Rule-Making Notices (Hearing Notices)

Statute interpreted: s. 196.374, Stats.

2005 Wisconsin Act 141 substantially revised Wisconsin law regarding the energy efficiency programs and renewable resource programs that public utilities offer to their customers and retail electric cooperatives offer to their members. This act, whose general effective date is July 1, 2007, replaces the programs that the Department of Administration had previously been administering, which were commonly known as the “Focus on Energy." The Department contracted with third parties to implement these programs and the customers of electric and gas utilities paid for the programs either through public benefits fees or mandatory utility contributions.

Act 141 provides that the investor-owned electric and gas utilities must collectively establish and fund statewide energy efficiency and renewable resource programs. The energy utilities must contract with one or more program administrators to develop and run the programs, soliciting for program administrators on a competitive basis. The proposed rules specify the application requirements and procedures for conducting such a solicitation. The rules prescribe the procedures the energy utilities must use for contracting with program administrators, identifying the criteria for evaluating responses to their solicitation and discussing methods by which the energy utilities may appeal decisions of the Commission concerning their selection criteria and their contracts with program administrators.

The proposed rules also set forth minimum requirements for the portfolio of statewide programs. These programs must: serve all customers (except those served by a utility-administered program or by a large energy customer's self-directed program); deliver environmental benefits; allocate at least 10 percent of the available funds for energy efficiency programs that serve local government and agricultural producers; establish performance goals, collect appropriate data for tracking performance, and report on performance results; include strategies to overcome market barriers and support the effective delivery of statewide programs; fund research and development projects; ensure equal opportunities for eligible customers to participate; and deliver programs that pass a portfolio test of net cost-effectiveness. The energy utilities must notify the Commission of their intent to sign a collective contract for statewide programs. The proposed rules explain the minimum requirements of such a contract and provide a method by which the energy utilities can dispute Commission decisions to modify or reject a proposed contract.

Under Act 141, municipal electric utilities and retail electric cooperatives must charge monthly fees to continue their “Commitment to Community" programs. Act 141 also permits these energy providers to contribute the fees to statewide programs and substitute the statewide programs for the Commitment to Community programs. A municipal utility or retail electric cooperative that does so makes a 3-year commitment to the statewide programs. The proposed rules explain the procedures for delivering these fees to a fiscal agent and tracking the contributions of municipal utilities and retail electric cooperatives.

Act 141 allows an energy utility, with the Commission's approval, to administer energy efficiency programs that it provides to large commercial, industrial, institution, or agricultural customers. Act 141 provides that the funding available for such a “utility-administered" program will come from moneys that would otherwise be available for statewide programs. The proposed rules state that funding for a utility-administered program must equal the revenues collected from the energy utility's customers who are eligible for the program, less any funds set aside for statewide renewable resource programs. Act 141 further provides that an energy utility can voluntarily choose to administer or fund additional energy efficiency or renewable resource programs, above and beyond its legal requirements. The law requires that these programs also require the Commission's approval. The proposed rules set forth minimum criteria for the utility-administered programs and for voluntary utility programs, and explains how an energy utility can contest Commission decisions to modify or deny an energy utility's request to initiate either of these programs.

Act 141 prescribes a method by which a “large energy customer" can conduct its own energy efficiency program, which is funded out of moneys the customer would otherwise pay to finance the statewide programs. By law, a large energy customer is defined as a customer whose facility consumes at least 1,000 kilowatts of electricity per month or at least 10,000 decatherms of natural gas per month and who is billed at least $60,000 in a month for electric and gas services. Under the proposed rules the Commission will determine the annual funding level for each large energy customer. The law requires the Commission's prior approval of a large energy customer program; the proposed rules establish the minimum requirements for these programs and the method by which a large energy customer can dispute Commission decisions to modify or deny a request to implement such a program.

Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

The rule will have no effect on small businesses.

TEXT OF PROPOSED RULE

The text of the proposed rule is set forth at psc.wi.gov. Use the docket number 1-AC-220 to find the proposed rule order attached to notice of hearing.

Fiscal Estimate

the proposed rules will replace the existing statewide Energy Efficiency and Renewables Program at DOA and move the monitoring of the new Program to the PSC. It is expected there will be the same number of state staff, at about the same costs, working on the programs as there are now at DOA. Therefore, the result of the creation of these rules do not increase or decrease state expenditures. WI Act 141 provides for certain expenditures by local governments, however, the rules merely implement these requiremenets and in and of themselves do not increase or decrease local costs.

