(h) A volunteer fire fighter or emergency medical technician who has not met all of the vesting requirements under the program shall forfeit his or her accrued years of volunteer fire fighting or emergency medical technical service if he or she should cease providing volunteer fire fighting or emergency medical technical services for a municipality for a period of 6 months or more, unless he or she has been granted a leave of absence by his or her supervisor.
(i) 1. The beneficiary of a volunteer fire fighter or emergency medical technician who is killed in the line of duty shall be paid a length of service award either in a lump sum or in a manner specified by rule, consisting of all municipal and state contributions made on behalf of the volunteer fire fighter or emergency medical technician and all earnings on the contributions, less any expenses incurred in the investment of the contributions and earnings.
2. A volunteer fire fighter or emergency medical technician who becomes disabled during his or her service as a volunteer fire fighter or emergency medical technician for the municipality shall be paid a length of service award either in a lump sum or in a manner specified by rule, in an amount to be determined by the board.
(j) The account of any volunteer fire fighter or emergency medical technician who has not met all of the vesting requirements under the program, who has not provided volunteer fire fighting or emergency medical technical services for a municipality for a period of 6 months or more and who has not been granted a leave of absence by his or her supervisor shall be closed.
(k) The board shall equitably allocate all moneys in accounts of volunteer fire fighters and emergency medical technicians that have been forfeited or closed to the accounts of volunteer fire fighters and emergency medical technicians that have not been forfeited or closed.
(4) (a) The board shall establish by rule the requirements for, and the qualifications of, the individuals and organizations in the private sector that are eligible to provide administrative services and investment plans under the program, other than services funded from the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (ec). In establishing the requirements and qualifications, the board shall develop criteria of financial stability that each individual and organization must meet in order to offer the services and plans under the program.
(b) The board may contract with any individual or organization in the private sector that seeks to provide administrative services and investment plans required for the program, other than services funded from the appropriation under s. 20.505 (4) (ec), if the individual or organization fulfills the requirements and has the qualifications established by the board under par. (a). Section 16.72 (2) (b) does not apply to any such contract.
(5) The board shall establish by rule a process by which a volunteer fire fighter or emergency medical technician may appeal to the board any decision made by the department or by an individual or organization under contract with the board under sub. (4) that affects a substantial interest of the volunteer fire fighter or emergency medical technician under the program.
(6) Annually, on or before December 31, the board shall submit a report to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) describing the activities of the board.
105,4
Section
4. 16.705 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
16.705 (1m) Subsection (1) does not apply to contracts entered into by the volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award board under s. 16.25 (4) (b).
105,5
Section
5. 16.71 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
16.71 (5) The department shall delegate authority to the volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award board to enter into contracts under s. 16.25 (4) (b).
16.72 (2) (b) Except as provided in ss. 16.25 (4) (b), 16.751 and 565.25 (2) (a) 4., the department shall prepare or review specifications for all materials, supplies, equipment, other permanent personal property and contractual services not purchased under standard specifications. Such "nonstandard specifications" may be generic or performance specifications, or both, prepared to describe in detail the article which the state desires to purchase either by its physical properties or programmatic utility. When appropriate for such nonstandard items or services, trade names may be used to identify what the state requires, but wherever possible 2 or more trade names shall be designated and the trade name of any Wisconsin producer, distributor or supplier shall appear first.
105,7
Section
7. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
-
See PDF for table 
105,8
Section
8. 20.505 (4) (ec) of the statutes is created to read:
20.505 (4) (ec) Volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award program; general program operations. The amounts in the schedule for general program operations of the volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award board and to reimburse the department of administration for all services provided by the department to the board.
105,9
Section
9. 20.505 (4) (er) of the statutes is created to read:
20.505 (4) (er) Volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award program; state matching awards. A sum sufficient to make the payments required under s. 16.25 (3) (d). The amount appropriated under this paragraph may not exceed $2,000,000 in a fiscal year.
105,10
Section
10
.
Nonstatutory provisions.
(1) Volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award board. Notwithstanding the length of terms specified for the members of the volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award board under section 15.105 (26) (a) of the statutes, as created by this act, the initial members shall be appointed for the following terms:
(a) The member specified under section 15.105 (26) (a) 1. of the statutes, as created by this act, and one member specified under section 15.105 (26) (a) 4. of the statutes, as created by this act, for terms expiring on May 1, 2002.
(b) The member specified under section 15.105 (26) (a) 2. of the statutes, as created by this act, and one member specified under section 15.105 (26) (a) 4. of the statutes, as created by this act, for terms expiring on May 1, 2003.
(c) The member specified under section 15.105 (26) (a) 3. of the statutes, as created by this act, one member specified under section 15.105 (26) (a) 4. of the statutes, as created by this act, and the member specified in section 15.105 (26) (a) 5. of the statutes, as created by this act, for terms expiring on May 1, 2004.
(2) Authorized positions for volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award program. The authorized FTE positions for the department of administration are increased by 1.0 GPR project position, to be funded from the appropriation under section 20.505 (4) (ec) of the statutes, as created by this act, for the period ending on June 30, 2001, for the purpose of establishing the volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award program under section 16.25 of the statutes, as created by this act.
(3) Rules for volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award program.
(a) Emergency rules. Using the procedure under section 227.24 of the statutes, the volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award board may promulgate rules required under section 16.25 of the statutes, as created by this act, for the period before permanent rules become effective, but not to exceed the period authorized under section 227.24 (1) (c) and (2) of the statutes. Notwithstanding section 227.24 (1) (a), (2) (b) and (3) of the statutes, the board is not required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule under this subsection as an emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule promulgated under this subsection.
(b) State contributions. The emergency fire fighter and emergency medical technician service award board may not promulgate any rule that permits the board to make the adjustment described under section 16.25 (3) (d) of the statutes, as created by this act, before June 30, 2002.
