This bill authorizes DOR to require electronic funds transfer of amounts
withheld for individual income tax purposes if an employer is required to submit
those amounts monthly or more frequently, of sales taxes if a retailer is required to
pay those taxes on the 20th day of the month after they are collected, of cigarette
taxes if the tax is $20,000 or more for the reporting period and of estimated payments
of the corporate franchise tax if the instalment is $20,000 or more. The bill also
allows DOR to prescribe other methods of paying taxes, filing forms and
authenticating documents for other taxpayers.
Transportation
Highways
This bill increases the authorized level of revenue bonding for major highway
projects and transportation administrative facilities from $1,123,638,100 to
$1,263,424,800, of which not more than $1,220,499,900 may be used to fund such
projects and facilities.
Current law requires that any major highway project, unlike other construction
projects undertaken by the department of transportation (DOT), receive the
approval of the transportation projects commission (TPC) and the legislature before
the project may be constructed. A major highway project is a project having a total
cost of more than $5,000,000 and involving construction of a new highway 2.5 miles
or more in length; reconstruction or reconditioning of an existing highway that
relocates at least 2.5 miles of the highway or adds one or more lanes 5 miles or more
in length to the highway; or improvement of an existing multilane divided highway
to freeway standards.
This bill adds 6 major highway projects recommended by TPC to the list of 69
projects already approved for construction.
Drivers
Under current law, most drivers' licenses and identification cards (ID cards)
issued by DOT must be renewed every 4 years. This bill increases the renewal period
of a driver's license or ID card from 4 to 6 years. The bill increases related fees as
follows:
1. For initial issuance of a regular driver's license, from $15 to $18; for renewal,
from $10 to $18.
2. For initial issuance or renewal of a license to operate commercial motor
vehicles (primarily large trucks and buses), from $32 to $48.
3. For initial issuance of a license to operate most motorcycles, from $4 to $9;
for renewal, from $4 to $6.
4. For initial issuance or renewal of an ID card, from $4 to $9.
The bill also increases the biennial registration fee for motorcycles and mopeds
that weigh less than 1,500 pounds from $20 to $23.
Under current law, a person under the age of 19 is prohibited from driving or
operating a motor vehicle if the person has any alcohol in his or her blood. This bill
changes that age to the legal drinking age, which is currently 21.
Under current law, applicants for a driver's license are required to take a road
test. This bill permits DOT, by rule, to waive the road test of an applicant for a
regular driver's license who is under 18 years of age if the applicant has completed
an enhanced driver education course, approved by DOT, if the applicant has satisfied
the driving skills requirements of the course, and if the applicant has also completed
a specified number of hours of additional driving time while accompanied by a
qualified instructor or a licensed person at least 25 years of age with not less than
2 years of licensed experience. The applicant's parent, stepparent or other adult
sponsor must certify that the applicant has satisfactorily completed this additional
driving time.
Under current law, DOT may contract with 3rd-party testers to conduct road
tests for commercial motor vehicle drivers, abbreviated road tests for school bus
drivers and special examinations for school bus drivers. This bill permits DOT to
contract with 3rd-party testers to conduct road tests for noncommercial motor
vehicle drivers, except road tests for authorization to operate certain motorcycles.
Currently, if a court imposes a fine or forfeiture (civil monetary penalty) on a
person convicted of an offense related to driving while under the influence of an
intoxicant, the court must impose a driver improvement surcharge of $300.
Approximately 70% of the revenue from that surcharge is kept by the county where
the conviction occurred and the remainder is forwarded to the state treasurer. Part
of that state money is used for state driver improvement programs and part is
distributed by the department of health and family services to counties for driver
treatment programs.
This bill increases the driver improvement surcharge by $15 and appropriates
a portion of the surcharge to DOT for the purchase and maintenance of breath
screening instruments.
This bill increases the annual fee for a driver school instructor's license from
$5 to $25 and increases the fee for a driver school license (paid by the operator of the
school) from $25 to $75 and to $95 after August 31, 1998.
Under current law, a nonresident who wishes to reinstate his or her Wisconsin
operating privilege after a period of revocation must file proof of financial
responsibility with DOT (proof of the nonresident's ability to respond in damages for
liability arising from his or her use of a motor vehicle). This bill eliminates this
requirement.
Current law generally requires drivers to remain at least 500 feet behind
authorized emergency vehicles, including police cars, fire trucks and ambulances,
that are responding to a call or alarm. This bill prohibits a driver from following
closer than 200 feet behind a snowplow that is engaged in the removal or treatment
of snow or ice upon a highway.