There is also no financial impact on the private sector.

Notice of Hearing

NOTICE IS GIVEN that pursuant to s. 227.16 (2) (b), Stats., the Commission will hold a public hearing on these proposed rule changes on Friday, January 26, 2007, at 1:30 p.m. in the Amnicon Falls Hearing Room at the Public Service Commission Building, 610 North Whitney Way, Madison, Wisconsin, and continuing at times to be set by the presiding Administrative Law Judge. This building is accessible to people in wheelchairs through the Whitney Way first floor (lobby) entrance. Parking for people with disabilities is available on the south side of the building. Any person with a disability who needs additional accommodations should contact the docket coordinator listed below.

Written Comments

Any person may submit written comments on these proposed rules. The hearing record will remain open for written comments from the public until January 26, 2007. All written comments must include a reference on the filing to docket 1-AC-220. File by one mode only.

Industry: File comments using the Electronic Regulatory Filing system. This can be accessed from the Commission's website psc.wi.gov.

Members of the Public:

If filing electronically: Use the Public Comments system or the Electronic Regulatory Filing system. Both of these can be accessed from the Commission's website psc.wi.gov.

If filing by mail, courier, or hand delivery: Address your comments as shown in the box on page 1.

If filing by fax: Send fax comments to [phone]. Fax filing cover sheet must state “Official Filing", the docket number 1-AC-220, and the number of pages (limited to 25 pages for fax comments).

Contact Peron

Questions regarding this matter may be directed to docket coordinator Carol A. Stemrich at [phone]. Media questions should be directed to Linda Barth, Director of Governmental and Public Affairs at [phone]. Hearing or speech-impaired individuals may also use the Commission's TTY number, if calling from Wisconsin [phone], if calling from outside Wisconsin [phone].

The Commission does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the provision of programs, services, or employment. Any person with a disability who needs accommodations to participate in this proceeding or who needs to get this document in a different format should contact Carol Stemrich, as indicated in the previous paragraph, as soon as possible.

Notice of Hearing

Workforce Development

(Labor Standards)

[CR 06-138]

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 105.115 (5), Stats., as created by 2005 Wisconsin Act 197, and s. 227.11 (2) (a), Stats., the Department of Workforce Development proposes to hold a public hearing to consider rules relating to notice to home care consumers and workers and affecting small businesses.

Hearing Information

Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 1:30 p.m.

G.E.F. 1 Building, B103

201 E. Washington Avenue

Madison

Interested persons are invited to appear at the hearing and will be afforded the opportunity to make an oral presentation of their positions. Persons making oral presentations are requested to submit their facts, views, and suggested rewording in writing.

Visitors to the GEF 1 building are requested to enter through the left East Washington Avenue door and register with the customer service desk. The entrance is accessible via a ramp from the corner of Webster Street and East Washington Avenue. If you have special needs or circumstances regarding communication or accessibility at the hearing, please call [phone] at least 10 days prior to the hearing date. Accommodations such as ASL interpreters, English translators, or materials in audiotape format will be made available on request to the fullest extent possible.

Analysis Prepared by the Department of Workforce Development

Statutory authority: Sections 105.115 (5), Stats., as created by 2005 Wisconsin Act 197, and 227.11 (2) (a), Stats.

Statutes interpreted: Section 105.115, Stats., as created by 2005 Wisconsin Act 197

Explanation of agency authority. Section 105.115, as created by 2005 Wisconsin Act 197, requires a home care placement agency that places a home care worker in the residence of a home care consumer to provide the following notices:

• Notice to the home care consumer of the consumer's duties, responsibilities, and liabilities with respect to the home care worker, unless the worker is temporarily substituting for the consumer's regular home care worker.

• Notice to the home care worker stating the worker's employment status, specifically, whether the worker is an employee of the home care placement agency, an employee of the home care consumer, or an independent contractor.

Section 105.115, Stats., specifies additional information that must be included in each of the notices and requires that the notices be on forms prescribed by the Department. Among other things, the notice to the home care consumer must contain a statement acknowledging that the home care consumer has received and understands the notice and a line for the home care consumer's signature located immediately below that statement. The home care placement agency must give the home care consumer one copy of the notice signed by the home care consumer and retain one copy in its files. Among other things, the notice to the home care worker must contain a statement acknowledging that the home care worker has received and understands the notice and a line for the home care worker's signature located immediately below that statement. The home care placement agency must also give the home care worker one copy of the notice signed by the home care worker and retain one copy in its files.

