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2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE
SENATE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1,
TO 2003 SENATE BILL 11
May 20, 2003 - Offered by Committee on Education, Ethics and Elections.
SB11-SSA1,2,11 1An Act to repeal 5.05 (1) (a), 5.05 (5), 15.07 (1) (a) 2., 15.07 (5) (k), 15.07 (5) (n),
215.61, 15.62, 19.47 (2), 19.47 (4), 20.510 (intro.), 20.510 (1) (title), 20.510 (1) (a),
320.510 (1) (h), 20.510 (1) (i), 20.511 (1) (c), 20.521 (intro.), 20.521 (1) (title),
420.521 (1) (a), 20.521 (1) (g), 20.521 (1) (i), 20.923 (4) (d) 3., 20.923 (4) (d) 4.,
5230.08 (2) (om) and 230.08 (2) (wm); to renumber 20.510 (1) (bm), 20.510 (1)
6(c), 20.510 (1) (g), 20.510 (1) (j) and 20.510 (1) (q); to renumber and amend
715.03 and 20.521 (1) (h); to amend 5.02 (1s), 5.05 (title), 5.05 (1) (intro.), 5.05
8(1) (b), 5.40 (7), 5.62 (4) (b), 7.08 (title), 7.08 (7), 7.31 (5), 7.60 (4) (a), 7.60 (5),
97.70 (1), 7.70 (5) (b), 8.05 (1) (j), 8.10 (5), 8.15 (4) (b), 8.18 (2), 8.20 (6), 8.50 (3)
10(a), 8.50 (3) (e), 9.01 (1) (a), 9.01 (1) (ag) 4., 9.01 (1) (ar) 2., 9.01 (10), 11.21 (title),
1111.21 (7) (intro.), 13.123 (3) (b) 2., 13.23, 13.62 (4), 13.685 (title), 13.94 (1) (k),
1214.58 (20), 15.07 (1) (cm), 15.07 (4), 16.79 (2), 16.96 (3) (b), 17.17 (1), 17.17 (4),
1319.42 (3), 19.42 (10) (a), 19.43 (4), 19.43 (5), 19.45 (6), 19.46 (2), 19.47 (5), 19.50

1(2), 19.54 (2), 19.55 (1), 19.55 (2) (a) to (c), 19.59 (1) (g) 8., 19.85 (1) (h), 20.455
2(1) (b), 20.923 (4) (intro.), 22.07 (6), 59.605 (3) (a) 3., 67.05 (3) (b), 67.05 (6), 71.10
3(3) (b), 73.0301 (1) (d) 13., 73.0301 (1) (e), 117.20 (2), 117.27 (2) (b) (intro.),
4121.91 (3) (c), 125.05 (1) (b) 10., 165.25 (1), 198.08 (10), 200.09 (11) (am) 3.,
5227.03 (6), 227.52 (6), 230.08 (4) (a), 234.02 (3m) (c), 560.04 (2m), 778.135 and
6778.136; and to create 5.05 (1m), 5.05 (2m), 5.05 (3m), 5.052, 5.054, 5.066,
715.03 (2), 15.07 (1) (a) 2m., 15.07 (5) (m), 15.60, 15.603, 19.42 (13) (p), 19.579,
820.511 (intro.) and (1) (title) and (a), 20.511 (1) (h) and (i), 20.511 (2), 20.923 (4)
9(e) 2e., 20.923 (4) (f) 3j, 165.25 (4) (e), 227.03 (6m), 230.08 (2) (e) 4h. and 230.08
10(2) (on) of the statutes; relating to: creation of a Government Accountability
11Board, making appropriations, and providing penalties.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Currently, the Elections Board consists of nine members. The governor
appoints all of the members of the Elections Board, without confirmation by the
senate, to serve for two-year terms as follows: one member is selected by the
governor and one member each is designated by the chief justice of the Supreme
Court, the speaker of the assembly, the senate majority leader, the minority leader
in each house of the legislature, and the chief officer of each political party qualifying
for a separate ballot at the September primary whose candidate for governor at the
most recent gubernatorial election received at least 10% of the vote (currently, the
Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian parties).
Currently, the Ethics Board consists of six members. Members of the board are
nominated by the governor, and with the advice and consent of the senate appointed,
to serve for staggered six-year terms. All members must be U.S. citizens and
residents of this state, and no member may hold any other office or employment in
the government of this state or any political subdivision thereof or in any state
department. In addition, no member, for one year immediately prior to the date of
appointment, may have been, and no member, while serving on the board, may
become, a member of a political party, an officer or member of a committee in any
partisan political club or organization, or a candidate for any partisan office.
This substitute amendment abolishes both boards and replaces them with a
Government Accountability Board. Under the substitute amendment, the board is
composed of at least six members serving for staggered four-year terms. Four
members are nominated by the governor and appointed with the advice and consent

