AB162: Bill Text

LRB-0895/2

EVM:emw

2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE

2017 Assembly BILL 162

March 20, 2017 - Introduced by Representatives Ott, Murphy and Kooyenga, cosponsored by Senator Vukmir. Referred to Committee on Transportation.

AB162,1,4 An Act to amend 229.685 (2) and 341.14 (6r) (b) 13. b.; and to create 20.395 (5) (ij) of the statutes; relating to: proceeds from special registration plates associated with professional baseball park districts and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, a professional baseball park district (district) is created in each county with a population of at least 600,000 (presently, only Milwaukee County) and all counties that are contiguous to that county (in relation to Milwaukee County, these counties are Ozaukee County, Racine County, Washington County, and Waukesha County). The district has a variety of powers. Among these, the district may acquire, construct, equip, maintain, improve, operate, and manage baseball park facilities and may set standards governing the use of, and the conduct within, baseball park facilities. The district is authorized to impose a sales tax and a use tax at a rate of no more than 0.1 percent. Also, the district may issue bonds for the purpose of purchasing, acquiring, leasing, constructing, extending, adding to, improving, conducting, controlling, operating, or managing baseball park facilities. Bonds issued by the district must be secured only by the district's interest in any baseball park facilities, by income from these facilities, and by the sales tax and use tax that the district is authorized to levy. The district may not collect such taxes after the calendar quarter in which the district certifies to the Department of Revenue that the district has retired all of its bonds.

Also under current law, members of certain designated special groups may obtain special registration plates for certain vehicles that are owned or leased by special group members. A fee, in addition to the regular registration fee for the particular kind of vehicle, is charged for the issuance or reissuance of most special plates.

Current law establishes an authorized special group for persons interested in obtaining special plates expressing support for certain major league professional baseball teams (Brewers plate). In addition to the regular vehicle registration fee and special plate fee, special group members are required to include an additional annual fee of $25. Two percent of the funds from the additional fee are distributed to Major League Baseball as a licensing fee and the balance is provided to the district.

Under this bill, when the district certifies to DOR that the district has retired all of its bonds, the district must make the same certification to the Department of Transportation. After the district makes this certification, the distribution of the additional annual fee for Brewers plates is modified. As under current law, 2 percent of the additional annual fee is distributed to Major League Baseball as a licensing fee. The remainder of the additional annual fee, however, is distributed to the county in which the vehicle for which the special plate is issued is customarily kept.

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:

AB162,1 Section 1. 20.395 (5) (ij) of the statutes is created to read:

AB162,2,5 20.395 (5) (ij) Baseball plate payments to counties. From the general fund, all moneys received under s. 341.14 (6r) (b) 13. b., for the purpose of distributing the fee to the county in which the motor vehicle for which the plate is issued is customarily kept.

AB162,2 Section 2. 229.685 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB162,3,8 229.685 (2) If the district board determines that the revenues in the special fund under this section exceed current operating expenses for the operation of baseball park facilities, the district board shall apply the excess to either fund a fund for maintenance costs and capital improvements or to retire bonds issued for the initial construction of baseball park facilities, and any bonds issued to fund or refund those bonds, prior to their maturity. As soon as practicable after the retirement of all bonds issued for the initial construction of baseball park facilities and all bonds issued to fund or refund those bonds and after funding a fund for maintenance costs and capital improvements sufficiently to meet any maintenance or capital improvement obligations between the district and any professional baseball team using baseball park facilities constructed under this subchapter as a home stadium, the district board shall make a certification to the department of revenue and the department of transportation to that effect.

AB162,3 Section 3. 341.14 (6r) (b) 13. b. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB162,3,19 341.14 (6r) (b) 13. b. The Until the date on which the local professional baseball park district board makes a certification to the department under s. 229.685 (2), the remainder after crediting the appropriation account as provided in subd. 13. a. shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.835 (4) (gb). After the date on which the local professional baseball park district board makes a certification to the department under s. 229.685 (2), the remainder after crediting the appropriation account as provided in subd. 13. a. shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.395 (5) (ij). The department of transportation shall identify and record the percentage of moneys that are attributable to each professional baseball team represented by a plate under par. (f) 60.

AB162,3,20 (End)