AB725: Bill Text

AB725,8,16 66.0809 (10) A municipal utility may adopt application, deposit, disconnection, or collection rules and practices that distinguish between customers based upon whether the customer owns or leases the property that is receiving utility service where the possibility exists for any unpaid bills of a tenant to become a lien on the property that is receiving utility service.

AB725,14 Section 14. 71.93 (3) (a) 6. of the statutes, as created by 2013 Wisconsin Act 20, is amended to read:

AB725,8,19 71.93 (3) (a) 6. Debt certified under s. 71.935 (2) (a) and then s. 71.935 (2) (b).

AB725,15 Section 15. 71.935 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 71.935 (1) (a) (intro.) and amended to read:

AB725,8,22 71.935 (1) (a) (intro.) "Debt" means a the following:

AB725,9,4 1. A parking citation of at least $20 that is unpaid and for which there has been no court appearance by the date specified in the citation or, if no date is specified, that is unpaid for at least 28 days; an unpaid fine, fee, restitution or forfeiture of at least $20; and any other debt that is at least $20, including debt related to property taxes, if the debt has been reduced to a judgment or the municipality or county to which the debt is owed has provided the debtor reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard with regard to the debt.

AB725,16 Section 16. 71.935 (1) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

AB725,9,6 71.935 (1) (a) 2. A lien under s. 66.0809 (3m).

AB725,17 Section 17. 71.935 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB725,9,10 71.935 (1) (b) "Debtor" means a person who owes a debt to a municipality or county or to the owner of a rental dwelling unit for arrears, as described under s. 66.0809 (3m).

AB725,18 Section 18. 71.935 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 71.935 (2) (a).

AB725,19 Section 19. 71.935 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

AB725,9,18 71.935 (2) (b) If a municipality or property owner has a lien against a tenant under s. 66.0809 (3m), the municipality shall, or property owner may, certify that debt to the department so that the department may set off the debt against any refund owed to the tenant. The municipality shall certify the debt to the department as provided in par. (a). The property owner shall certify the debt to the department in the manner prescribed by the department.

AB725,20 Section 20. 71.935 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB725,9,25 71.935 (3) (a) If the debt remains uncollected and, in the case of a parking citation, if the debtor has not contested the citation within 20 days after the notice under sub. (2), the department shall set off the debt against any refund that is owed to the debtor after the setoff under s. 71.93. Any legal action contesting a setoff shall be brought against the municipality or, county, or property owner that certified the debt under sub. (2).

AB725,21 Section 21. 71.935 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB725,10,17 71.935 (3) (b) The department shall provide the information obtained under sub. (2) to the department of administration. Before reducing any disbursement as provided under this paragraph, the department of administration shall contact the department to verify whether a certified debt that is the basis of the reduction has been collected by other means and, in the case of a parking citation, whether the debtor has contested the citation within 20 days after the notice under sub. (2). If the certified debt remains uncollected and, in the case of a parking citation, the citation has not been contested within 20 days after the notice under sub. (2), the department of administration shall, after any reduction under s. 71.93, reduce the disbursement by the amount of the debtor's certified debt under sub. (2), notify the department of such reduction and disbursement, and remit the amount of the reduction to the department in the manner prescribed by the department. If more than one debt certified under sub. (2) exists for any debtor, the disbursement shall be reduced first by the earliest debt certified. Any legal action contesting a reduction under this paragraph shall be brought against the municipality or, county, or property owner that certified the debt under sub. (2).

AB725,22 Section 22. 71.935 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB725,10,22 71.935 (4) Within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, the department shall settle with each municipality and, county, and property owner for the amounts set off or reduced against certified debts for the municipality or, county, or property owner during that calendar quarter.

AB725,23 Section 23. 73.03 (72) of the statutes is created to read:

AB725,11,3 73.03 (72) To prepare and distribute to landlords information about the process for collecting arrears under ss. 66.0809 (3m) and 71.935 (2) (b) so that the landlords may provide the information to tenants.

AB725,24 Section 24. 196.37 (5) of the statutes is created to read:

AB725,11,10 196.37 (5) It is not unreasonable or unjustly discriminatory for a municipal public utility to adopt application, deposit, disconnection, or collection rules and practices that distinguish between customers based upon whether the customer owns or leases the property that is receiving utility service where the possibility exists for any unpaid bills of a tenant to become a lien on the property that is receiving utility service.

AB725,25 Section 25 . Initial applicability.

AB725,11,14 (1) The treatment of sections 62.69 (2) (g) and 66.0809 (3) and (5) (b) (intro.), 1., and 2. of the statutes first applies to arrearages incurred on the effective date of this subsection.

AB725,11,16 (2) The treatment of section 66.0809 (3m) of the statutes first applies to a notice of arrears given on the effective date of this subsection.

AB725,11,18 (3) The treatment of section 66.0809 (8) (b) of the statutes first applies to a request for utility service made on the effective date of this subsection.

AB725,26 Section 26. Effective date.

AB725,11,21 (1) This act takes effect on the 1st day of the 6th month beginning after publication.

AB725,11,22 (End)