LRB-2936/1
GMM:jld:cph
2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE
August 4, 2003 - Introduced by Representatives Johnsrud, Balow, Berceau,
Black, Coggs, Colon, Krug, J. Lehman, Miller, Morris, Plouff, Pocan,
Pope-Roberts, Richards, Shilling, Sinicki, Staskunas, Taylor, Turner, Van
Akkeren, Wasserman, A. Williams, Zepnick, Hahn, Gronemus
and Seratti,
cosponsored by Senators Robson, Carpenter, Chvala, Erpenbach, Hansen,
Moore, Plale, Risser, Wirch
and Decker. Referred to Committee on Labor.
AB451,1,4 1An Act to amend 111.322 (2m) (a) and 111.322 (2m) (b); and to create 106.54
2(8), 111.91 (2) (t), 146.999 and 230.45 (1) (n) of the statutes; relating to:
3mandatory overtime hours worked by health care workers employed by health
4care facilities and providing penalties.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, subject to certain exceptions, an employer must pay an
employee who receives an hourly wage one and one-half times the employee's
regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. Current law,
however, subject to certain exceptions for child labor, does not prohibit an employer
from requiring an employee to work in excess of 40 hours per week.
This bill prohibits a health care facility from requiring an employee who is
involved in providing direct health care services for patients or residents or in
providing clinical or laboratory services (health care worker) and who is paid an
hourly wage to work for more than a work shift of 8, 10, or 12 hours that has been
determined and agreed to before the performance of the work or to work for more
than 40 hours per week (overtime) without the consent of the health care worker,
except in cases of unforeseeable emergency in which the health care facility has first
exhausted all other options. The bill also prohibits a health care facility from
discharging or discriminating against a health care worker in promotion, in
compensation, or in the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment for refusing
to work overtime, for opposing a health care facility's practice of requiring health care
workers to work overtime, for filing a complaint or attempting to enforce the right

of a health care worker to refuse to work overtime, or for testifying or assisting in any
action or proceeding to enforce that right.
A health care worker who is discharged or discriminated against in violation
of the bill may file a complaint with the Department of Workforce Development
(DWD) or, in the case of a state employee, the Personnel Commission, and DWD or
the Personnel Commission must process the complaint in the same manner that
employment discrimination complaints are processed under current law, which
processing may include the ordering of back pay, reinstatement, costs, and attorney
fees. In addition, a health care facility that discharges or discriminates against a
health care worker in violation of the bill may be required to forfeit not more than
$1,000 for a first violation, not more than $5,000 for a violation committed within 12
months of a previous violation, and not more than $10,000 for a violation committed
within 12 months of two or more previous violations.
The bill defines a "health care facility" as any hospital, nursing home,
community-based residential facility, county home, county infirmary, county
hospital, county mental health center, adult family home, assisted living facility,
residential care apartment complex, rural medical center, hospice, mental health
treatment facility, public dispensary for the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis
or facility providing care under a continuing care contract; the University of
Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King,
the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Retirement Center, the Mendota Mental Health
Institute, the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, the Milwaukee County Mental
Health Complex, or the northern, central, and southern centers for the
developmentally disabled; or a state prison, county jail, or county house of correction.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB451, s. 1 1Section 1. 106.54 (8) of the statutes is created to read:
AB451,2,42 106.54 (8) The division shall receive complaints under s. 146.999 (4) (a) of
3violations of s. 146.999 (2) and (3) and shall process those complaints in the same
4manner that employment discrimination complaints are processed under s. 111.39.
AB451, s. 2 5Section 2. 111.322 (2m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB451,3,26 111.322 (2m) (a) The individual files a complaint or attempts to enforce any
7right under s. 103.02, 103.10, 103.13, 103.28, 103.32, 103.455, 103.50, 104.12,

1109.03, 109.07, 109.075 or, 146.997 , or 146.999 or ss. 101.58 to 101.599 or 103.64 to
2103.82.
AB451, s. 3 3Section 3. 111.322 (2m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB451,3,74 111.322 (2m) (b) The individual testifies or assists in any action or proceeding
5held under or to enforce any right under s. 103.02, 103.10, 103.13, 103.28, 103.32,
6103.455, 103.50, 104.12, 109.03, 109.07, 109.075 or, 146.997, or 146.999 or ss. 101.58
7to 101.599 or 103.64 to 103.82.
AB451, s. 4 8Section 4. 111.91 (2) (t) of the statutes is created to read:
AB451,3,139 111.91 (2) (t) Hours of work above the maximum hours specified in s. 146.999
10(2) for health care workers, as defined in s. 146.999 (1) (c), employed by a health care
11facility, as defined in s. 146.999 (1) (b). Nothing in this paragraph prohibits a health
12care facility from bargaining on fewer hours of work than the hours provided in s.
13146.999 (2).
AB451, s. 5 14Section 5. 146.999 of the statutes is created to read:
AB451,3,15 15146.999 Health care worker overtime. (1) Definitions. In this section:
AB451,3,1616 (a) "Department" means the department of workforce development.
AB451,4,217 (b) "Health care facility" means a facility, as defined in s. 647.01 (4); any
18hospital, nursing home, community-based residential facility, county home, county
19hospital, county infirmary, county mental health center, assisted living facility,
20residential care apartment complex, rural medical center, hospice, treatment
21facility, or other place licensed, certified, or approved by the department of health
22and family services under s. 49.70, 49.71, 49.72, 50.02, 50.03, 50.034, 50.35, 50.52,
2350.90, 51.04, 51.08, or 51.09; an adult family home licensed or certified by the
24department of health and family services or a county department under s. 50.032 or