of the senate. The governor also appoints one member to represent each political
party whose candidate for a statewide state office receives at least one percent of the
vote at the general election, who is designated by the chief officer of that party. Each
of the four members who is not appointed to represent a political party must be
appointed from nominations submitted by a Government Accountability Candidate
Committee, which consists of nine members, including the chief justice of the
supreme court, the dean of the University of Wisconsin law school, the dean of the
Marquette University law school, and the chief officer of each of the following
organizations or their successor organizations: a) the Wisconsin Counties
Association; b) the Wisconsin Towns Association; c) the League of Wisconsin
Municipalities; d) the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin; e) the Wisconsin
Newspaper Association; and f) the State Bar of Wisconsin. The votes of six members
of the committee are required to nominate a candidate. No member of the
Government Accountability Board may hold a position that is subject to the code of
ethics for state public officials or the code of ethics for local public officials. No
member, other than a political party designee, for one year immediately prior to the
date of appointment, may have been, and no member while serving on the board may
become, a member of a political party, an officer or member of a committee in any
partisan political club or organization, or a candidate for any partisan office. No
member may be a lobbyist or an employee of a principal (person who employs a
lobbyist).
The substitute amendment creates an Enforcement Division within the
Government Accountability Board. The Enforcement Division is headed by an
administrator who is appointed by the executive director of the board outside the
classified service for a term of not less than four years nor more than six years,
expiring on September 1 of an odd-numbered year. The administrator may not be
removed during his or her term except for cause.
The substitute amendment also permits the executive director to appoint up to
two other division administrators outside the classified service. The substitute
amendment authorizes one new executive director position for the board, plus one
new division administrator position, one new attorney position, and one new
investigator position for the Enforcement Division. In addition, all members of the
existing staffs of the Elections Board and Ethics Board and their positions are
transferred to the Government Accountability Board and the staff members who
have civil service rights retain those rights.
The Enforcement Division is empowered to investigate violations and bring
civil and criminal actions to enforce the elections, ethics, and lobbying regulation
laws. However, before bringing an action to prosecute any alleged criminal violation,
the division must provide written notice to the district attorney for the county where
the alleged violation occurs. If the district attorney fails to prosecute within 30 days
after receiving the notice or declines to prosecute, the division may then prosecute
the alleged violation. Under current law, the Elections Board and Ethics Board share
civil enforcement authority with district attorneys and in some cases with the
attorney general; and the district attorneys, and in some cases the attorney general,
exercise criminal enforcement authority. Under the substitute amendment, the

Enforcement Division has independent authority to investigate and prosecute
violations of the elections, ethics, and lobbying regulation laws without the consent
of the Government Accountability Board. The substitute amendment permits the
Enforcement Division to request investigatory and prosecutorial assistance from the
Department of Justice and directs the Department of Justice to provide such
assistance upon request. The substitute amendment also permits the division to
appoint special counsel, to be paid from a sum sufficient appropriation from general
purpose revenue, to assist the division. Under the substitute amendment, the
Enforcement Division is bound by applicable laws, rules, formal opinions, and
actions of the board, except that the division may nonacquiesce in any formal opinion
or action of the board by publishing a notice of nonacquiescence in the Wisconsin
Administrative Register. Thereafter, the division is not bound by that opinion or
action.
Currently, the Elections and Ethics boards have sum certain appropriations
derived from state general purpose revenue. In addition, both boards finance some
of their operations with program revenue. This substitute amendment creates a
separate appropriation for the Enforcement Division funded from general purpose
revenue. The substitute amendment requires the board to forward the division's
budget requests to the Department of Administration without change, except as
concurred in by the division. Under the substitute amendment, the Enforcement
Division may request supplementation of its appropriation by the Joint Committee
on Finance without concurrence of the board.
Under the substitute amendment, any person may file a sworn complaint with
the division alleging a violation of the elections, ethics, or lobbying regulation laws.
The division must investigate the complaint unless the division finds the complaint
to be without merit. The substitute amendment also permits the division to
investigate any violation of the elections, ethics, or lobbying regulation laws on its
own initiative or upon direction of the board. The division may order an election
official or private person to act in conformity with the elections, ethics, or lobbying
regulation laws or rules of the board, and may impose a forfeiture (civil monetary
penalty) for a violation. The decision of the division may be appealed to the board
or may be appealed directly to circuit court. In deciding an appeal, the board is not
bound by any findings of fact or conclusions of law made by the division with respect
to the matter. If the decision of the division is not appealed or if the board does not
modify or reverse a decision of the division after hearing an appeal, the decision of
the division becomes the decision of the board. Any decision of the board is also
subject to judicial review in circuit court. If the board modifies or reverses an action
of the division, the division may also seek judicial review of the board's decision. The
procedure does not apply to any alleged violation of the elections, ethics, or lobbying
regulation laws by the board or division, nor to any matter arising in connection with
a recount.
The substitute amendment provides for the bill to become law on November 1,
2003, after which date the members of the Government Accountability Board may
be appointed and take office, the board may employ staff and the board may expend
moneys from its appropriations. However, the existing Elections Board and Ethics

