The language that was adopted, however, has been interpreted by at least one dentist to mean that prior authorization is no longer required to provide orthodontia to recipients. This interpretation was upheld by an administrative law judge in an administrative hearing. The Department believes that the interpretation of the administrative law judge could open up the Department to being required to pay for procedures that are purely cosmetic. Because the intent of the Department and the language adopted, as recently interpreted, had opposite effects, the Department is promulgating rules to revise section s.
HFS 107.07 to clarify the intent of the rule.
A basic concept of the Medicaid program is that services must be medically necessary to be reimbursable. Allowing the existing rule language to remain in its present form could require reimbursement for orthodontia that is not medically justified.
Publication Date:
April 30, 2007
Effective Date:
April 30, 2007
Expiration Date:
September 27, 2007
Natural Resources (5)
(Fish and Game, etc., Chs.
NR 1—)
1.
Rules adopted amending
s. NR 1.21 and creating
s. NR 1.26, relating to contracting for timber sale establishment services on state land.
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
As provided in section
13 of
2005 Wis. Act 166, “Notwithstanding section
227.24 (1) (a) and
(3) of the statutes, the department is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this subsection."
Section 1 of the proposed rule distinguishes between timber sales related tasks that can be contracted and functions that Department staff must perform to protect the resource and assure compliance with regulations and property master plans. The purpose is to divide technical activities that are appropriate for contracting from administration of finance, policy and compliance issues. The rule defines bidding and payment procedures for the contracted services, including prequalification of bidders based on experience with timber sales and related forest inventory work. Section 2 makes technical corrections in the definition of educational requirements for cooperating foresters. The change would make educational requirements for cooperating foresters and department foresters identical, including the allowance of training equivalent to that obtained at a college accredited by the Society of American Foresters.
Publication Date:
February 6, 2007
Effective Date:
February 6, 2007
Expiration Date:
July 6, 2007
Hearing Date:
March 21, 2007
2.
Rules adopted creating
s. NR 45.075, relating to declaring natural emergencies on forested lands owned by the state and under the jurisdiction of the department.
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
As provided in section
13 of
2005 Wis. Act 166, notwithstanding s.
227.24, Stats., the Department is not required to provide a finding of emergency for this rule and the emergency rule will remain in effect until a permanent rule is promulgated.
Rule FR-11-07(E) specifies those emergencies on forested land under the jurisdiction of the department over which the chief state forester shall have management authority. This rule describes causes of unforeseen damage or threat of damage to trees that could lead the chief state forester to declare an emergency and assume management authority. Included in the list of damaging agents that could lead to the declaration of an emergency are those required by the legislature: invasive species, pest infestation, disease, and damage to timber from fire, snow, hail, ice, or wind. The rule states that when declaring and responding to an emergency, the chief state forester shall consider the purpose of and management plan for the affected property in his or her decisions. This rule, however, would allow the chief state forester to take actions not described in the management plan for a property if that were the most appropriate response to the emergency. Finally, this rule describes the processes by which the declaration of the state of emergency shall be made effective, canceled or modified.
Publication Date:
February 6, 2007
Effective Date:
February 6, 2007
Expiration Date:
July 6, 2007
Hearing Date:
March 21, 2007
3.
Rules adopted revising
chs. NR 19 and 20, relating to the control of fish diseases and invasive species.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Natural Resources finds that an emergency exists and rules are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare. A statement of facts constituting the emergency is:
The World Health Organization for Animal Health (OIE) lists viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) as a "notifiable" disease, meaning that outbreaks must be reported immediately. VHS has been discovered in the Great Lakes, and is moving from the lower lakes (Ontario and Erie), where it has already caused large-scale fish kills, via Huron, where it has been present since 2005, to the upper lakes (Michigan and Superior). Lake Michigan is connected to the Mississippi River by the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and Illinois River, allowing fish and fish diseases to reach the Mississippi drainage. Twenty-seven species of Wisconsin fish have been identified as susceptible by the OIE or USDA APHIS, including most of our most important recreational and commercial species. The VHS virus can be transported from affected areas to areas where it is not yet present via live fish, fish eggs, refrigerated or frozen dead fish, or water where infected fish have been present. The presence of VHS virus in the Great Lakes is therefore a threat to the public health or safety or to the environment.
Publication Date:
April 8, 2007
Effective Date:
April 8, 2007
Expiration Date:
September 5, 2007
Hearing Date:
May 3, 10 and 17, 2007
4.
