118,148
Section
148. 30.207 (5) of the statutes is repealed.
118,149
Section
149. 30.208 of the statutes is created to read:
30.208 Applications for individual permits and contracts; department determinations. (1) Application required. A person who seeks to obtain or modify an individual permit under this subchapter or to enter into a contract under s. 30.20 shall submit an application to the department. The application may contain a request for a public hearing on the application.
(3) Notice of complete application; request for public hearing; decision. (a) Upon determination by the department that an application submitted under sub. (1) is complete, the department shall provide notice of complete application to interested and potentially interested members of the public, as determined by the department. The department shall provide the notice within 15 days after the determination that the application is complete. If the applicant has requested a public hearing as part of the submitted application, a notice of public hearing shall be part of the notice of complete application.
(b) If the notice of complete application does not contain a notice of public hearing, any person may request a public hearing in writing or the department may decide to hold a public hearing without a request being submitted if the department determines that there is a significant public interest in holding a hearing.
(c) A request for a public hearing under par. (b) must be submitted to the department or the department's decision to hold a public hearing must occur within 30 days after the department completes providing the notice of complete application. The department shall provide notice of public hearing within 15 days after the request for public hearing is submitted or the department makes its determination.
(d) The department shall hold a public hearing within 30 days after the notice of hearing has been provided under par. (a) or (c).
(e) Within 30 days after the public hearing is held or, if no public hearing is held, within 30 days of the 30-day comment period under sub. (4) (a), the department shall render a decision, issuing, denying, or modifying the permit or approving the contract that is the subject of the application submitted under sub. (1).
(4) Public comment. (a) The department shall provide a period for public comment after the department has provided a notice of complete application under sub. (3) (a), during which time any person may submit written comments with respect to the application for the permit or contract. The department shall retain all of the written comments submitted during this period and shall consider all of the comments in the formulation of the final decision on the application. The period for public comment shall end on the 30th day following the date on which the department completes providing the notice of complete application, except as provided in par. (b).
(b) If a public hearing is held, the period for public comment shall end on the 10th day following the date on which the public hearing is completed.
(d) The department shall promulgate rules to establish procedures for the conduct of public hearings held under this subsection. Notwithstanding s. 227.42, a public hearing held under this subsection shall be an informational hearing and may not be treated as, nor converted to, a contested case under s. 227.01 (3).
(5) Notice requirements. (a) The department shall, by rule, establish procedures for providing notices of complete applications and notices of public hearings to be provided under sub. (3), and notices of administrative hearings to be provided under s. 30.209 (1m). The procedures shall require all of the following:
1. That the notice be published as a class 1 notice under ch. 985.
2. That the notice be mailed to any person or group upon request.
(b) The department shall, by rule, prescribe the form and content of notices of complete applications and notices of public hearings to be provided under sub. (3), and notices of administrative hearings to be provided under s. 30.209 (1m). Each notice shall include all of the following information:
1. The name and address of each applicant or permit holder.
2. A brief description of each applicant's activity or project that requires the permit.
3. The name of the waterway in or for which the activity or project is planned.
4. For a notice of complete application and a notice of public hearing under sub. (3), a statement of the tentative determination to issue, modify, or deny a permit for the activity or project described in the application.
5. For a notice of complete application and a notice of public hearing under sub. (3), a brief description of the procedures for the formulation of final determinations, including a description of the comment period required under sub. (4).
(c) The department may delegate the department's requirement to provide notice under sub. (3) or s. 30.209 (1m) by doing any of the following:
1. Requiring that the applicant for the permit or contract provide by publication, mailing, or other distribution one or more of the notices.
2. That the applicant for the permit or contract pay for the publication, mailing, or any other distribution costs of providing one or more of the notices.
118,150
Section
150. 30.209 of the statutes is created to read:
30.209 Contracts and individual permits; administrative and judicial review. (1) In this section, "applicant" means any person applying to receive a permit or contract under this subchapter or any person who has received a permit or contract under this subchapter.
(1m) Request for administrative review. (a) Any interested person may file a petition with the department for administrative review within 30 days after any of the following decisions given by the department:
1. The issuance, denial, or modification of any individual permit issued or contract entered into under this subchapter.
2. The imposition of, or failure to impose, a term or condition on any individual permit issued or contract entered into under this subchapter.
(b) If the petitioner is not the applicant, the petition shall describe the petitioner's objection to the permit or contract and shall contain all of the following:
1. A description of the objection that is sufficiently specific to allow the department to determine which provisions of this subchapter may be violated if the proposed activity or project under the permit or contract is allowed to proceed.
