Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a legislative Joint Committee on State Mandates. The
committee consists of three majority party and two minority party members from
each house. At least one member of the majority party of each house who is appointed
to the committee must also be a member of the Joint Committee on Finance.
The bill provides that any bill placing a statutory requirement on a local
governmental unit must be referred at once to the committee and the bill may not
be considered further until the committee submits a report or 30 days have lapsed.
If the committee's report concludes that the bill has a negative uncompensated fiscal
effect on local governmental units, and the mandate is a wholly state-imposed
mandate upon local governmental units, this bill states that the committee must
offer an amendment to the bill appropriating funds to offset the cost of the mandate.
The bill defines “mandate" to exclude certain provisions and those that have minimal
fiscal effect.
Additionally, the bill provides that the legislature may not enact a bill that
imposes future state-imposed mandates unless they receive a hearing before the
committee or are funded. If an enacted mandate is not funded, either upon passage
or in the future, the mandate may not be enforced until it is funded. The bill also
states that a state agency may not promulgate a rule or take an action that imposes

a mandate and that a state agency shall not take an action required by law if the
action would impose a mandate, unless there is a sufficient amount to fund the
mandate. Under this bill, affected local governments are reimbursed annually for
the approximate costs attributable to state-imposed mandates.
The bill directs the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, by January 1, 2021, to identify
all mandates for the committee, other than ones having a minimal fiscal effect. The
committee is directed to submit legislation repealing all mandates to each house of
the legislature.
The bill also requires the committee to review and evaluate existing mandates.
To carry out its duties, the committee may make investigations and hold hearings.
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:
AB229,1 1Section 1 . 13.093 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB229,2,132 13.093 (2) (b) Executive budget bills introduced under s. 16.47 (1) are exempt
3from the fiscal estimate requirement under par. (a) but shall, if they contain a
4provision affecting a public retirement fund or, providing a tax exemption, or
5imposing a mandate, as defined in s. 13.59 (1) (b)
, be analyzed as to those provisions
6by the respective joint survey committee or the joint committee on state mandates.
7If such a bill imposes a mandate, as defined in s. 13.59 (1) (b), the bill shall be
8simultaneously referred to the joint committee on state mandates and the joint
9committee on finance
. If such a bill contains a provision providing a tax exemption,
10the bill shall be simultaneously referred to the joint survey committee on tax
11exemptions and the joint committee on finance. The report of the joint survey
12committee on tax exemptions shall be prepared within 60 days of introduction for
13bills introduced under s. 16.47 (1).
AB229,2 14Section 2 . 13.59 of the statutes is created to read:
AB229,2,15 1513.59 Joint committee on state mandates. (1) Definitions. In this section:
AB229,3,1
1(a) “Local governmental unit" has the meaning given in s. 19.42 (7u).
AB229,3,42 (b) “Mandate," except in sub. (6), means a statutory provision placing a
3requirement on a local governmental unit and, in sub. (6), has the meaning given in
4s. 227.112 (1) (b).
AB229,3,10 5(2) Creation. There is created a joint committee on state mandates, consisting
6of 3 majority party and 2 minority party senators and 3 majority party and 2 minority
7party representatives to the assembly appointed as are the members of standing
8committees in their respective houses. At least one member of the majority party of
9each house who is appointed to the joint committee on state mandates must also be
10a member of the joint committee on finance.
AB229,3,12 11(3) Committee procedures. (a) The committee shall meet at the call of its
12cochairpersons.
AB229,3,1413 (b) All actions of the committee require the approval of a majority of all of the
14members.
AB229,3,15 15(4) Powers and duties. (a) The committee shall do all of the following:
AB229,3,1716 1. Provide the legislature with a report under sub. (5) concerning each bill that
17would impose a mandate.
AB229,3,1918 2. On a regular basis, review existing mandates and evaluate their desirability
19as a matter of public policy, cost-effectiveness, and financial responsibility.
AB229,3,2020 (b) The committee may make investigations and hold hearings.
AB229,4,3 21(5) Report. (a) Upon the introduction in either house of the legislature of a bill
22that would impose a mandate, the bill shall at once be referred to the joint committee
23on state mandates by the presiding officer, unless the presiding officer determines
24that the mandate has a minimal fiscal effect on local governmental units. The bill
25may not be considered further by either house or any other committee until the

