supervised clinical experience.
The revised rules also:
1) Add orientation and inservice training requirements, but without specifying the number of hours;
2) Require compliance with new statutes and rules on performing uniform background checks on applicants for employment and reporting instances of staff misconduct toward clients; and
3) Require assignment of responsibility for clinic operations and the treatment program, without thereby affecting the minimum required professional staffing of a clinic.
Agency Procedure for Promulgation
Public hearings under ss. 227.16, 227.17 and 227.18, Stats.; approval of rules in final draft form by DHFS Secretary; and legislative standing committee review under s. 227.19. Stats.
Contact Information
Dennis Bobo
Division of Supportive Living
Telephone (608) 267-7711
Public Service Commission
Rule Submittal Date
On September 27, 1999, the Public Service Commission submitted a proposed rule to the Legislative Council Rules Clearinghouse.
Analysis
The proposed rule affects ch. PSC 4, relating to implementing the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act (WEPA).
At its open meeting of September 16, 1999, the Public Service Commission approved proposed rules to revise ch. PSC 4, Wis. Adm. Code. These revisions are intended to reflect recent changes in the electric utility industry and advances in generation technologies resulting in cleaner, less environment-damaging plants. The proposed rules also clarify the purpose of environmental assessment documents prepared by the Public Service Commission.
Agency Procedure for Promulgation
A public hearing is required and is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 26, 1999 in the Amnicon Falls Hearing Room of the Public Service Commission Building, 610 North Whitney Way, Madison. The agency organizational unit responsible for the promulgation of the proposed rule is the Public Service Commission's Electric Division.
Contact Information
If you have any substantive questions regarding the proposed rules, you may contact:
Jacqueline Reynolds
Assistant Administrator
Electric Division
Public Service Commission
610 North Whitney Way
P.O. Box 7854
Madison, WI 53707-7854
Telephone: (608) 266-1267
If you have any questions regarding the Public Service Commission's internal processing of the proposed rules, you may contact:
Attorney David A. Ludwig
Telephone: (608) 266-5621
N o t i c e S e c t i o n
Notice of Hearings
Commerce
(Public Employe Safety and
Health, Ch. Comm 32)
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to ss. 101.02 (1) and 101.055 (3), Stats., the Department of Commerce announces that it will hold public hearings on the proposed revision of ch. Comm 32, relating to public employe safety and health.
Hearing Information
October 25, 1999 Room 3B, WHEDA Bldg.
Monday 201 W. Washington Ave.
10:00 a.m. Madison
October 26, 1999 Room 105
Tuesday Eau Claire State Office Bldg.
10:00 a.m. 718 W. Clairemont Ave.
Eau Claire
Interested persons are invited to appear at the hearings and present comments on the proposed rules. Persons making oral presentations are requested to submit their comments in writing. Persons submitting comments will not receive individual responses. The hearing record on this proposed rulemaking will remain open until November 9, 1999, to permit submittal of written comments from persons who are unable to attend a hearing or who wish to supplement testimony offered at a hearing.
These hearings are held in accessible facilities. If you have special needs or circumstances that may make communication or accessibility difficult at the hearing, please call (608) 261-6546 or TTY at (608) 264-8777 at least 10 days prior to the hearing date. Accommodations such as interpreters, English translators, or materials in audio tape format will, to the fullest extent possible, be made available upon request by a person with a disability.
A copy of the proposed rules may be obtained without cost from Roberta Ward, Department of Commerce, Program Development Bureau, P.O. Box 2689, Madison, Wisconsin 53701, telephone (608) 266-8741 or (608) 264-8777 (TTY). Copies will also be available at the public hearings.
Analysis
Statutory Authority: ss. 101.02 (1) and 101.055 (3)
Statute Interpreted: s. 101.055 (3)
The Department of Commerce is responsible for adopting standards to protect the safety and health of public employes in the state of Wisconsin. The adopted standards must provide protection at least equivalent to that afforded to private sector employes under standards administered and enforced by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Chapter Comm 32 currently contains general safety and health standards for all public employes through the incorporation by reference of several OSHA standards. Chapter Comm 32 also contains requirements that add to or modify the OSHA standards.
The proposed rules consist of revisions in chapter Comm 32, including the incorporation by reference of the new OSHA standards adopted since July 1, 1998. Those standards cover powered industrial truck operator training, permit-required confined spaces, and methylene chloride.
The proposed rules also contain revisions to current requirements relating to recirculation of contaminated air, ventilation for kilns, and ventilation for laboratory fume hoods.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
1. Types of small businesses that will be affected by the rules.
The proposed rules will not affect any small businesses as defined in section 227.114 (1)(a), Stats. The proposed rules apply to public sector employers and employes.
2. Reporting, bookkeeping and other procedures required for compliance with the rules.
Not applicable.
3. Types of professional skills necessary for compliance with the rules.
Not applicable.
Environmental Assessment
