Under current law, the building commission may issue revenue bonds for major
highway projects and transportation administrative facilities in a principal amount
that may not exceed $1,447,085,500. 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 at least five miles
in length to the highway; or improvement of an existing multilane divided highway
to freeway standards.
This bill increases the revenue bond limit from $1,447,085,500 to
$1,743,570,900. The bill also provides that revenue bond proceeds may not exceed
53% of the total funds expended in any fiscal year for major highway projects,
beginning with fiscal year 2002-03. Additionally, the bill provides that revenue bond
proceeds may be expended for reconstruction of the Marquette interchange, lying at
or near the junction of I 94, I 43, and I 794, in Milwaukee County. In addition to the
revenue bond limit of $1,743,570,900 specified above, the building commission may
issue revenue bonds for the Marquette interchange reconstruction project in a
principal amount that may not exceed $6,996,600.
Current law requires that any major highway project, unlike other construction
projects undertaken by DOT, receive the approval of the transportation projects
commission (TPC) and the legislature before the project may be constructed. This
bill adds three major highway projects recommended by TPC to the current list of
enumerated projects already approved for construction.
This bill appropriates federal moneys to fund reconstruction of the Marquette
interchange in Milwaukee County. The bill also provides for a grant from DOT to the
city of Milwaukee of up to $5,000,000 from the state's federal interstate cost estimate
(ICE) funds to fund a local roads project to reconstruct West Canal Street to serve as
a traffic mitigation corridor in connection with the Marquette interchange
reconstruction. DOT may not award the grant unless the city makes a matching
contribution from its federal ICE funds equal to the amount of the grant from DOT;
the city contributes an additional $10,000,000 toward the West Canal Street
reconstruction project; and, the federal department of transportation approves the
use of the federal ICE funds for the project. The bill also requires DOT to award
grants totaling $5,000,000 of state funds to the city of Milwaukee to reconstruct West
Canal Street if the city contributes $10,000,000 toward the West Canal Street
reconstruction project.
This bill provides that the maximum state share of costs for the project
involving demolition of the abandoned Park East Freeway corridor in Milwaukee
County is $8,000,000, as provided in an agreement between the city of Milwaukee,
Milwaukee County, and the state, of which $6,800,000 is required to be from the
state's federal ICE funds. The local share of costs for the project may not be less than
$17,000,000, the amount specified in the agreement between the parties, of which
$14,500,000 is required to be federal ICE funds received by the city or county.
Under the nonentitlement component of the local roads improvement program,
DOT currently allocates $500,000 in each fiscal year to fund eligible town road
improvements and $750,000 in each fiscal year to fund eligible municipal street
improvements. This bill requires DOT to make additional allocations of $529,000 in
fiscal year 2001-02 and $1,954,200 in fiscal year 2002-03. These funds may be used
for either of these purposes.
Drivers and motor vehicles
Currently, a person may not operate a motor vehicle while under the influence
of an intoxicant, controlled substance, or other drug (OWI), or improperly refuse to
submit to a test to determine his or her blood alcohol concentration. Under current
law, if a person commits either of these OWI-related offenses, the person's motor
vehicle operating privilege is suspended or revoked for a certain period of time,
depending on the number of the person's prior OWI-related convictions,
suspensions, or revocations. A person whose operating privilege is suspended or
revoked is eligible to apply for an occupational driver's license after a waiting period
of between 30 and 120 days, depending on the number of the person's prior
OWI-related convictions, suspensions, or revocations. However, a person who has
no prior OWI-related convictions, suspensions, or revocations is eligible to apply
immediately.
Under current law, if a person is convicted of an OWI-related offense and the
person has two or more prior OWI-related convictions, suspensions, or revocations,
a court may order that the vehicle owned by the person and involved in the violation
or refusal be seized and subject to forfeiture. If the court does not order that the
vehicle be seized and subject to forfeiture, the court is required to order that the
vehicle be immobilized or equipped with an ignition interlock device.
Beginning on January 1, 2002, a court will not be required to order that the
vehicle owned by the person and involved in the violation or refusal be immobilized
or equipped with an ignition interlock device even if the court does not order that the
vehicle be seized and subject to forfeiture, and even if the person has two or more
prior OWI-related convictions, suspensions, or revocations. Rather, the court may,
but is not required to, order any of those options.