1earlier of 30 days after referral or the time at which the joint committee on state
2mandates submits a written report, to the chief clerk of the house in which the bill
3is introduced, doing all of the following:
AB229,4,54 1. Describing the fiscal effect on state government and on local governmental
5units of the mandate contained in the bill.
AB229,4,66 2. Identifying the objective of the mandate contained in the bill.
AB229,4,87 3. Determining whether it is possible to achieve the objective without imposing
8a mandate.
AB229,4,109 4. Determining whether the mandate contained in the bill is state-imposed or
10is addressing a requirement imposed by the federal government.
AB229,4,1511 5. Explaining the effect of the mandate contained in the bill on the revenues
12and expenditures of state government and local governmental units, including an
13explanation as to whether unrestricted or restricted state aid, grants, or tax benefits
14are currently being provided or potentially available under existing law to meet the
15costs of the mandate.
AB229,4,1716 6. Identifying whether the mandate contained in the bill has a recurring or
17nonrecurring impact.
AB229,4,2018 7. Identifying any method of reimbursement for any costs of the mandate
19contained in the bill or any method of waiver or appeal of the requirements contained
20in the mandate.
AB229,4,2221 8. Addressing whether it is appropriate to consider an expiration date for the
22mandate contained in the bill.
AB229,4,2423 9. Addressing the desirability of the mandate contained in the bill as a matter
24of public policy.
AB229,5,2
110. Providing any other information that the committee considers to be
2appropriate.
AB229,5,83 (b) If the committee's report concludes that the bill has a negative
4uncompensated fiscal effect on local governmental units, and that the mandate
5contained in the bill is wholly state-imposed, the committee shall prepare and offer
6an amendment to the bill that increases the amount of the appropriation under s.
720.505 (1) (bm) or such other appropriation designated in the amendment and
8creates any other provisions required by s. 13.591 (2).
AB229,5,119 (c) The report under par. (a) shall be reproduced as an appendix to the bill and
10attached to it as are amendments. The reproduction shall be in lieu of inclusion in
11the daily journal of the house in which the bill is introduced.
AB229,5,15 12(6) Identification of mandates. (a) The legislative fiscal bureau shall identify
13all mandates, other than mandates that have a minimal fiscal effect, existing on the
14effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], and submit that information
15to the joint committee on state mandates by January 1, 2021.
AB229,5,1816 (b) The committee shall introduce one or more bills amending the statutes in
17each house of the legislature repealing all mandates that are wholly state-imposed
18and that have a negative uncompensated fiscal effect on local governmental units.
AB229,3 19Section 3 . 13.591 of the statutes is created to read:
AB229,5,21 2013.591 Funding of state-imposed mandates. (1) Definition. In this
21section, “mandate" has the meaning set forth in s. 13.59 (1) (b).
AB229,6,4 22(2) Appropriation increase. The legislature may not enact a bill on or after the
23effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], that contains a mandate
24unless the bill has had a public hearing before the joint committee on state mandates
25or contains an appropriation to provide for reimbursement under s. 16.59 for the

1current fiscal biennium, and requires that an appropriation be provided in all
2subsequent fiscal years in which the mandate is imposed, by the applicable amount
3specified in the report prepared under s. 13.59 (5), to provide for reimbursement
4under s. 16.59.
AB229,6,9 5(3) Enforcement prohibited if unfunded. If a bill that contains a mandate is
6enacted after the effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], and is not
7in compliance with sub. (2), or if the legislature does not provide an appropriation
8as required by sub. (2) for the mandate, the mandate contained in the enacted bill
9may not be enforced until the required appropriation is provided.
AB229,6,16 10(4) Existing unfunded mandates. If the joint committee on state mandates
11determines that a law enacted or rule promulgated on or before the effective date of
12this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], contains a mandate that is wholly
13state-imposed and that has a negative uncompensated fiscal effect on local
14governmental units, the committee shall introduce a bill in each house of the
15legislature repealing the law or making the rule ineffective unless the committee
16determines that the uncompensated fiscal effect is minimal.
AB229,4 17Section 4 . 16.59 of the statutes is created to read:
AB229,6,18 1816.59 State funding of mandates. (1) In this section:
AB229,6,1919 (a) “Local governmental unit" has the meaning given in s. 19.42 (7u).
AB229,6,2020 (b) “Mandate" has the meaning given in s. 227.112 (1) (b).
AB229,7,4 21(2) From the appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (bm) or such other
22appropriations designated by law for such purpose, on the basis of the report
23prepared under s. 13.59 (5) and other relevant information available to the
24department, the department shall reimburse local governmental units for their
25approximate costs not otherwise funded by the state that are attributable to

1mandates that are subject to the funding requirements under s. 13.591 or 227.112.
2Reimbursements under this subsection shall be made on an annual basis and shall
3be accompanied by a statement identifying each mandate for which reimbursement
4is made and the amount of reimbursement for each mandate.
AB229,5 5Section 5 . 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
6the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table PDF
AB229,6 7Section 6 . 20.505 (1) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:
AB229,7,108 20.505 (1) (bm) State funding of mandates. As a continuing appropriation, the
9amounts in the schedule to reimburse local governmental units as provided under
10s. 16.59.
AB229,7 11Section 7 . 227.112 of the statutes is created to read:
AB229,7,12 12227.112 State funding of mandates. (1) In this section:
AB229,7,1313 (a) “Local governmental unit" has the meaning given in s. 19.42 (7u).
AB229,7,1814 (b) “Mandate" has the meaning given in s. 13.59 (1) (b), but also includes a
15provision in a rule placing a requirement on a local governmental unit. The term
16does not include any rule provision that relates to employment discrimination or the
17compensation, benefits, leave, collective bargaining rights, or conditions of
18employment of employees or retirees of a local governmental unit.
AB229,8,9 19(2) An agency may not promulgate a rule or take an action on or after the
20effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], that imposes a mandate, other

1than a mandate that has a minimal fiscal effect, and shall not, on or after the effective
2date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], take an action required by a law
3enacted on or after the effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], if the
4action would impose a mandate, other than a mandate that has a minimal fiscal
5effect, unless there is a sufficient amount in the appropriation account under s.
620.505 (1) (bm) or such other appropriations designated by law for such purpose for
7providing reimbursement under s. 16.59 to local governmental units for their
8approximate costs that are attributable to the mandate without jeopardizing
9reimbursement under s. 16.59 for other mandates.
AB229,8,1010 (End)
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