Under current law, the PSC may, under certain circumstances, obtain from any
public utility any information necessary for the PSC to perform its duties and may
order a public utility to produce certain records. Under this bill, the PSC may require
a telecommunications utility to submit information only if the PSC reduces, to the
extent practicable, any burden on the telecommunications utility that results from
complying with the requirement. In addition, a telecommunications utility is not
required to provide information to the PSC unless the PSC certifies that the
information is necessary for the PSC to enforce a statutory requirement and that the
information is not unnecessarily duplicative of information that is already in the
PSC's possession.
Also under current law, the PSC is allowed to withhold from public inspection
any information that aids a competitor of a public utility. Under this bill, the PSC
is required to withhold such information from public inspection. Under the bill, the
PSC is also required to withhold from public inspection any information that is
designated as confidential by a public utility that may aid a competitor of the public
utility.
Under current law, a tariff filed with the PSC in which a telecommunications
utility offers either a new telecommunications service or promotional rates may not
take effect until ten days after the tariff is filed. Under certain specified
circumstances, the PSC may also suspend the effectiveness of such a tariff. This bill
provides that such a tariff is effective on the date specified in the tariff, unless the
PSC suspends the effectiveness of the tariff as allowed under current law.
Other state government
State building program
This bill enumerates in the 1999-2001 state building program a full-scale
aquaculture demonstration facility to be built at Ashland and to be operated by the
board of regents of the UW System.
Wisconsin election campaign fund supplement
Currently, a candidate for legislative office at the general election or a special
election may qualify to receive a grant from the Wisconsin election campaign fund
to finance certain campaign expenses. The maximum amount of the grant that is
available to such a candidate may be reduced if the balance in the legislative and
special election campaign account does not contain sufficient money to provide all
eligible candidates who apply and qualify for grants with the maximum grants to
which the candidates are entitled. The amount of money in the legislative and
special election campaign account and the other accounts of the Wisconsin election
campaign fund depends in part upon the number of designations made to the fund
by individuals filing income tax returns.
This bill transfers $750,000 in general purpose revenue into the legislative and
special election campaign account in fiscal year 2000-01. The bill also directs the
secretary of administration to submit proposed legislation relating to campaign
finance reform and composition of the elections board to the cochairpersons of JCF
no later than April 1, 1999.
State land information system
Currently, DOA may develop and maintain a geographic information system
relating to land in this state. Currently, the land information board directs and
supervises the state land information program. The board is abolished effective
September 1, 2003. Prior to September 1, 2003, counties must transfer to the land
information board a portion of the fees collected by registers of deeds for recording
documents. Revenue from these fees supports the operation of the board and the
remainder is used to provide grants to counties for land records modernization
projects.
This bill directs the land information board to transfer a portion of this fee
revenue, prior to September 1, 2003, to DOA for the purpose of developing and
maintaining a computer-based Wisconsin land information system, without
direction or supervision from the board. Under the bill, DOA continues to be
responsible for the development and maintenance of the system on and after
September 1, 2003, but the bill provides no specific funding for this purpose.
The bill also authorizes DOA to conduct soil surveys and soil mapping
activities. Under the bill, DOA may assess any state agency any amount that it
determines to be required to conduct the surveys and mapping activities. In
addition, the bill permits DOA to contract with BCPL to conduct soil surveys and soil
mapping activities on lands under the jurisdiction of BCPL.
State grants for local governmental planning
This bill permits DOA to award grants to counties, cities, villages, towns and
regional planning commissions to finance the cost of planning activities, including
contracting for planning consultant services, public planning sessions and other
planning outreach and educational activities, or to purchase computerized planning
data, planning software or the hardware required to utilize that data or software.
The grants are funded by federal moneys provided to this state for
transportation-related planning activities. DOA must require any local
governmental unit that receives a grant to finance at least 20% of the cost of the
product or service to be funded by that grant from its own resources. All proposed
expenditures to be made under any grant are subject to the written approval of the
secretary of transportation.
National and community service board functions
Under current law, the national and community service board, attached to
DOA, uses federal moneys and moneys that it receives from gifts, grants and
bequests to assist persons who operate service programs that address unmet human,
educational, environmental or public safety needs. Under this bill, the board is
attached to the department of health and family services.
Currently, the national and community service board awards Wisconsin
promise challenge grants to countywide consortia of public and private entities that
provide resources to underserved youth. This program expires on January 1, 2000.
The bill transfers administration of this program to DOA.
Penalty assessments
With certain exceptions, current law imposes a penalty assessment on any
person who is ordered to pay a fine or forfeiture for violating a state law or a local
ordinance. The penalty assessment is set at 23% of the total amount of the fines or
forfeitures imposed for the violation. The moneys collected from penalty
assessments are credited directly to various appropriation accounts based on a
statutory formula and the appropriation accounts specify the purposes for which the
moneys may be used. These purposes include: 1) training for local law enforcement
officers and state correctional officers; 2) purchase of crime laboratory equipment;
3) matching federal funds provided for various law enforcement programs; 4)
county-tribal law enforcement projects; 5) diversion of youth from gang activities;
and 6) alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and treatment for minors.