Rules adopted revising
chs. NR 19 and 20, relating to the control of fish diseases and invasive species.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Natural Resources finds that an emergency exists and the foregoing rules are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare. A statement of facts constituting the emergency is:
The World Health Organization for Animal Health (OIE) lists viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) as a "notifiable" disease, meaning that outbreaks must be reported immediately. VHS has been discovered in the Great Lakes, and is moving from the lower lakes (Ontario and Erie), where it has already caused large-scale fish kills, via Huron, where it has been present since 2005, to the upper lakes (Michigan and Superior). Lake Michigan is connected to the Mississippi River by the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and Illinois River, allowing fish and fish diseases to reach the Mississippi drainage. Twenty-seven species of Wisconsin fish have been identified as susceptible by the OIE or USDA APHIS, including most of our most important recreational and commercial species. The VHS virus can be transported from affected areas to areas where it is not yet present via live fish, fish eggs, refrigerated or frozen dead fish, or water where infected fish have been present. The presence of VHS virus in the Great Lakes is therefore a threat to the public health or safety or to the environment.
This emergency rule clarifies and expands the emergency rules put into effect on April 8, 2007.
Publication Date:
May 2, 2007
Effective Date:
May 2, 2007
Expiration Date:
September 5, 2007
Hearing Date:
June 11, 2007
5.
Rules adopted revising emergency rules affecting
chs. NR 19 and 20 relating to control of fish diseases and invasive species.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Natural Resources finds that an emergency exists and the rules are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare. A statement of facts constituting the emergency is:
The World Health Organization for Animal Health (OIE) lists viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) as a “notifiable" disease, meaning that outbreaks must be reported immediately. On May 11, the Department received notice that freshwater drum collected from Little Lake Butte des Morts were infected with the VHS virus. Earlier VHS had been discovered in the Great Lakes, and was known to be moving from the lower lakes (Ontario and Erie), where it has already caused large-scale fish kills, via Huron, where it has been present since 2005, to the upper lakes (Michigan and Superior). Lake Michigan is connected to the Mississippi River by the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and Illinois River, allowing fish and fish disease to reach the Mississippi drainage basin. Twenty-seven species of Wisconsin fish have been identified as susceptible by the OIE or USDAAPHIS, including most of our most important recreational and commercial species. The VHS virus can be transported from infected areas to areas where it is not yet present via live fish, fish eggs, refrigerated or frozen dead fish, or water where infected fish have been present. The presence of VHS virus in Wisconsin is therefore a threat to the public health or safety or to the environment.
Publication Date:
May 27, 2007
Effective Date:
May 27, 2007
Expiration Date:
September 5, 2007
Transportation
Rules adopted revising
ch. Trans 276, relating to allowing the operation of certain 2-vehicle combinations on certain highways without a permit.
Exemption From Finding of Emergency
The Legislature, by Section
7 of
2005 Wis. Act 363, provides an exemption from a finding of emergency for the adoption of the rule.
Plain language analysis
Section
348.07 (1), Stats., historically has limited vehicle lengths on Wisconsin highways to 65 feet. Section
348.07(2), Stats., allowed vehicles meeting the specifications of that subsection to operate without permits despite exceeding the 65-foot limit of subsection (1).
2005 Wis. Act 363 amended s.
348.07, Stats., and essentially made 75 feet the default permitted length on the state trunk highway system. Wisconsin's old default 65-foot overall length limit still applies on all local roads but only applies to state trunk highways that are designated as 65-foot restricted routes by the Department. This emergency rule making establishes a preliminary list of such “65-foot restricted routes."
Prior to Act 363, s.
348.07 (4), Stats., permitted the Department to designate “long truck routes" upon which no overall length limits apply. The Department designates the state's long truck routes in s.
Trans 276.07. This rule making does not affect those longstanding designations.
The new “default" 75-foot overall length limit applies on state highways that are neither designated as 65-foot restricted routes under this rule making nor long truck routes under s.
Trans 276.07.
Definitions have been added to the rule to make it easier to identify the nature of designations made by the Department in Ch.
Trans 276.