150.033; a facility under s. 45.365, 51.05, 51.06, or 252.10 or under ch. 233; or a state
2prison, county jail, or county house of corrections.
AB451,4,53 (c) "Health care worker" means an employee of a health care facility who is
4involved in providing direct health care for patients or residents or in providing
5clinical or laboratory services.
AB451,4,11 6(2) Mandatory overtime limited. Except in cases of unforeseeable emergency
7in which a health care facility has first exhausted all other options, a health care
8facility may not require a health care worker who is paid an hourly wage to work for
9more than a work shift of 8, 10, or 12 hours that has been determined and agreed to
10before the performance of the work or to work for more than 40 hours per week
11without the consent of the health care worker.
AB451,4,17 12(3) Retaliation prohibited. A health care facility may not discharge or
13discriminate against a health care worker in promotion, in compensation, or in the
14terms, conditions, or privileges of employment for refusing to work for more than the
15hours specified in sub. (2), opposing a practice prohibited under sub. (2), filing a
16complaint or attempting to enforce any right under sub. (2), or testifying or assisting
17in any action or proceeding to enforce any right under sub. (2).
AB451,4,24 18(4) Enforcement. (a) Subject to par. (b), any health care worker who is
19discharged or discriminated against in violation of sub. (3) may file a complaint with
20the department, and the department shall process the complaint in the same manner
21that employment discrimination complaints are processed under s. 111.39. If the
22department finds that a violation of sub. (3) has been committed, the department
23may order the health care facility to take such action under s. 111.39 as will effectuate
24the purpose of this section.
AB451,5,8
1(b) Any health care worker employed by an agency, as defined in s. 111.32 (6),
2of the state who is discharged or discriminated against in violation of sub. (3) may
3file a complaint with the personnel commission, and the personnel commission shall
4process the complaint in the same manner that employment discrimination
5complaints are processed under s. 111.39. If the personnel commission finds that a
6violation of sub. (3) has been committed, the personnel commission may order the
7health care facility to take such action under s. 111.39 as will effectuate the purpose
8of this section.
AB451,5,109 (c) Section 111.322 (2m) applies to discharge or other discriminatory acts
10arising in connection with any proceeding under par. (a) or (b).
AB451,5,18 11(5) Civil penalty. In addition to ordering a health care facility that has violated
12sub. (3) to take such action as will effectuate the purpose of this section, the
13department or personnel commission may require the health care facility to forfeit
14not more than $1,000 for a first violation, not more than $5,000 for a violation
15committed within 12 months of a previous violation, and not more than $10,000 for
16a violation committed within 12 months of 2 or more previous violations. The
1712-month period shall be measured by using the dates of the violations that resulted
18in convictions.
AB451,5,23 19(6) Posting of notice. Each health care facility shall post, in one or more
20conspicuous places where notices to employees are customarily posted, a notice in a
21form approved by the department setting forth the rights of health care workers
22under this section. Any health care facility that violates this subsection shall forfeit
23not more than $100 for each offense.
AB451, s. 6 24Section 6. 230.45 (1) (n) of the statutes is created to read:
AB451,6,4
1230.45 (1) (n) Receive complaints under s. 146.999 (4) (b) of violations of s.
2146.999 (2) and (3) and, except as provided in sub. (1m), process those complaints in
3the same manner that employment discrimination complaints are processed under
4s. 111.39.
AB451, s. 7 5Section 7. Initial applicability.
AB451,6,106 (1) Collective bargaining agreements. This act first applies to a health care
7worker, as defined in section 146.999 (1) (c) of the statutes, as created by this act, who
8is affected by a collective bargaining agreement that contains provisions inconsistent
9with this act on the day on which the collective bargaining agreement expires or is
10extended, modified, or renewed, whichever occurs first.
AB451,6,1111 (End)
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