Also beginning on January 1, 2002, if a person is convicted of an OWI-related
offense and the person has one or more prior OWI-related convictions, suspensions,
or revocations, the court may, but is not required to, order that the vehicle owned by
the person and involved in the violation or refusal be immobilized or equipped with
an ignition interlock device.
This bill makes the following changes, beginning on January 1, 2002: 1) if a
person is convicted of an OWI-related offense and the person has one or more prior
OWI-related convictions, suspensions, or revocations, the court must order that
each vehicle owned by the person be immobilized or equipped with an ignition
interlock device for a period of not less than one year, and the person is not eligible
to apply for an occupational driver's license for one year; and 2) if a person is
convicted of an OWI-related offense and the person has two or more prior
OWI-related convictions, suspensions, or revocations, the court may order that the
vehicle owned by the person and involved in the violation or refusal be seized and
subject to forfeiture in lieu of the ignition interlock or immobilization options.
Under current law, a person who is ordered to pay a fine or a forfeiture (civil
monetary penalty) for an OWI violation is required to pay a driver improvement
surcharge of $345. Funds collected from the driver improvement surcharge are used
to provide alcohol and other drug abuse services to drivers, to provide
chemical-testing training to law enforcement officers, and to fund various state
agencies for services related to OWI offenses. This bill increases the driver
improvement surcharge from $345 to $355.
Under current law, circuit courts and municipal courts may suspend a person's
operating privilege for a variety of reasons, including failure to pay an amount
ordered by the court. However, circuit courts and municipal courts are not permitted
to suspend a person's operating privilege solely because of the person's failure to pay
a forfeiture imposed for an ordinance violation unrelated to the operation of a motor
vehicle. This bill permits circuit courts and municipal courts to suspend the
operating privilege of a juvenile solely because the juvenile has not paid a forfeiture
imposed for an ordinance violation unrelated to the operation of a motor vehicle.
Current law imposes a six-year redesign cycle for most motor vehicle
registration plates, by the end of which DOT must redesign the plates. DOT must
issue redesigned plates upon every initial vehicle registration and upon every
registration renewal if the vehicle's plate is more than six years old. The first
six-year cycle will be completed by July 1, 2005, and DOT will have provided
redesigned plates to every vehicle by that date. However, DOT may not redesign or
reissue the "Celebrate Children" plates until January 1, 2005. After that date, DOT
may redesign and issue those plates upon initial registration or renewal.
This bill creates a seven-year redesign cycle and extends the reissue deadline
for each category of registration by one year. The bill requires DOT to wait until July
1, 2007, to redesign plates for three recently designed plates: "Celebrate Children,"
"Ducks Unlimited," and "professional football team."
Under current law, DOT charges a special license plates fee in addition to the
regular registration fee to issue or reissue license plates for certain vehicles that are
owned or leased by members of authorized special groups. The fee is $5, $10, or $15,
depending on the type of plate, except that there are no fees for special plates for
disabled veterans and other persons entitled to use disabled parking spaces,
Congressional Medal of Honor awardees, certain former prisoners of war, Somalia
War veterans, and registrants interested in endangered resources. This bill directs
DOT to charge $15 for all special plates, except that there continues to be no charge
for special plates for disabled veterans and other disabled persons, Congressional
Medal of Honor awardees, and certain former prisoners of war.
Under current law, no person may operate upon a highway any vehicle or
combination of vehicles that exceeds certain limits on size, weight, or load unless that
person possesses a permit issued by DOT. The fees for certain single trip, annual,
consecutive month, and multiple trip permits issued by DOT are 10% higher than
the usual rates for the period beginning on January 1, 2000, and ending on June 30,
2003, after which time the fees revert to their previous amounts. This bill delays the
sunset date of the permit fee increases from June 30, 2003, to December 31, 2007.
Under current law, DOT charges $3 for any of the following: a single file search
or computerized search of vehicle operating records, a single vehicle operating record
contained on computer tape or other electronic media, or a single record of uniform
traffic citations or motor vehicle accidents contained on computer tape or other
electronic media. DOT charges $4 to search a single operating record requested by
telephone.