In drafting this rule the Department noticed several items that it believes may be of special interest to the legislature and which, in the Department's view, deserve special legislative attention. First, Act 363 did not grant any authority for 75-foot vehicles using the new 75-foot routes to leave those routes to reach fuel, food, maintenance, repair, rest, staging, terminal or vehicle assembly facilities or points of loading or unloading. The Department does not believe this oversight was intentional and, on an emergency basis, has designated the intersection of each 75-foot route and any other highway as a long truck route under its authority in s.
348.07 (4), Stats. This will permit trucks to exceed the 65-foot default length limit on local roads to access such facilities and make deliveries. The Department encourages the legislature to consider statutorily establishing access rights for vehicles using 75-foot restricted routes.
The second consequence of Act 363 the Department has discovered in drafting this emergency rule is that one statute that formerly restricted double-bottom tractor-trailer combinations to the state's long-truck network was repealed by the deletion of the reference to s. 348.07 (2) (gm), Stats., by the Act's amendment of s.
348.07 (4), Stats. Under the amended statute, as revised by Act 363, it might appear to a reader that double bottom trucks of unlimited length may operate upon any highway in the state, including local roads and streets, without permits. Section
348.08 (1) (e), Stats., however, continues to provide that double-bottom trucks be restricted to highways designated by the department under s.
348.07 (4). WisDOT believes this provision continues to limit double-bottom operation to long truck routes designated by the Department under s.
348.07 (4), Stats. WisDOT would suggest the deleted reference to (2) (gm) in 348.07 (4), Stats., be re-inserted into the statute to avoid confusion.
Finally, the Department notes that s.
348.07, Stats., is becoming difficult to decipher from a legal standpoint because of the many amendments that have been made to it over the years. It may be that recodifying the statute for the purpose of clarification of the length limitations of Wisconsin law would be helpful to truck and long vehicle operators in this state.
Publication Date:
September 15, 2006
Effective Date:
September 15, 2006
Expiration Date:
See section 7 (2) of 2005 Wis.
Act 363
Hearing Date:
October 4, 2006
Workforce Development (2)
(Workforce Solutions, Chs.
DWD 11 to
59)
1.
Rules adopted revising
s. DWD 56.06, relating to child care rates and affecting small businesses.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Workforce Development finds that an emergency exists and that a rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare. A statement of facts constituting the emergency is:
The child care subsidy budget estimates that the child care subsidy program will have a tight budget by the end of fiscal year 06-07. This is due to flat federal funding, rising caseload, and increased provider costs. To begin to address the tight budget, the Department will not increase the child care subsidy maximum rates for 2007. This emergency rule will maintain the maximum rates at 2006 levels.
Publication Date:
January 22, 2007
Effective Date:
January 22, 2007
Expiration Date:
June 21, 2007
Hearing Date:
May 7, 2007
2.
Rules adopted revising
ch. DWD 56, relating to child care enrollment underutilization.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Workforce Development finds that an emergency exists and a rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare. A statement of facts constituting the emergency is:
The child care subsidy budget is expected to have a substantial deficit by the end of state fiscal year 2006-07. While many factors will have an impact on the program's final fiscal balance, current spending patterns at current rates suggest that the program will exceed its 06-07 budget authorization by approximately $46 million. This rule will provide for more efficient use of the program's limited funding.
Publication Date:
April 1, 2007
Effective Date:
April 1, 2007
Expiration Date:
August 29, 2007
Workforce Development
(Public Works Construction,
Chs.
DWD 290-
294)
Rules adopted amending
s. DWD 290.155 (1), relating to the adjustment of thresholds for application of prevailing wage rates.
Finding of Emergency
The Department of Workforce Development finds that an emergency exists and that a rule is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare. A statement of facts constituting the emergency is:
Adjusting the thresholds for application of the prevailing wage rate requirements by emergency rule ensures that the adjustments are effective on a date certain that is prior to the time of year that project requests are generally submitted to the Department and applicability of the prevailing wage law is determined. The adjustment avoids imposing an additional administrative burden on local governments and state agencies caused by an effective decrease of the thresholds due solely to inflation in the construction industry. If these new thresholds are not put into effect by emergency rule, the old thresholds will remain effective for approximately six to seven months, until the conclusion of the permanent rule-making process. The thresholds are based on national construction cost statistics and are unlikely to be changed by the permanent rule-making process.
Publication Date:
December 28, 2006
Effective Date:
January 1, 2007
Expiration Date:
May 31, 2007
Hearing Date:
February 19, 2007
Extension Through:
June 29, 2007