2. A description of the facts supporting the petition that is sufficiently specific to determine how the petitioner believes the activity or project, as proposed, may result in a violation of the provisions of this subchapter.
3. A commitment by the petitioner to appear at the administrative hearing and present information supporting the petitioner's objection.
(c) The activity or project shall be stayed pending an administrative hearing under this section, if the petition contains a request for the stay showing that a stay is necessary to prevent significant adverse impacts or irreversible harm to the environment.
(d) If a stay is requested under par. (c), the stay shall be in effect until either the department denies the request for an administrative hearing or the hearing examiner determines that the stay is not necessary.
(e) The petitioner shall file a copy of the petition with the department. If the petitioner is not the applicant, the petitioner shall simultaneously provide a copy of the petition to the applicant. The applicant may file a response to the petition with the department. If the applicant files a response under this paragraph, it shall be filed within 15 days after the petition is filed.
(f) The department shall grant or deny the petition within 30 days after the petition is filed. The failure of the department to dispose of the petition within this 30-day period is a denial. The department shall deny the petition if any of the following applies:
1. The petitioner is not the applicant and the petition does not comply with the requirements of par. (b).
2. The objection contained in the petition is not substantive. The department shall determine that an objection is substantive if the supporting facts contained in the objection appear to be substantially true and raise reasonable grounds to believe that the provisions of this subchapter may be violated if the activity or project is undertaken.
(fm) If the department denies the petition, the department shall send the petitioner the denial in writing, stating the reasons for the denial.
(g) If the department grants a petition under this subsection, the department shall refer the matter to the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration within 15 days after granting the petition unless the petitioner and the applicant agree to an extension.
(2) Administrative hearings. (a) An administrative hearing under this subsection shall be treated as a contested case under ch. 227.
(b) If a stay under sub. (1) (c) is in effect, the hearing examiner shall, within 30 days after receipt of the referral under sub. (1) (g), determine whether continuation of the stay is necessary to prevent significant adverse impacts or irreversible harm to the environment pending completion of the hearing. The hearing examiner shall make the determination based on the request under sub. (1) (c), any response from the applicant under sub. (1) (e), and any testimony at a public hearing or any public comments. The determination shall be made without a hearing.
(c) A hearing under this section shall be completed within 90 days after receipt of the referral of the petition under sub. (1) (g), unless all parties agree to an extension of that period. In addition, a hearing examiner may grant a one-time extension for the completion of the hearing of up to 60 days on the motion of any party and a showing of good cause demonstrating extraordinary circumstances justifying an extension.
(d) Notwithstanding s. 227.44 (1), the department shall provide a notice of the hearing at least 30 days before the date of the hearing to all of the following:
1. The applicant.
2. Each petitioner, if other than the applicant.
3. Any other persons required to receive notice under the rules promulgated under s. 30.208 (5).
(3) Judicial review. (a) Any person whose substantial interest is affected by a decision of the department under sub. (1m) (a) 1. or 2. may commence an action in circuit court to review that decision.
(b) Any party aggrieved by a decision of a hearing examiner under sub. (2) may commence an action in circuit court to review that decision.
118,151
Section
151. 30.28 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 30.28 (3).
118,152
Section
152. 30.28 (3) (b) of the statutes is repealed.
118,153
Section
153. 30.285 of the statutes is created to read:
30.285 Records of exemptions and permitted activities. (1) On an annual basis, the department shall keep records of all of the following
(a) The number of exempted activities that are conducted under ss. 30.12 (1g), 30.123 (6), 30.19 (1m), and 30.20 (1g) of which the department is aware.
(b) The number of exemptions under par. (a) for which the department required applications for individual permits or contracts.
(c) The number of exemptions under par. (a) for which the department required applications to seek authorizations to proceed under general permits.
(d) The number of activities that are authorized under general permits for which the department requires applications for individual permits or contracts.
(2) For each record kept under sub. (1) (b) to (d), the department shall include all of the following:
(a) The type of permit or contract application required.
(b) The date of the application.
(c) The date of the department's decision whether to issue the individual permit, grant authorization under the general permit, or to grant the contract.
(d) The county in which the activity or project is located.
118,154
Section
154. 30.29 (3) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
30.29 (3) (d) Activities for which a permit is issued. A person or agent of a person who is issued a permit by the department while the person or agent is engaged in activities related to the purpose for which the permit is issued as authorized under a general or individual permit issued under this subchapter or as authorized under a contract entered into under this subchapter.