This bill provides that, instead of being credited to specific appropriation
accounts based on a statutory formula, all moneys collected from penalty
assessments are credited to a single appropriation account in the office of justice
assistance in DOA. Specified amounts of the moneys in this appropriation account
are then transferred to other appropriation accounts to be used for the same purposes
as under current law, except that under the bill no penalty assessment moneys are
provided to fund county-tribal law enforcement projects. Under the bill,
county-tribal law enforcement projects are funded using revenue that the state
receives under Indian gaming compacts. The bill also allows penalty assessment
moneys to be used for several new purposes, including information technology
systems for DOC, automated justice information systems and reimbursement to
counties for the costs of providing crime victim and witness services.
Resource recovery and recycling
This bill eliminates a requirement for DOA to maintain a clearinghouse of
information regarding products made from recycled or recovered materials for
purchase by state agencies and authorities. The bill also repeals an appropriation
to DOA from the recycling fund to finance DOA's recycling procurement
specifications functions and administration of the recycled materials clearinghouse.
State master lease program
Currently, DOA may enter into a master lease for the lease of goods or the
provision of services on behalf of one or more state agencies. This procedure may be
used in lieu of direct procurement of goods or services and in some cases is used to
finance the acquisition of goods by the state.
This bill permits DOA to use a master lease to obtain any property (real or
personal) or services on behalf of a state agency, except that DOA may not use a
master lease to obtain facilities for use or occupancy by the state or to obtain internal
improvements (public works). The bill also permits DOA to use a master lease to
obtain any property or services related to public safety functions on behalf of a local
government.
Currently, DOA may undertake energy conservation construction projects.
These projects are different from other state building projects in that they are
undertaken outside the authorized state building program and are not subject to
public notice and bidding requirements. Under such a project, the contractor
guarantees energy savings to be realized by the state in a stated amount within a
specified period, and, if the savings are not realized by the state within that period,
the contractor need not be paid by the state for any difference between the amount
guaranteed in the contract and the actual savings realized when the state pays for
the construction project. Currently, the contractor must finance construction of any
project at its own expense.
Under this bill, the state or the contractor may finance the cost of construction.
If the state finances the cost of construction and the savings resulting from the
construction within the period specified in the audit are less than the amount
specified in the contract, the contractor must remit the difference to the state. The
bill provides that, if a master lease is used to finance payments to be made to a
contractor who is engaged in such a construction project, the payments under the
lease may not be conditioned upon any payment required to be made by the
contractor resulting from the contractor's guarantee.
Glass ceiling initiative
This bill creates a glass ceiling board, which is attached to DOA for
administrative purposes, and directs the board to do all of the following:
1. Administer a Governor's Glass Ceiling Award Program to recognize annually
Wisconsin businesses and organizations that advance or promote the advancement
of women and minority group members to upper-level management positions.
2. Disseminate information to employers on glass ceiling issues and effective
programs that have helped eliminate barriers to the promotion of women and
minority group members to upper-level management positions.
3. Identify businesses and industries that provide exceptional opportunities for
women and minority group members to advance to upper-level management
positions, and, whenever appropriate, promote the expansion of such businesses and
industries in this state.
4. Actively promote the appointment of qualified women and minority group
members to public and private governing bodies.
Ethics and lobbying law counsel
This bill permits the governor, upon request of the ethics board, to employ
special counsel for the purpose of assisting the board in investigating or prosecuting
an alleged violation of the lobbying regulation law or the code of ethics for state public
officials and employes. The special counsel is paid from a sum sufficient
appropriation for the compensation of special counsel. Currently, neither the
governor nor the ethics board is authorized to employ special counsel for this
purpose.
Cultural arts authorities
This bill directs the legislative reference bureau (LRB) to prepare a bill draft
creating cultural arts authorities, based on instructions provided by DOA. The
secretary of administration must submit the bill to the cochairpersons of JCF no later
than April 1, 1999.
Sales of tobacco to minors
This bill requires the LRB to prepare legislation, based on final drafting
instructions submitted by DOA no later than March 1, 1999, authorizing the
development of a statewide protocol for licensing authorities and law enforcement
agencies in conducting compliance surveys to determine the prevalence of illegal
retail sales of tobacco products to underage persons. The bill requires the secretary
of administration to submit the proposed legislation to the cochairpersons of JCF not
later than April 1, 1999.
Transitional housing grants
Under current law, DOA may award grants that do not exceed $50,000 each to
counties and municipalities, community action agencies and private, nonprofit
organizations for the purpose of providing housing and associated support services
to homeless families and individuals. This bill removes the dollar limit on the grants
so that a grant of any size may be awarded.
Representation by department of justice
Currently, if requested to do so by the head of a state agency, the department
of justice (DOJ) defends that agency or any state officer, employe or agent of that
agency in a civil action brought against the agency or person for an act arising out
of his or her official duties. In addition to receiving general program revenue, the
attorney general is paid by state agencies for the legal services provided under
contracts or understandings between DOJ and the other agencies.
