LRB-2119/7
JTK&RAC:kmg:jf
2001 - 2002 LEGISLATURE
February 13, 2002 - Introduced by Senator Erpenbach. Referred to Committee on
Privacy, Electronic Commerce and Financial Institutions.
SB442,1,4 1An Act to renumber 230.13 (3); to amend 40.07 (1) (intro.) and (3), 230.13 (1)
2(intro.) and 233.13 (intro.); and to create 19.32 (1bg), (1de), (1dm), (2g) and (4),
319.345, 19.356, 19.36 (10) and 230.13 (3) (b) of the statutes; relating to: access
4to public records.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, any requester has a right to inspect or copy any public record
unless otherwise provided under statutory or common law or unless, under a
"balancing test" derived from common law, the custodian demonstrates that the
public interest in withholding access to the record outweighs the strong public
interest in providing that access. See s. 19.35 (1), stats., and State ex rel. Youmans
v. Owens
, 28 Wis.2d 672, 682-83 (1965) and Hathaway v. Green Bay School District,
116 Wis. 2d 388, 395-96 (1984). If a custodian fails to provide prompt access to a
requested record or to make this demonstration, a requester may obtain a court order
requiring a custodian to provide access to a record. See s. 19.37 (1), stats.
In Woznicki v. Erickson, 202 Wis.2d 178, 192-193 (1996), the Wisconsin
supreme court held that a district attorney must notify any individual who is the
subject of a record which the district attorney proposes to release to a requester prior
to release, and that the individual may appeal a decision to release a record to circuit
court, which must determine whether permitting access would result in harm to the
privacy or reputational interests of the subject individual that outweighs the public
interest in allowing access. In Milwaukee Teachers Education Assn. v. Milwaukee
Bd. of School Directors
, 227 Wis. 2d 779, 799 (1999), the supreme court extended this

decision to apply to all public records. The decisions differ from the supreme court's
previous decisions, which held that, unless otherwise provided, custodians have no
obligation to withhold public records from access and no person may require them
to do so. See Newspapers, Inc. v. Brier, 89 Wis.2d 417, 431-32 (1979) and State ex rel.
Bilder v. Twp. of Delavan
, 112 Wis.2d 539, 558 (1983). The rights created by the
Woznicki and Milwaukee Teachers decisions are not currently reflected in the
statutes.
This bill affirms current statutory law in part by providing that, unless
otherwise specifically provided by statute, no custodian of a public record is required
to notify an individual who is the subject of a record prior to providing to a requester
access to a record containing information pertaining to that individual and that,
unless otherwise provided by statute, no person is entitled to judicial review of the
decision of a custodian to provide a requester with access to a public record.
The bill also creates two exceptions. First, the bill provides that, unless
otherwise authorized or required by statute, no state or local governmental officer
or agency may release certain information contained in personnel records of public
or private employees, other than certain high-ranking officials, in response to a
request for inspection, except to an employee or employee's representative to the
extent required under current law or to a public employee collective bargaining
representative to the extent required to fulfill a duty to bargain or pursuant to an
applicable collective bargaining agreement. The information includes home
addresses and telephone numbers, unless an affected employee authorizes the officer
or agency to provide access to that information; information relating to a current
investigation of a possible criminal offense or possible misconduct connected with
employment by an employee prior to disposition of the investigation; information
relating to employment examinations, except examination scores if not otherwise
prohibited; and other information relating to one or more specific employees that is
used by the employer of the employees for staff management planning, including
performance evaluations, salary and wage proposals, management bonus plans,
promotions, job assignments, letters of reference, and comments or ratings relating
to employees. Currently, access to some of these records may be denied under specific
laws governing these records or under the common law "balancing test."
Secondly, for records other than those described above, the bill creates a
statutory procedure under which public or private employees, other than certain
high-ranking officials, who are the subjects of certain other public records may seek
a court order to restrain state or local government officers or agencies from providing
access to those records to third parties. Under the bill, the officer or agency having
custody of a public record continues to apply the common law balancing test in
determining accessibility of public records, unless otherwise provided under
statutory or common law. However, with certain exceptions, if the officer or agency
receives a request to provide access to a record containing information relating to an
employee as the result of an investigation by the officer or agency into a disciplinary
matter involving the employee or possible employment-related violation by the
employee of a statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, or policy of the employee's
employer, or if the officer or agency receives a request to provide access to any record

obtained by the officer or agency through a subpoena or search warrant, the officer
or agency must, before providing access, provide written notice to each subject
individual of the officer's or agency's intent to release the record. If a subject
individual notifies the officer or agency, within five days, of his or her intent to seek
a court order restraining release of the record and files an action seeking such an
order within ten days, the record may not be released unless the court so permits.