In addition, under current law an employer of any person who operates a
commercial motor vehicle (a commercial driver) may register any commercial driver
employed by the employer on a list maintained by DOT. DOT notifies the employer
of any conviction, suspension, revocation, cancellation, disqualification, or
out-of-service order against that driver. DOT charges $3 for each notification that
it provides to the employer. This bill increases each of the specified fees by $2.
Current law requires any motor vehicle that is subject to an emissions test to
undergo the test within 90 days before the vehicle's registration is renewed in the
second year after the vehicle's model year and every two years thereafter. This bill
removes the 90-day requirement and allows DOT to determine when those vehicles
will be presented for testing.
Transportation aids
Under current law, DOT makes general transportation aids payments to a
county based on a share-of-costs formula, and to a city, village, or town
(municipality) based on the greater of a share-of-costs formula for municipalities or
an aid rate per road mile, which is $1,704 for calendar year 2000 and thereafter. This
bill increases the aid rate per road mile to $1,747 for calendar year 2001 and $1,790
for calendar year 2002 and thereafter.
This bill increases the maximum amount of general transportation aids that
may be paid to counties from the current limit of $84,059,500 to $88,598,700 in
calendar year 2002 and $89,239,300 in calendar year 2003 and thereafter. The bill
also increases the maximum amount of aid that may be paid to municipalities under
the program from the current limit of $264,461,500 to $277,684,500 in calendar year
2002 and $277,907,200 in calendar year 2003 and thereafter.
Under current law, DOT administers an urban mass transit operating
assistance program that provides state aid to local public bodies in urban areas
served by mass transit systems to assist with the expenses of operating those
systems. Aid paid for mass transit systems that have annual operating expenses of
less than $20,000,000 is determined under a formula. Under the formula, DOT
makes state aid payments in amounts sufficient to ensure that the combination of
state and federal aids contributed toward the operating expenses of an urban mass
transit system equals the uniform percentage established by DOT for each of the two
smaller classes of mass transit system. The two smaller classes are: 1) mass transit
systems serving urban areas having a population of 50,000 or more but having
annual operating expenses of less than $20,000,000 (Tier B systems); and 2) mass
transit systems serving urban areas having a population of less than 50,000 (Tier C
systems). "Operating expenses" used in this aid formula are based on actual
operating costs from the second preceding year, with adjustments for the projected
expenses of new services, for which historical cost data is not available.
This bill deletes the requirement that annual transit aid payments for Tier B
and Tier C systems be made based on actual operating costs from the second
preceding year. The bill requires that annual state transit aid payments for Tier B
and Tier C systems be based on estimated operating costs for that year, effective with
calendar year 2001 payments.
The bill also increases the total amount of state aid payments to each class of
mass transit system, as follows:
1. For a mass transit system having annual operating expenses in excess of
$80,000,000 (Tier A-1 system), from $53,555,600 in calendar year 2000 to
$54,894,500 in calendar year 2001 and thereafter.
2. For a mass transit system having annual operating expenses of at least
$20,000,000 but less than $80,000,000 (Tier A-2 system), from $14,297,600 in
calendar year 2000 to $14,655,000 in calendar year 2001 and thereafter.
3. For Tier B systems, from $19,804,200 in calendar year 2000 to $20,299,300
in calendar year 2001 and thereafter.
4. For Tier C systems, from $5,349,100 in calendar year 2000 to $5,482,800 in
calendar year 2001 and thereafter.
The bill requires DOT to make supplemental mass transit aid payments in any
calendar year for any eligible urban mass transit system for whom the percentage
increase in the average cost per passenger trip in the preceding calendar year did not
exceed the percentage increase in the consumer price index for that calendar year.
DOT must distribute supplemental mass transit aid payments for similar urban
mass transit systems on a proportionate basis according to annual ridership on each
urban mass transit system during the preceding calendar year.
Under current law, DOT administers a Transportation Facilities Economic
Assistance and Development Program. Under the program, DOT may improve a
highway, airport, or harbor, or provide other assistance for the improvement of those
transportation facilities or certain rail property or railroad tracks, as part of a major
economic development project. DOT may also make loans for the improvement of
any of these transportation facilities. This bill renames the program the Tommy G.
