Sincerely,
Kevin J. Kennedy
Executive Director
State Elections Board
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Oath of Office
On Monday, August 4, Circuit Court Judge Dennis P. Moroney from Milwaukee County administered the oath of office to Mark Honadel of the Twenty-first Assembly District in a ceremony held at the South Milwaukee Community Center.
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Communications
State of Wisconsin
Revisor of Statutes Bureau
Madison
DATE: August 1, 2003
TO: Patrick E. Fuller
Assembly Chief Clerk
Donald J. Schneider
Senate Chief Clerk
FROM: Gary L. Poulson
Deputy Revisor of Statutes
SUBJECT: Rules published in the July 31, 2003,
Wisconsin Administrative
Register, No. 571.
The following rules have been published:
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
July 30, 2003
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
As requested by the Public Service Commission (PSC), we have completed a financial audit of the Universal Service Fund, which was established to ensure that all state residents receive essential telecommunications services and have access to advanced telecommunications capabilities. Our audit report contains our unqualified opinion on the Fund's financial statements and related notes for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2002 and 2001.
The Universal Service Fund is funded through assessments on telecommunications providers, which totaled $22.3 million in fiscal year (FY) 2001-02. The largest program supported by the Fund is the Educational Telecommunications Access Program, which has been administered by the Technology for Educational Achievement (TEACH) Board. During FY 2001-02, $11.7 million, or 61.9 percent of total fund expenditures and transfers, was spent on this program, including subsidies for data lines and video links for schools, libraries, and others.
Most other programs supported by the Fund are operated by the PSC. Expenditures for these programs had historically been significantly less than annual program budgets. In response, in
2001 Wisconsin Act 16 the Legislature limited the amount of assessments to support the PSC-operated programs to $5.0 million in FY 2003-04 and $6.0 million in FY 2004-05. However, the level of expenditures and encumbrances in the PSC-operated programs increased during FY 2000-01 and FY 2001-02 and is relatively close to these limits on future assessment levels.
As a result of legislative action, the Universal Service Fund was required to lapse $3,979,000 to the General Fund during the 2001-03 biennium. Subsequent to the transfers, the Fund had a balance of approximately $4.8 million as of June 30, 2003.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the staff at the PSC, TEACH, and the Fund's administrator, Williams Young, LLC, during the audit.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