The bill provides that the court shall apply common law principles interpreting the
right of access to public records in making its decision.
Under current law, the secretary of employment relations and the
administrator of the division of merit recruitment and selection in the department
of employment relations may keep the following information closed to the public:
examination scores and ranks and other evaluations of applicants; dismissals,
demotions, and other disciplinary actions; pay survey data obtained from
identifiable nonpublic employers; and the names of nonpublic employers
contributing pay survey data. This bill authorizes the secretary and the
administrator to provide any state agency with personnel information relating to the
hiring and recruitment process, including specifically the examination scores and
ranks and other evaluations of applicants.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB442, s. 1 1Section 1. 19.32 (1bg), (1de), (1dm), (2g) and (4) of the statutes are created to
2read:
SB442,3,53 19.32 (1bg) "Employee" means an individual who is engaged in employment
4in this state, other than an individual holding a state public office or a local public
5office.
SB442,3,6 6(1de) "Local governmental unit" has the meaning given in s. 19.42 (7u).
SB442,3,11 7(1dm) "Local public office" has the meaning given in s. 19.42 (7w), and also
8includes any appointive office or position of a local governmental unit in which an
9individual serves as the head of a department, agency, or division of the local
10governmental unit, but does not include any office or position filled by a municipal
11employee, as defined in s. 111.70 (1) (i).
SB442,3,13 12(2g) "Record subject" means an individual about whom personally identifiable
13information is contained in a record.
SB442,4,2
1(4) "State public office" has the meaning given in s. 19.42 (13), but does not
2include a position identified in s. 20.923 (6) (em) to (gm).
SB442, s. 2 3Section 2. 19.345 of the statutes is created to read:
SB442,4,7 419.345 Time computation. In ss. 19.33 to 19.39, when a time period is
5provided for performing an act, whether the period is expressed in hours or days, the
6whole of Saturday, Sunday and any legal holiday, from midnight to midnight, shall
7be excluded in computing the period.
SB442, s. 3 8Section 3. 19.356 of the statutes is created to read:
SB442,4,13 919.356 Notice to record subject; right of action. (1) Except as authorized
10in this section or as otherwise provided by statute, no authority is required to notify
11a record subject prior to providing to a requester access to a record containing
12information pertaining to that record subject, and no person is entitled to judicial
13review of the decision of an authority to provide a requester with access to a record.
SB442,4,25 14(2) (a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (c) and as otherwise authorized or
15required by statute, if an authority decides to permit access to a record containing
16information relating to an employee that is created or kept by the authority as a
17result of an investigation into a disciplinary matter involving the employee or
18possible employment-related violation by the employee of a statute, ordinance, rule,
19regulation, or policy of the employee's employer, or if an authority decides to permit
20access to any record obtained by the authority through a subpoena or search warrant,
21the authority shall, before permitting access and within 72 hours after making the
22decision to permit access, serve written notice of that decision on any record subject
23to whom that record pertains, either by certified mail or by personally serving the
24notice on the subject. The notice shall briefly describe the requested record and
25include a description of the rights of the record subject under subs. (3) and (4).
SB442,5,5
1(b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to an authority who provides access to a record
2pertaining to an employee to the employee who is the subject of the record or to his
3or her representative to the extent required under s. 103.13 or to a recognized or
4certified collective bargaining representative to the extent required to fulfill a duty
5to bargain or pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement under ch. 111.
SB442,5,86 (c) Paragraph (a) does not apply to access to a record produced in relation to a
7function specified in s. 106.54 or 230.45 or subch. II of ch. 111 if the record is provided
8by an authority having responsibility for that function.
SB442,5,11 9(3) Within 5 days after receipt of a notice under sub. (2), any record subject may
10provide written notification to the authority of his or her intent to seek a court order
11restraining the authority from providing access to the requested record.
