Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Ninety-Seventh Regular Session
The Chief Clerk makes the following entries under the above date:
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Communications
State of Wisconsin
Revisor of Statutes Bureau
Madison
DATE: November 1, 2006
TO: Patrick E. Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
Robert Marchant
Senate Chief Clerk
FROM: Gary L. Poulson
Assistant Revisor of Statutes
SUBJECT: Rules published in the October 31, 2006,
Wisconsin Administrative
Register, No. 610.
The following rules have been published:
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Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
Madison
October 9, 2006
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
The Department of Health and Family Services operates BadgerCare under section 49.665 of the Wisconsin Statutes. Under this section of the statutes, the Department is also required to submit a report to the Legislature summarizing the BadgerCare program and its progress. In fulfillment of this statutory requirement, the Department is providing the Legislature with the enclosed report recently completed for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
This report was originally prepared under terms of the federal waiver agreement authorizing the BadgerCare program. Under terms of our federal waiver, the Department of Health and Family Services agreed to provide the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services with ongoing evaluations of BadgerCare and its operation. This report, completed in March 2006, represents the most recent study of BadgerCare.
As you will see through the report, BadgerCare is a very successful program that leverages significant amounts of federal funding to directly support health care coverage for eligible Wisconsin residents. Through BadgerCare 29,000 children and 66,000 adults are obtaining access to needed health care services. Due in large part to BadgerCare, Wisconsin enjoys one of the lowest levels of uninsured populations in the nation. As demonstrated in the report, BadgerCare provides a high quality of care. I am pleased to report that BadgerCare is having a powerful impact on the quality of life in Wisconsin.
Sincerely,
Helene Nelson
Secretary
Referred to committee on Health.
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State of Wisconsin
State of Wisconsin Investment Board
Madison
October 10, 2006
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Since the enactment of s.
25.17 (14r), Stats., as a part of
1995 Wisconsin Act 274, the Investment Board has provided you with a copy of all changes the Trustees adopt to investment policies and guidelines. The guidelines we have filed have dealt with assets invested by internal investment managers.
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When the law was enacted, most assets under the Investment Board's management were invested by our internal staff. However, as funds have grown and markets have changed, the Board has further diversified how assets are managed and invested. This was done to take advantage of market changes and to achieve optimum returns while still controlling the risk. Today, the majority of assets in the Wisconsin Retirement System are invested externally. This includes both active external management, where the investments are held in SWIB's name, and commingled funds (e.g., index funds), where SWIB's assets are combined with other investors' assets and invested in the name of the commingled fund.
The Investment Board's direct investments managed by external managers are governed by a contract between the investment manager and the Investment Board. Each of these contracts includes investment guidelines established by SWIB's internal Investment Committee within investment limits set by applicable laws. These guidelines are tailored for a specific external manager to take advantage of the manager's unique skills.
The statute requires SWIB to file changes in the Board's investment policies or guidelines. While it does not appear to require the filing of guidelines included in contracts with external managers, in the interest of full disclosure and because the number of external managers has grown, we decided to file the contractual procedures and guidelines for the external managers, as well as the Board's policies and procedures for internal managers. I have enclosed the part of each contract with an external manager that includes the current procedures and guidelines for the specific external manager. When future amendments are made, I will provide you with both a red-lined copy and clean copy to show the amendments.
Please call either Jane Hamblen (266-8824), Chief Legal Counsel, or Sandy Drew (261-0182), Legislative Liaison, if you have questions.
Sincerely,
David C. Mills
Executive Director
Referred to committee on Ways and Means.
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State of Wisconsin
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee
October 12, 2006
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Enclosed is the biennial report of the Medical College of Wisconsin, prepared according to the statutory requirement under section 13.106. This report contains information in the following areas:
* The financial status of the family practice residency sites.
* The number of family practice residents choosing to practice in medically underserved areas of the state upon graduation.
* The number of graduates entering family practice as a career.
Please feel free to contact me at 414-456-8217 if you have any questions or would like additional information.
Sincerely,
Kathryn A. Kuhn
Director of Government Affairs
Referred to committee on Colleges and Universities.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Madison
October 31, 2006
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