118,155
Section
155. 30.291 of the statutes is created to read:
30.291 Inspections for certain exemptions and permitted activities. (1) For purposes of determining whether an exemption is appropriate under s. 30.12 (2m) or (2r), 30.123 (6m) or (6r), or 30.20 (1m) or (1r), whether a general permit is appropriate under s. 30.206 (3), or whether authorization to proceed under a general permit is appropriate under s. 30.206 (3r), any employee or other representative of the department, upon presenting his or her credentials, may enter the site and inspect any property on the site.
(3) The department shall provide reasonable advance notice, before entering the site and inspecting the property.
(4) If the owner of the site refuses to give consent for an entry and inspection to determine whether authorization to proceed under a general permit is appropriate under s. 30.206 (3r), the department shall deny authorization to proceed under the general permit and shall allow an application to be submitted for an individual permit for the activity.
118,156
Section
156. 30.298 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
30.298 (3) Any person who violates a general permit under s. 30.206 shall forfeit not less than $10 nor more than $500 for the first offense and shall forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $500 upon conviction of the same offense a 2nd or subsequent time.
118,157
Section
157. 84.18 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
84.18 (6) Execution and control of work. Subject to s. 30.12 (4) 30.2022 and the control exercised by the United States, the construction under this section of any local bridge project shall be wholly under the supervision and control of the department. The secretary shall make and execute all contracts and have complete supervision over all matters pertaining to such construction and shall have the power to suspend or discontinue proceedings or construction relative to any bridge project at any time in the event any county, city, village or town fails to pay the amount required of it for any project eligible for construction under this section, or if the secretary determines that sufficient funds to pay the state's part of the cost of such bridge project are not available. All moneys provided by counties, cities, villages and towns shall be deposited in the state treasury, when required by the secretary, and paid out on order of the secretary. Any of the moneys deposited for a project eligible for construction under this section which remain in the state treasury after the completion of the project shall be repaid to the respective county, city, village or town in proportion to the amount each deposited.
118,158
Section
158. 227.135 (1) (f) of the statutes is created to read:
227.135 (1) (f) A summary and preliminary comparison of any existing or proposed federal regulation that is intended to address the activities to be regulated by the rule.
118,159
Section
159. 227.137 of the statutes is created to read:
227.137 Economic impact reports of proposed rules. (1) In this section, "agency" means the departments of agriculture, trade, and consumer protection; commerce; natural resources; transportation; and workforce development.
(2) After an agency publishes a statement of the scope of a proposed rule under s. 227.135, and before the agency submits the proposed rule to the legislative council for review under s. 227.15, a municipality, an association that represents a farm, labor, business, or professional group, or 5 or more persons that would be directly and uniquely affected by the proposed rule may submit a petition to the department of administration asking that the secretary of administration direct the agency to prepare an economic impact report for the proposed rule. The agency shall prepare an economic impact report before submitting the proposed rule to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15 if the secretary of administration directs the agency to prepare that report. The secretary of administration may direct the agency to prepare an economic impact report for the proposed rule before submitting the proposed rule to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15. The secretary of administration shall direct the agency to prepare an economic impact report for the proposed rule before submitting the proposed rule to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15 if the secretary determines that all of the following apply:
(a) The petition was submitted to the department of administration no later than 90 days after the publication of the statement of the scope of the proposed rule under s. 227.135 (3) or no later than 10 days after publication of the notice for a public hearing under s. 227.17, whichever is earlier.
(b) The proposed rule would cost affected persons $20 million or more during each of the first 5 years after the rule's implementation to comply with the rule, or the rule would adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or state, local, or tribal governments or communities.
(3) An economic impact report shall contain information on the effect of the proposed rule on specific businesses, business sectors, and the state's economy. When preparing the report, the agency shall solicit information and advice from the department of commerce, and from governmental units, associations, businesses, and individuals that may be affected by the proposed rule. The agency may request information that is reasonably necessary for the preparation of an economic impact report from other state agencies, governmental units, associations, businesses, and individuals. The economic impact report shall include all of the following:
(a) An analysis and quantification of the problem, including any risks to public health or the environment, that the rule is intending to address.
(b) An analysis and quantification of the economic impact of the rule, including costs reasonably expected to be incurred by the state, governmental units, associations, businesses, and affected individuals.
(c) An analysis of benefits of the rule, including how the rule reduces the risks and addresses the problems that the rule is intended to address.
(4) The agency shall submit the economic impact report to the legislative council staff, to the department of administration, and to the petitioner.
(5) This section does not apply to emergency rules promulgated under s. 227.24.
118,160
Section
160. 227.138 of the statutes is created to read:
227.138 Department of administration review of proposed rules. (1) In this section:
(a) "Agency" has the meaning given in s. 227.137 (1).
(b) "Department" means the department of administration.
