LRB-3063/1
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1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE
September 28, 1999 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to
Committee on Natural Resources.
AB490,1,3
1An Act to create 23.10 (1m) of the statutes;
relating to: the designation and
2duties of chief warden, deputy chief warden, internal affairs officer and
3complaint officer within the department of natural resources.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
The bill is explained in the Prefatory note provided by the joint legislative
council in the bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
Prefatory note: This bill, prepared for the joint legislative council's special
committee on conservation laws enforcement, establishes a direct line authority for the
chief conservation warden over regional conservation wardens, conservation warden
supervisors and conservation wardens.
Currently, s. 23.10, stats., provides that the department of natural resources
(DNR) shall secure the enforcement of laws that it is required to administer and specifies
that the persons who are to enforce those laws are known as conservation wardens. There
are no statutory provisions relating to supervision of conservation wardens.
Under this bill, DNR is required to designate a conservation warden as the chief
warden and is permitted to designate one or more deputy chief wardens.
The chief warden is required to direct, supervise and control conservation wardens
in the performance of their statutorily required duties. Further, the chief warden is
required to designate a person as an internal affairs officer to investigate complaints
against conservation wardens when an investigation is determined by the chief warden
to be necessary, and to designate a complaint officer who will intervene and work with
citizens to resolve complaints against, or involving, conservation wardens.
The line of authority created by this bill for the chief warden is subject to the
direction and supervision of the secretary, deputy secretary and division administrators
of DNR, to whom the chief warden is responsible.
AB490, s. 1
1Section
1. 23.10 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB490,2,92
23.10
(1m) The department shall designate a conservation warden as the chief
3warden and may designate one or more deputy chief wardens. The chief warden
4shall have the duty to direct, supervise and control conservation wardens in the
5performance of their duties under sub. (1) and s. 29.921. The chief warden shall
6designate an employe of the department as an internal affairs officer to investigate
7complaints against conservation wardens when the chief warden determines an
8investigation is necessary and shall designate an employe of the department as a
9complaint officer to resolve complaints against conservation wardens.
