Currently, DHFS provides funding to the Marquette University School of
Dentistry to provide dental services in underserved areas and to underserved
populations, to inmates of correctional centers in Milwaukee County, and in clinics
in the city of Milwaukee. DHFS also annually awards grants for fluoride
supplements, fluoride mouth rinses, and, in schools, dental sealants. This bill
eliminates this funding and these grants.
Under current law, DHFS must collect, analyze, and disseminate claims
information and other health care information from health care providers. This bill
eliminates this requirement.
Mental illness and developmental disabilities
Currently, DHFS maintains three state centers for persons with developmental
disabilities. This bill permits DHFS to maintain the Northern Center for the
Developmentally Disabled, but also authorizes DHFS to sell assets and real property
of the Northern Center for the Developmentally Disabled. If any of this property is
sold, DHFS must deposit the net proceeds into the budget stabilization fund.
Under current law, the state centers for the developmentally disabled may
provide intensive treatment services for up to 50 individuals with developmental
disabilities who are also diagnosed as mentally ill or who exhibit extremely
aggressive and challenging behaviors. This bill removes the limit on the number of
individuals who may be provided intensive treatment services at the state centers
for the developmentally disabled. However, the bill conditions receipt of those
services on a determination by DHFS that a licensed bed and necessary resources
are available and on an agreement between DHFS and the individual's county of
residence concerning a maximum discharge date for the individual. The bill also
authorizes DHFS to impose on counties that pay for these services a progressive
surcharge of an additional 10% of the amount paid under MA for the intensive
treatment services, for any part of the six-month period that an individual receives
the services beyond the discharge date agreed upon by DHFS and the individual's
county of residence. For each subsequent six-month period during any part of which
the individual receives the services, the surcharge is increased by an additional 10%.
From the moneys received under this surcharge, DHFS may pay to counties the costs
associated with relocating individuals into communities from state centers for the
developmentally disabled.
This bill provides funding in fiscal years 2003-04 and 2004-05 for mental
health and alcohol or other drug abuse managed care demonstration projects in up
to six counties.
Under current law, DHFS funds competency examinations of criminal
defendants in Milwaukee County. This bill limits DHFS funding for competency
examinations of criminal defendants to those outpatient competency examinations
that are for criminal defendants who are in jails or in locked units of facilities.
Other health and human services
Currently, the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP) provides major
medical health insurance coverage for persons who are covered under Medicare
because they are disabled, persons who have tested positive for human
immunodeficiency virus, and persons who have been refused coverage, or coverage
at an affordable price, in the private health insurance market because of their mental
or physical health condition (collectively called eligible persons). Also eligible for
coverage are persons who do not currently have health insurance coverage, but who
were covered under certain types of health insurance coverage for at least 18 months
in the past (eligible individuals).
Under current law, the operating costs of HIRSP are first paid with general
purpose revenue and when those funds are exhausted the remainder of the operating
costs are paid 60% by premiums paid by persons covered under HIRSP and 40%
through insurer assessments and provider discounts, in equal amounts. Premiums
for eligible persons with annual household incomes below $25,000, and deductibles
for eligible persons with annual household incomes below $20,000, are partially
subsidized with more general purpose revenue and, if that is insufficient, with
further insurer assessments and provider discounts.
Under this bill, general purpose revenue is no longer used to pay operating costs
or premium and deductible subsidies. Operating costs are paid 58% by premiums
paid by covered persons, 21% through insurer assessments, and 21% through
provider discounts. Premium and deductible subsidies are paid by increasing
insurer assessments and by further reducing provider payment rates, in equal
amounts. In addition, the bill authorizes DHFS to provide subsidies for prescription
drug copayments paid by eligible persons with annual household incomes below
$25,000. These subsidies will also be paid equally by insurer assessments and
provider payment rate discounts.
HIRSP is administered by DHFS, in conjunction with a plan administrator and
a board of governors. Current law provides that the plan administrator is the same
fiscal agent with which DHFS contracts to administer MA. This bill eliminates the
requirement that the plan administrator be the fiscal agent for MA and provides that
the plan administrator may be selected by DHFS in a competitive bidding process.
Under current law, DHFS operates a Retired Senior Volunteers Program
(RSVP) to provide volunteer services in a community by persons aged 60 or older.