Thompson Transportation Economic Assistance Program.
Rail and air transportation
This bill increases the authorized general obligation bonding limit for the
acquisition and improvement by DOT of rail property from $23,500,000 to
$28,000,000.
Under current law, with certain exceptions, a property owner is immune from
liability for damages occurring on the property while a person is engaged in a
recreational activity on the property.
This bill creates an immunity from civil liability for any property owner upon
which a rails-with-trails trail is located and for any railroad that operates within
an active rail corridor upon which a rails-with-trails trail is located for the death,
injury, or property damage resulting from an individual's use of a rails-with-trails
trail, regardless of whether the death, injury, or property damage occurred in
connection with a recreational activity or occurred on public or private property.
Under the bill, a rails-with-trails trail is a strip of land that is located partly or fully
within an active rail corridor and is identified in an agreement entered into by a
railroad that operates within that rail corridor and a person that is sponsoring and
maintaining the strip of land for the use of individuals for purposes specified in the
agreement. The immunity does not apply to deaths, injuries, or property damage
caused by the property owner's or railroad's willful or wanton acts or omissions.
Other transportation
This bill increases the authorized general obligation bonding limit for grants
awarded by DOT for harbor improvements from $22,000,000 to $25,000,000.
This bill authorizes DOT to award grants to a local professional football
stadium district, which is a special purpose district, in each county with a population
of more than 150,000 that includes the principal site of an existing, or to be
constructed, league-approved home stadium for a professional football team. Under
the bill, no grant may be awarded after June 30, 2002.
Under current law, DOT administers a program that distributes federal funds
for congestion mitigation and air quality improvement projects. Currently, federal
law requires a local matching contribution equal to 20% of the cost of a project. This
bill requires DOT to award a grant of $420,700 to the city of Kenosha to provide 50%
of the local matching contribution required for a congestion mitigation and air
quality improvement project for a parking facility in the city of Kenosha. As a
condition of receiving the grant, the city of Kenosha must provide matching funds for
the project.
Under current law, DOT administers the Safe-Ride Grant Program, under
which DOT provides grants to municipalities and nonprofit corporations to cover the
costs of transporting persons who have a prohibited alcohol concentration from
premises that are licensed to sell alcohol beverages to their places of residence. The
program is funded with moneys from the driver improvement surcharge, which is
collected from each person who is ordered to pay a fine or forfeiture for operating a
motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, controlled substance, or
other drug. A portion of the surcharge is forwarded to the state and 3.76% of the
state's portion is appropriated to DOT for the Safe-Ride Grant Program.
This bill eliminates the requirement that 3.76% of the state's portion of the
driver improvement surcharge be used to fund the Safe-Ride Grant Program. Under
the bill, the secretary of administration may use unencumbered driver improvement
surcharge moneys to fund the program after consulting with the secretaries of health
and family services and transportation, the superintendent of public instruction, the
attorney general, and the president of the UW System.
Under current law, DOT administers a program to reduce the number of
automobile trips, especially during peak hours of traffic, and to encourage the shared
use of motor vehicles by two or more individuals to or from their places of work or
postsecondary school. Under the program, DOT awards grants for the development
and implementation of demand management or ride-sharing programs.
This bill makes job access and employment transportation assistance eligible
under the program and adds to the program a stated purpose of enhancing the
success of welfare-to-work programs.
This bill permits DOT to enter into agreements to accept telecommunications
services or any plant or equipment used for telecommunications services as payment
for the accommodation of a utility facility within a highway right-of-way.
Under current law, DOT may 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 and that is organized by a private organization. This bill
allows DOT to charge a fee for such services at any such event that is publicly or
privately organized. The bill allows DOT to charge a fee for security and traffic
enforcement services requested by a person who is installing, inspecting, removing,
relocating, or repairing a utility facility that lies within a highway right-of-way.
Current federal law requires DOT to pay specified percentages of expenditures
for highway construction projects to disadvantaged business enterprises. A
"disadvantaged business enterprise" is a business that is at least 51% owned,
controlled, and actively managed by minority group members, women, or other
individuals found to be socially and economically disadvantaged, or by a combination
of such individuals. Current federal law also prohibits DOT from discriminating on
the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex in the award of any construction
contract that is paid for in part using federal funds.