This bill appropriates to DOJ any money that is received by DOJ as the result
of a contract or understanding between DOJ and another state agency that is
approved by JCF or as part of the biennial budget act. Any money collected by DOJ
under a contract or understanding with a state agency that is not approved by JCF
or as part of the biennial budget act is not directly appropriated to DOJ. In addition,
the bill provides that a state agency may not be charged for legal services provided
to that agency by DOJ if DOJ is not required by statute to provide legal services to
that agency and if that agency does not have a contract or understanding with DOJ
that is approved by JCF or as part of the biennial budget act.
State employe addresses and telephone numbers
Under current law, any person may inspect, copy or receive a copy of a public
record unless the record is specifically exempted from access under state or federal
law or authorized to be withheld from access under state law, or unless the custodian
of the record demonstrates that the harm done to the public interest by providing
access to the record outweighs the strong public interest in providing access.
This bill specifically authorizes the custodian of any record of a state
governmental unit to withhold from access information contained in a record of the
governmental unit pertaining to the home address or home telephone number of any
employe of that governmental unit.
Expenditure authority of department of administration
Currently, general purpose revenue is appropriated to DOA in separate
appropriations for general program operations and for the operation of the state
prosecution system (compensation of district attorneys and their deputies and
assistants). This bill consolidates those appropriations.
Currently, program revenue is appropriated to DOA in four separate
appropriations for: 1) transportation services; 2) printing, mail distribution and
record services; 3) financial services; and 4) other services, except building
construction services, telecommunications and data processing services,
information technology services and projects and Wisconsin land council services.
The revenue is derived from moneys received from other state agencies. This bill
consolidates those four appropriations.
Under the consolidations, revenue collected for one purpose may be used by
DOA for a different purpose within the same appropriation account, subject to the
intent of the governor, JCF and legislature, as specified in various budgetary
documents.
Funding source for department of administration positions
Currently, with limited exceptions, no state agency for which full-time
equivalent positions have been authorized may change the funding source of any
position that was provided by the legislature, JCF or the governor at the time the
position was authorized or at the time the funding source was last changed.
This bill permits DOA, during the period beginning on the day on which this bill
becomes law and ending on June 30, 2001, or on the day before publication of the
2001-03 biennial budget act, whichever is later, to change the funding source of any
position authorized for DOA to carry out its functions with respect to supervision and
management, the land information board, risk management, facilities management,
housing assistance or gaming regulation if the position is currently funded from
program revenue and the funding for the position would remain funded from
program revenue that is collected by DOA to carry out one of these functions. The
bill provides that any such change in the funding source of a position remains in
effect after the period specified in the bill unless changed in accordance with current
procedures.
Arrangements between governor and state agencies
This bill permits the governor to enter into cooperative arrangements with
state agencies under which the agencies provide assistance to the governor in
carrying out his or her responsibilities. The bill also permits the governor to expend
any moneys received from the agencies to carry out these arrangements. Currently,
the governor is not expressly authorized to enter into such arrangements.
Legislative technology bureau services
This bill permits the director of the legislative technology services bureau, by
lease agreement, to purchase and install computer networking equipment to serve
facilities of state agencies that are located in the same building in which a legislative
branch office is located or in an adjacent building, and to provide related
maintenance and support services to such agencies. Currently, the bureau is
authorized and directed to provide and coordinate information technology support
and services to the legislative branch of state government only.
Consolidation of state vehicle fleet management functions
This bill directs DOA to submit for consideration of JCF during the fourth
quarter of 1999, an implementation plan for consolidating the vehicle fleet
management functions of the department of natural resources (DNR) with the
corresponding functions of DOA. The bill also directs DOA to submit for
consideration of JCF during the third quarter of 2000 an implementation plan for
consolidating the vehicle fleet management functions of the department of
transportation (DOT) and the UW-Madison with the corresponding functions of
DOA. The bill permits JCF to approve or to modify and approve the plans. If JCF
approves a plan, with or without modifications, DOA may implement that plan. If
JCF does not approve any plan, DOA may not implement that plan.
Taxation
Income taxation
This bill makes various changes in the structure of the individual income tax
system. The bill modifies the calculation of adjusted gross income (AGI), prohibits
new claims from being made under certain income tax credits, creates a personal
exemption, modifies the itemized deductions credit and modifies the sliding scale
standard deduction and the tax rates and brackets.
Under current law, the standard income tax deduction has four different
categories, each of which has a different deduction amount based on income. The
maximum standard deduction amounts in each category phase out as income
increases. This bill retains the same four categories and increases the maximum
income at which the standard deduction reaches $0.
Under current law, the dollar amounts of the standard deduction and the dollar
amounts of Wisconsin AGI are indexed for inflation for taxable years that begin after
December 31, 1998. This bill suspends indexing for taxable year 2000.