Motor vehicles
Current law specifically requires, with limited exceptions, that the owner of a
motor vehicle register the vehicle with DOT if the vehicle is subject to registration
in this state. This bill requires the lessee of a motor vehicle to register the vehicle
with DOT unless the lease period is less than one year. The bill imposes on the lessee
the same vehicle registration and financial responsibility duties that currently apply
to the vehicle owner, but does not permit the vehicle to be impounded under the
financial responsibility laws of this state.
Current law imposes upon the owner of a motor vehicle liability for certain
traffic and parking violations, including fleeing a traffic officer, illegally passing a
school bus or crossing a controlled school crossing, and parking in areas reserved for
vehicles used by physically disabled persons. This bill imposes liability on the lessee
of a vehicle if the vehicle is registered, or is required to be registered, by the lessee.
The bill also provides that certain provisions relating to vehicle removal, seizure,
impoundment, immobilization, towing or storage, or to the seizure of vehicle parts,
also apply to the lessee.
Under current law, DOT issues and delivers a certificate of title to the owner
of a motor vehicle upon receipt of an application and the fee required for titling the
vehicle. However, if a secured party holds legal title to a vehicle, the debtor is
considered the owner of the vehicle and the certificate of title is issued and delivered
to the debtor if the debtor has the immediate right of possession of the vehicle.
This bill requires DOT, if there is a perfected security interest in a motor
vehicle, to deliver the certificate of title to the secured party having the primary
perfected security interest in the vehicle. DOT may deliver a certificate of title by
electronic transmission. The bill also permits an application for a certificate of title
and related forms to be in an automated format.
Under current law, with specific exceptions, a person suffering damage caused
by the negligent operation of a motor vehicle that is owned and operated by a political
subdivision of this state may file a claim for damages and commence a lawsuit
against that political subdivision. Under this bill, a political subdivision is not liable
for damages caused by the operation of a snowplow if the damage occurred while the
snowplow was engaged in the removal or treatment of snow or ice.
Currently, most motor vehicle registrants may obtain for their vehicles special
license plates that identify the bearer as affiliated with a special group. No
additional fee is assessed to issue or reissue special plates associated with
endangered resources, but an additional fee of $15 is assessed to issue or reissue
special plates related to certain campuses of the University of Wisconsin System and
an additional fee of $10 is assessed to issue or reissue all other special plates. This
bill provides that an additional fee of $15 is assessed for the issuance or reissuance
of all special plates, including endangered resources special plates.
In addition, current law assesses fees of $5 or $10 for issuance or reissuance of
license plates that identify the registrant as an ex-prisoner of war, national guard
member, amateur radio station licensee or collector of special interest vehicles. This
bill increases to $15 the fee to issue or reissue these license plates.
Under current law, a person who is required to demonstrate proof of financial
responsibility for the future with respect to the operation of motor vehicles must
submit or have submitted a written certification of insurance to DOT. This bill
provides that, if an insurer submits more than 1,000 such certifications (or
recertifications) of insurance in any year, the insurer must pay to DOT a transaction
fee of $1.50 per certification or recertification that is not transmitted electronically
to DOT.
Current law prescribes an annual vehicle registration fee of $12 for a mobile
home that is 25 feet or less in length, and $18 for a mobile home that is more than
25 feet in length. The annual vehicle registration fee for a camping trailer that
weighs more than 3,000 pounds is the same as the fee for a mobile home of the same
length.
This bill establishes a single annual vehicle registration fee of $15 for a mobile
home that is 45 feet or less in length and for a camping trailer that weighs more than
3,000 pounds.
The bill also prohibits DOT from registering or initially titling mobile homes
that are more than 45 feet in length. The effect is that security interests given in
these mobile homes must be perfected by filing a financing statement with the
department of financial institutions, instead of DOT.
Current law prescribes a $5 annual registration fee for a semitrailer that
weighs more than 3,000 pounds, that is owned by or leased to a farmer and that is
used exclusively to transport farming supplies or produce. This bill allows such a
semitrailer to be permanently registered for $50, except that the owner of a
semitrailer currently registered under the annual registration fee may permanently
register the semitrailer for $5.
Current law requires DOT to issue distinctive license plates for driver
education vehicles. This bill eliminates this requirement.
Transportation aids
Current federal law authorizes the U.S. department of transportation to
distribute $150,000,000 in federal funds to up to 10 states accepted to participate in
a transportation infrastructure bank pilot program. Federal funds, matched by a
25% contribution of funds from the participating state, may be provided by the state
to cities, villages, towns and counties (political subdivisions) to assist with highway
and transit capital projects. Such assistance may be provided in the form of loans,
credit enhancements, interest rate subsidies or similar financial assistance.
This bill creates a transportation infrastructure loan and assistance program
to be administered by DOT, with the approval of the department of administration
(DOA), to provide loans and other financial assistance to political subdivisions for
highway and transit capital projects. Recipients must repay any loans or assistance
provided by this state under the program. The bill authorizes DOT to receive federal
grants designated for the program, to meet federal requirements for contributions
of state funds to the program and to issue $100 in revenue bonds for the program.