To determine compliance with these requirements and prohibitions, federal law
requires DOT to collect and submit to the federal department of transportation data
concerning the ownership of businesses that bid for construction contracts let by
DOT, and other financial information pertaining to such businesses and their
owners. Federal law generally requires DOT to keep confidential such information
submitted to it by a disadvantaged business enterprise.
This bill requires DOT to keep confidential certain information requested by
DOT for purposes of determining or demonstrating compliance with the federal
requirements and prohibitions described above. The information required to be kept
confidential consists of information relating to an individual's statement of net
worth, a statement of experience, and a company's financial statement, including the
gross receipts of a bidder. The bill contains exceptions to allow DOT to disclose the
information to the federal department of transportation, to the person to whom the
information relates, and to persons having the written consent of that person.
Under current law, DOT administers a Minority Civil Engineer Scholarship
and Loan Repayment Incentive Program to foster minority training and employment
in civil engineering. DOT may award scholarships to minorities enrolled full time in
a bachelor of science degree program in civil engineering, and may award loan
repayment grants to minority civil engineers who are employed by DOT and have
education loans outstanding.
This bill authorizes DOT to award scholarships to other targeted group
members enrolled full time in any accredited bachelor degree program, or in any
associate degree program or vocational diploma program at a technical college.
Under the bill, a targeted group member is a person with a disability or any member
of a class whose race, color, or sex is employed less in any job classification in DOT
than is available in the statewide labor market. The bill also allows DOT to award
loan repayment grants to targeted group members who are employed by DOT and
have education loans outstanding.
veterans and military affairs
Veterans
Currently, under the Veteran's Housing Loan Program, a veteran who meets
certain requirements is eligible for a primary mortgage loan. Current law requires
a veteran to apply for a primary mortgage loan through a DVA-approved financial
institution (authorized lender). The authorized lender evaluates the veteran's credit
worthiness. DVA also reviews the loan application to ensure that the veteran meets
other requirements of the loan program. If the application is approved by both the
authorized lender and DVA, the authorized lender makes the loan and then performs
loan-servicing activities, such as collecting the veteran's monthly mortgage
payment, forwarding these payments to DVA, and collecting delinquent payments.
Before forwarding a monthly mortgage payment to DVA, an authorized lender may
deduct from the veteran's monthly mortgage payment a monthly fee for performing
loan-servicing activities.
Also under current law, as a condition of receiving a loan, a veteran must pay
to the authorized lender a monthly escrow payment for the payment of real estate
taxes and casualty insurance premiums. Current law requires the authorized lender
to hold these payments in escrow and then pay to the city and the insurance company
the amounts due or the amount escrowed, whichever is less.
Finally, under the loan program, a veteran must have adequate fire and
extended coverage insurance. Current law requires that these insurance policies
name the authorized lender as an insured.
This bill permits DVA to perform loan-servicing activities for any loans made
under the Veteran's Housing Loan Program and to purchase from authorized lenders
the rights to service loans that are made under the program.
The bill funds both the loan-servicing activities and the purchase of servicing
rights with moneys from the veterans mortgage loan repayment fund but restricts
the expenditure or encumbrance of these moneys until after DVA and DOA develop
a plan for the most cost-effective method of servicing the loans.
The bill also permits DVA to hold in escrow monthly payments paid by a veteran
for real estate taxes and casualty insurance premiums. The bill requires an
authorized lender or, if DVA holds the payments in escrow, DVA to pay the amounts
due for real estate taxes and insurance premiums regardless of whether the amount
held in escrow is sufficient to cover the amounts due. If the amount held in escrow
is insufficient to pay the amounts due, the lender or DVA, after paying the amounts
due, must recover the balance from the veteran. If the amount held in escrow is more
than the amounts due, the lender or DVA, after paying the amounts due, is required
to pay the balance to the veteran. Under the bill, DVA may not begin holding monthly
escrow payments until the plan for the most cost-effective method of servicing the
loans is completed by DVA and DOA.