SB442,5,16 12(4) Within 10 days after receipt of a notice under sub. (2), any record subject
13may commence an action seeking a court order to restrain the authority from
14providing access to the requested record. If a record subject commences such an
15action, the record subject shall name the authority as a defendant. Notwithstanding
16s. 803.09, the requester may intervene in the action as a matter of right.
SB442,6,2 17(5) An authority shall not provide access to a requested record within 12 days
18of sending a notice pertaining to that record under sub. (2). In addition, if the record
19subject commences an action under sub. (4), the authority shall not provide access
20to the requested record during pendency of the action. If the record subject appeals
21or petitions for review of a decision of the court or the time for appeal or petition for
22review of a decision adverse to the record subject has not expired, the authority shall
23not provide access to the requested record until any appeal is decided, until the
24period for appealing or petitioning for review expires, until a petition for review is

1denied, or until the authority receives written notice from the record subject that an
2appeal or petition for review will not be filed, whichever occurs first.
SB442,6,5 3(6) The court may restrain the authority from providing access to the requested
4record. The court shall apply substantive common law principles construing the
5right to inspect, copy, or receive copies of records in making its decision.
SB442,6,10 6(7) The court shall issue a decision within 10 days after the filing of the
7summons and complaint and proof of service of the summons and complaint upon the
8defendant and the requester, unless a party demonstrates cause for extension of this
9period. In any event, the court shall issue a decision within 30 days after those filings
10are complete.
SB442,6,13 11(8) If a party appeals a decision of the court under sub. (7), the court of appeals
12shall grant precedence to the appeal over all other matters not accorded similar
13precedence by law.
SB442, s. 4 14Section 4. 19.36 (10) of the statutes is created to read:
SB442,6,2115 19.36 (10) Employee personnel records. Unless access is specifically
16authorized or required by statute, an authority shall not provide access under s.
1719.35 (1) to records containing the following information, except to an employee or
18the employee's representative to the extent required under s. 103.13 or to a
19recognized or certified collective bargaining representative to the extent required to
20fulfill a duty to bargain under ch. 111 or pursuant to a collective bargaining
21agreement under ch. 111:
SB442,6,2422 (a) Information maintained, prepared, or provided by an employer concerning
23the home address or telephone number of an employee, unless the employee
24authorizes the authority to provide access to such information.
SB442,7,3
1(b) Information relating to the current investigation of a possible criminal
2offense or possible misconduct connected with employment by an employee prior to
3disposition of the investigation.
SB442,7,54 (c) Information pertaining to an employee's employment examination, except
5an examination score if access to that score is not otherwise prohibited.
SB442,7,116 (d) Information relating to one or more specific employees that is used by an
7authority or by the employer of the employees for staff management planning,
8including performance evaluations, judgments or recommendations concerning
9future salary adjustments or other wage treatments, management bonus plans,
10promotions, job assignments, letters of reference, or other comments or ratings
11relating to employees.
SB442, s. 5 12Section 5. 40.07 (1) (intro.) and (3) of the statutes are amended to read:
SB442,7,1613 40.07 (1) (intro.) Notwithstanding any other statutory provision, individual
14personal information in the records of the department is not a public record and shall
15not be disclosed, unless
subject to access under s. 19.35 (1), but access to that
16information may be provided, unless prohibited under s. 19.36 (10), if
:
SB442,7,19 17(3) The department shall not furnish lists of participants, annuitants or
18beneficiaries to any person or organization except as permitted under s. 19.36 (10)
19and
as required for the proper administration of the department.
SB442, s. 6 20Section 6. 230.13 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB442,7,2321 230.13 (1) (intro.) Except as provided in sub. (3) and s. ss. 19.36 (10) and 103.13,
22the secretary and the administrator may keep records of the following personnel
23matters closed to the public:
SB442, s. 7 24Section 7. 230.13 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 230.13 (3) (a).
SB442, s. 8 25Section 8. 230.13 (3) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB442,8,3
1230.13 (3) (b) The secretary and the administrator may provide any agency
2with personnel information relating to the hiring and recruitment process, including
3specifically the examination scores and ranks and other evaluations of applicants.
SB442, s. 9 4Section 9. 233.13 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB442,8,7 5233.13 Closed records. (intro.) Except as provided in s. ss. 19.36 (10) and
6103.13, the authority may keep records of the following personnel matters closed to
7the public:
SB442,8,88 (End)
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