AB961: Bill Text

LRB-5095/1

JTK:skg&mkd:km

1995 - 1996 LEGISLATURE

1995 Assembly BILL 961

February 26, 1996 - Introduced by Representatives Travis, Goetsch, Baldwin, Hanson, Ainsworth, Notestein, Murat, Ziegelbauer and Boyle, cosponsored by Senators Adelman, Schultz, Moen and Burke. Referred to Committee on Elections and Constitutional Law.

AB961,1,3 An Act to amend 19.42 (7w) (c) of the statutes; relating to: application of the code of ethics for local public officials and public access to records of the identities of final candidates for certain local governmental positions.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Currently, a statutory code of ethics applies to elective and major appointive officials of all local governmental units. The code prohibits local officials from taking certain actions that may create conflicts of interest and prohibits any person from offering or giving certain things to local public officials. Currently, the code applies to appointive positions that are filled for a specified term or positions that are filled by the executive or administrative head or the governing body of the local governmental unit and in which the incumbent serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority, except clerical positions, independent contractors and positions that are limited to the exercise of nondiscretionary functions. This bill extends the code to apply to appointive offices or positions in which an individual serves as the head of a department, agency or division of a local governmental unit, subject to the current exceptions.

Currently, local governments are prohibited from providing public access to any record that reveals the identity of an applicant for a position that is covered by the statutory code of ethics for local public officials if the applicant does not wish to be identified, unless the applicant is a final candidate. A final candidate generally includes at least the top 5 candidates for a position. By extending the coverage of the code of ethics for local public officials, this bill applies this law to those appointive positions to which the bill extends coverage.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB961, s. 1 Section 1. 19.42 (7w) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB961,2,6 19.42 (7w) (c) An appointive office or position of a local governmental unit in which an individual serves for a specified term or in which an individual serves as the head of a department, agency or division of a local governmental unit, except a position limited to the exercise of ministerial action or a position filled by an independent contractor.

AB961,2,7 (End)