Section 105.115 (4), Stats., allows a home care consumer or worker who is not provided with a required notice to either file a complaint with the Department or commence an action in circuit court to recover specified incurred liabilities and damages from the home care placement agency. The complaint must be filed with the Department or the action commenced in circuit court no later than 3 years after the date on which the home care placement agency was required to provide the notice.

If the consumer or worker files a complaint with the Department and the home care placement agency does not pay the amount determined by the Department within 30 days after demand by the Department, the Department may commence an action in circuit court to recover that amount, and the circuit court may order the home care placement agency to pay to the consumer or worker that amount, plus an additional amount equal to 50% of that amount, together with costs and reasonable attorney fees.

Summary of the proposed rules. The proposed rules provide that the home care placement agency must have in its files a copy of the required notice to the home care consumer signed by the consumer and the required notice to the home care worker signed by the worker before the agency refers a home care worker to a home care consumer. “Refer" is defined as to bring to the attention of a potential home care consumer the qualifications of a potential home care worker.

Section 105.115 (2) (intro.), Stats., provides that the agency is not required to provide the notice to the home care consumer when placing a home care worker who is temporarily substituting for the regular home care worker of a home care consumer. The proposed rules define “temporarily substituting" as no more than 2 weeks per incident.

A home care placement agency shall retain the required notices at least 4 years from the date that the home care agency referred the home care worker to the consumer if the home care worker and home care consumer enter into an employment agreement or contract for services.

Summary of factual data and analytical methodologies. The proposed rule requires that the home care placement agency provide the required notices and have the signed copies in its files before the placement agency refers the worker to the consumer because the agency refers potential workers to a potential home care consumer for an interview, but is not generally involved further. The home care consumer and home care worker would not likely have incentive to return the signed notice to the agency after the referral has occurred. The home care placement agency must retain copies of the notices for 4 years to ensure proper record retention until after the 3-year statute of limitations has passed.

Comparison with federal law. There is no comparable federal law on the issues in the proposed rule.

Comparison with adjacent states. Illinois. Before January 1, 2008, the Illinois Department of Public Health must adopt standards for the licensure and operation of home services agencies operated in the state. “Home services agency" is defined as an agency that provides services directly, or acts as a placement agency, for the purpose of placing individuals as workers providing home services for consumers in their personal residences, except agencies licensed under specified other laws or services provided through specified government programs.

As one of the requirements for licensure, a home services agency must provide notification, in a form and manner established by the Department of Public Health by rule, to home services workers and consumers as to the party or parties responsible under state and federal laws for payment of employment taxes, Social Security taxes, and workers' compensation, liability, the day-to-day supervision of workers, and the hiring, firing, and discipline of workers with the placement arrangement for home services.

The department is not aware of comparable requirements in other adjacent states.

Effect on small business. The proposed rule may affect small businesses. The rule is designed to assist home care placement agencies in fulfilling their statutory obligation to have signed copies of the required notices in their files and to retain the notices long enough that they are available as a defense to a complaint or action in circuit court filed alleging a violation of s. 105.115, Stats. The DWD Small Business Regulatory Coordinator is Jennifer Jirschele, [phone], [e-mail].\

Fiscal Impact

The proposed rule will have no fiscal impact on state or local government.

Agency contact person. Bob Anderson, Labor Standards Bureau Director, Equal Rights Division, Dept. of Workforce Development, [e-mail], [phone].

Written comments. An electronic copy of the proposed rules is available at:

http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dwd/hearings.htm. A copy of the proposed rules is also available at http://adminrules.wisconsin.gov. This site allows you to view documents associated with this rule's promulgation, register to receive email notification whenever the Department posts new information about this rulemaking order, and submit comments and view comments by others during the public comment period. You may receive a paper copy of the rule or fiscal estimate by contacting:

Elaine Pridgen

Office of Legal Counsel

Dept. of Workforce Development

P.O. Box 7946

Madison, WI 53707-7946

[phone]

[e-mail]

Written comments on the proposed rules received at the above address, email, or through the http://adminrules.wisconsin.gov web site no later than January 25, 2007, will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.