Board continue in operation until May 1, 2004, and the Government Accountability
Board may not exercise administrative or enforcement authority until that date. The
substitute amendment also provides that the director of the Legislative Council Staff
shall serve as executive director of the Government Accountability Board, without
additional compensation, until the initial executive director of the Government
Accountability Board is appointed and qualified, and may exercise all of the
functions of the executive director of the Government Accountability Board, the
enforcement division, and the administrator of the enforcement division, including
the retention and termination of all staff not transferred to the board under the
substitute amendment.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB11-SSA1, s. 1 1Section 1. 5.02 (1s) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB11-SSA1,5,22 5.02 (1s) "Board" means the elections government accountability board.
SB11-SSA1, s. 2 3Section 2. 5.05 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB11-SSA1,5,5 45.05 (title) Elections Government accountability board; powers and
5duties.
SB11-SSA1, s. 3 6Section 3. 5.05 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB11-SSA1,5,107 5.05 (1) General authority. (intro.) The elections government accountability
8board shall have the responsibility for the administration of chs. 5 to 12 and other
9laws relating to elections and election campaigns. Pursuant to such responsibility,
10the board may:
SB11-SSA1, s. 4 11Section 4. 5.05 (1) (a) of the statutes is repealed.
SB11-SSA1, s. 5 12Section 5. 5.05 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB11-SSA1,6,913 5.05 (1) (b) In the discharge of its duties and upon after providing notice to the
14any party or parties being investigated who is the subject of an investigation,
15subpoena and bring before it any person in the state and require the production of
16any papers, books, or other records relevant to an investigation. A circuit court may
17by order permit the inspection, and copying of the accounts and the depositor's and

1loan records at any financial institution, as defined in s. 705.01 (3), doing business
2in the state to obtain evidence of any violation of ch. 11 upon showing by the board
3of probable cause to believe there is a violation and that such accounts and records
4may have a substantial relation to the violation. In the discharge of its duties, the
5board may cause the deposition of witnesses to be taken in the manner prescribed
6for taking depositions in civil actions in circuit court. The board shall delegate to the
7enforcement division the power to issue subpoenas and to obtain search warrants
8under this paragraph on behalf of the board. The delegation is supplemental to the
9board's exercise of direct authority under this paragraph.
SB11-SSA1, s. 6 10Section 6. 5.05 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB11-SSA1,6,1311 5.05 (1m) Executive director; legal counsel. The board shall employ an
12executive director outside the classified service and shall employ legal counsel to
13perform legal services outside the enforcement division.
SB11-SSA1, s. 7 14Section 7. 5.05 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB11-SSA1,6,2015 5.05 (2m) Enforcement division. (a) The enforcement division shall
16investigate and prosecute alleged violations of laws administered by the board
17pursuant to all statutes granting or assigning that authority or responsibility to the
18board. The enforcement division shall prosecute civil and criminal actions brought
19by the board and shall assist the district attorneys and the attorney general in
20prosecuting criminal actions referred to them by the division.
SB11-SSA1,6,2321 (b) The board may refer any matter to the enforcement division for
22investigation. Any person may file a verified complaint with the enforcement
23division alleging a violation of chs. 5 to 12, subch. III of ch. 13, or subch. III of ch. 19.
SB11-SSA1,7,724 (c) 1. The board shall employ at least one full-time attorney and at least one
25full-time investigator within the enforcement division. Except as provided in subd.