The bill requires DOT and DOA to promulgate rules, consistent with applicable
federal requirements, that establish eligibility criteria for applicants and projects
and that establish the terms and conditions of loans and assistance under the
program.
The bill also creates a segregated fund, called the transportation infrastructure
loan fund, consisting of all moneys related to the program.
This bill allows DOT to make aid payments to a professional baseball park
district for the state's share of costs for the development of transportation-related
facilities, including highways and bridges, associated with the construction of a new
stadium to be used by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Rail and air transportation
Under current law, the state may issue up to $14,500,000 in general obligation
bonds for the acquisition of rail property and for grants and loans awarded by DOT
for certain rail property acquisitions and improvements. This bill increases this
authorized bonding limit to $19,000,000.
Under current law, the office of the commissioner of railroads (OCR) is
primarily funded by collections of annual assessments against railroads. The
assessments are based on expenditures of OCR, but may not exceed an amount equal
to 1.75% of the prior year's gross operating revenues of the railroads that are derived
from intrastate operations.
This bill bases the annual assessments collected from railroads not on the
expenditures of OCR, but on an amount equal to 1.75% of the prior year's gross
operating revenues of the railroads that are derived from intrastate operations. Any
balance remaining after funding the operations of OCR is required to be used for
railroad crossing protection improvements.
Under current law, DOT administers a rail passenger service assistance and
promotion program. Under the program, DOT may contract with Amtrak and other
railroads. DOT may also contract for marketing studies and promotional activities,
subject to a local matching contribution requirement.
This bill makes changes in the program by permitting DOT to do any of the
following:
1. Acquire equipment and to sell or lease the equipment.
2. Enter into agreements with other states to assist or promote rail passenger
service.
3. Contract with other persons with respect to rail passenger service. The bill
also allows DOT to enter into contracts with respect to rail passenger service without
competitive bidding or competitive sealed proposals.
4. Conduct marketing studies and promotional activities related to rail
passenger service. The bill also eliminates the local matching contribution
requirement with respect to contracts for marketing studies or promotional
activities.
This bill increases from $12,000,000 to $15,000,000 this state's authority to
issue general obligation bonds to finance grants awarded by DOT for harbor
improvements.
Under current law, DOT administers several programs related to aesthetic and
qualitative enhancements of transportation facilities. This bill creates a
transportation enhancement activities program, to be administered consistent with
federal regulations that govern the use of federal funds for such activities.
Under current law, DOT maintains a state traffic patrol to enforce and assist
in the administration of traffic and parking laws. Among other duties, the state
traffic patrol currently provides escort services, for a reasonable charge, to oversize
or overweight vehicles traveling upon a highway whenever such an escort is
considered necessary.
This bill allows DOT to impose a fee for security and traffic enforcement
services provided by the state traffic patrol at any public event that charges
spectators an admission fee, if the event is organized by a private organization.
Veterans and military affairs
Currently, a veteran is eligible for loans of up to $5,000 under the economic
assistance loan program for the purchase of numerous items, including a business,
the education of the veteran or his or her children and for repairing or adding to his
or her business or property. Current law also provides for loans of up to $15,000 to
veterans under the veterans trust fund stabilization loan program for the purchase
of a mobile home, the payment of medical or funeral expenses, consolidation of debt
or for the items included in the economic assistance loan program.
This bill abolishes these 2 programs and instead establishes a veterans
personal loan program to make loans to veterans and veterans' dependents for some
of the items covered in the 2 abolished programs. The bill limits a loan to $15,000,
or a lesser amount if established by the department of veterans affairs (DVA) by rule,
and eliminates use of the loans for home additions or garage construction. Under the
new program, a veteran's remarried surviving spouse or the parent of a deceased
veteran's children may receive a loan for the education of certain children of the
veteran.
Currently, veterans applying for an economic assistance loan are subject to an
income limit of $36,600 plus $500 for each dependent in excess of 2 dependents. This
new loan program has no income limit. Currently, mortgage loans to veterans are
provided from the veterans mortgage loan repayment fund. This bill permits DVA
to loan moneys from the veterans mortgage loan repayment fund to the veterans
trust fund in order to provide loans to veterans under the veterans trust fund loan
stabilization program (renamed the veterans personal loan program under the bill).
Currently DVA makes loans to veterans for the purchase of a mobile home, a
home, rehabilitation of a home, and other home-related improvements. This bill
prohibits DVA from making a loan under this program for the purchase of a home
that exceeds 2.5 times the median price of a home in this state.
Currently, all loans under this program must be secured by a mortgage on the
real estate involved. This bill requires loans of $3,000 or less to be secured by a
guarantor or by a mortgage on the real estate involved.