12., the enforcement division may, with or without approval of the board, investigate
2or prosecute any civil or criminal violation of chs. 5 to 12, subch. III of ch. 13, or subch.
3III of ch. 19 in the name of the board. The jurisdiction of the enforcement division
4is concurrent with the jurisdiction of the board, the district attorneys, and the
5attorney general to conduct investigations and enforce these laws. The enforcement
6division may request assistance from the department of justice to conduct
7investigations and prosecute violations of these laws.
SB11-SSA1,7,168 2. Prior to commencing any criminal prosecution with respect to an alleged
9violation of chs. 5 to 12, subch. III of ch. 13. or subch. III of ch. 19, the enforcement
10division shall provide written notice to the district attorney for the county in which
11the violation is alleged to have occurred. If the district attorney notifies the division
12in writing that he or she will not commence a criminal prosecution with respect to
13that alleged violation or the district attorney fails to commence a criminal
14prosecution with respect to that alleged violation within 30 days after receiving
15notice from the division, the division may commence a criminal prosecution with
16respect to that alleged violation.
SB11-SSA1,7,2017 (d) 1. The enforcement division may employ special counsel to investigate any
18alleged violation of chs. 5 to 12, subch. III of ch. 13, or subch. III of ch. 19, to bring
19any action authorized to be brought by the enforcement division or the board, or to
20enforce any order of the enforcement division or the board.
SB11-SSA1,8,221 2. When special counsel is employed, a contract in writing shall be entered into
22between the state and such counsel, in which shall be fixed the compensation to be
23paid such counsel by the state. The contract shall be executed on behalf of the state
24by the administrator of the enforcement division, who shall file the contract in the

1office of the secretary of state. The compensation shall be charged to the
2appropriation under s. 20.455 (1) (b).
SB11-SSA1,8,63 3. Upon employment of special counsel, the administrator of the enforcement
4division shall certify the maximum amount provided in the employment contract to
5the secretary of administration, and direct the department of administration to pay
6special counsel bills related to that case within the certified amount.
SB11-SSA1,8,117 (e) The enforcement division is bound by applicable laws, rules, formal
8opinions, and actions of the board, except that the division may nonacquiesce in any
9formal opinion or action of the board by publishing a notice of nonacquiescence in the
10Wisconsin Administrative Register. Thereafter, the division is not bound by the
11formal opinion or action in which the division nonacquiesces.
SB11-SSA1,8,1412 (f) The enforcement division may request that the joint committee on finance
13supplement the appropriation under s. 20.511 (2) (a) without concurrence of the
14board.
SB11-SSA1, s. 8 15Section 8. 5.05 (3m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB11-SSA1,8,1716 5.05 (3m) Chief election officer. The board shall designate an employee of
17the board to serve as the chief election officer of this state.
SB11-SSA1, s. 9 18Section 9. 5.05 (5) of the statutes is repealed.
SB11-SSA1, s. 10 19Section 10. 5.052 of the statutes is created to read:
SB11-SSA1,8,24 205.052 Government accountability candidate committee. (1) The
21government accountability candidate committee shall organize whenever a vacancy
22occurs in the membership of the board that requires a nomination to be submitted
23to the governor under s. 15.60 (2). At its first meeting after each organization, the
24committee shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson.
SB11-SSA1,9,2
1(2) No person may be nominated by the committee unless the person receives
2the votes of at least 6 members.
SB11-SSA1,9,4 3(3) Except as provided in sub. (4), the committee shall submit the following
4number of nominations:
SB11-SSA1,9,55 (a) To fill one vacancy, 2 nominations.
SB11-SSA1,9,66 (b) To fill 2 vacancies, 3 nominations.
SB11-SSA1,9,77 (c) To fill 3 vacancies, 5 nominations.
SB11-SSA1,9,88 (d) To fill 4 vacancies, 6 nominations.
SB11-SSA1,9,10 9(4) If a nomination of the governor is rejected by the senate, the committee shall
10submit an additional nominee to the governor.
SB11-SSA1, s. 11 11Section 11. 5.054 of the statutes is created to read:
SB11-SSA1,9,13 125.054 Duties of the executive director. The executive director of the board
13shall:
SB11-SSA1,9,15 14(1) Whenever a vacancy occurs on the board, call a meeting of the government
15accountability candidate committee.
SB11-SSA1,9,17 16(2) Assist the government accountability candidate committee in the
17performance of its functions.
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