DHFS provides a state supplement to federally funded RSVP units that were in
operation on December 1, 1988, and provides an additional supplement to counties
and federally-recognized tribal governing bodies for federally and nonfederally
funded RSVPs. Persons who volunteer under a RSVP receive transportation
assistance and accident and liability insurance coverage during working hours.
This bill eliminates the RSVP.
Under current law, DHFS distributes community aids to counties to provide
social, mental health, developmental disabilities, and alcohol and other drug abuse
services. Community aids funds allocated to a county that are not spent or
encumbered by December 31 of each year lapse to the general fund, except that
DHFS, at the request of the county, must carry forward to the next year up to 3% of
the total amount of community aids allocated to the county for a year. Current law
also permits DHFS to carry forward 10% of any community aids funds that are not
spent or encumbered by a county by December 31 of each year and that are not
otherwise carried forward for emergencies, for services costs above planned levels,
and for increased costs due to population shifts.
This bill requires DHFS, at the request of a county, to carry forward to the next
year up to 5% of the community aids funds allocated to the county for family support
programs for the families of children with disabilities for a year. The bill also permits
DHFS to carry forward all other community aids funds allotted for those family
support programs that are not spent or encumbered by a county by December 31 of
each year and that are not otherwise carried forward for emergencies, for services
costs above planned levels, and for increased costs due to population shifts.
Under current law, DWD must distribute child support incentive payments to
counties according to a formula worked out between DWD and the counties. The
incentive payments come from federal incentive payments made to the state on the
basis of successful child support enforcement efforts of DWD and county child
support agencies and from certain child support collections assigned to the state by
public assistance recipients. The total incentive payments that are paid to all
counties in a year may not exceed $12,340,000.
This bill provides that, if the incentive payments received in a year from the
federal government exceed $12,340,000, the excess amount will be divided equally
between the counties and DWD. Each county's share of one-half of the excess will
be determined according to the existing formula. DWD may use its share of any
excess incentive payments for activities under its child support enforcement
program and for the costs of receiving and disbursing support and support-related
payments.
To be eligible for food stamps under current law, a custodial parent of a child
who has an absent parent must cooperate with efforts to establish or enforce a
support order, if appropriate. Current law also provides that in a number of
situations (when, for example, the state provides certain services or benefits on
behalf of a child, such as foster care aid or medical assistance) the state is a real party
in interest for purposes of establishing paternity or securing future support or
reimbursement of aid paid by the state. As a real party in interest, the state may
commence an action or join in an action that is already commenced. This bill adds
the receipt of food stamp benefits by a custodial parent of a child as another situation
in which the state, for the purpose of establishing paternity or securing future
support or reimbursement of aid paid, is a real party in interest in an action affecting
the family that involves the custodial parent.
This bill provides that, after a diligent effort has been made to ascertain the
location of the respondent, notice of an action to revise a child support order may be
given in the same manner as notice of an action to enforce a child support order, by
delivering written notice of the action to the most recent residential or employer
address that the respondent has provided to the county child support agency. Under
current law, such notice must be given by personal service.
Under current law, DHFS contracts for activities to augment the amount of
moneys received from the federal government under MA. Current law requires
DHFS to use the moneys received as a result of these income augmentation activities
to pay for the operational costs of those activities and permits DHFS to use the
moneys for other purposes if the secretary of administration and JCF, under a
14-day passive review process, approve a plan submitted by DHFS for the proposed
use of the moneys. This bill requires DHFS to distribute not less than 50% of the
federal MA moneys received as a result of income augmentation activities to counties
that are participating in the activities for social, mental health, developmental
disabilities, and alcohol and other drug abuse services.
Insurance
Under current law, certain health care providers are required to carry health
care liability insurance with specified liability limits. Damages awarded in a
medical malpractice action that exceed the policy limits of the health care liability
insurance of a health care provider subject to the health care liability insurance
requirements are paid by the patients compensation fund. Money for the fund comes
from annual assessments paid by the health care providers subject to the health care
liability insurance requirements.
This bill creates the health care provider availability and cost control fund,
transfers $200,000,000 from the patients compensation fund to the new fund, and
provides for the payment of any medical malpractice award that exceeds the moneys
remaining in the patients compensation fund with moneys from the general fund.
The new fund may be used to assist in the education and training of health care
providers, to ensure that health care providers serving recipients under the Medical
Assistance program or other health care programs established by the state receive
payment sufficient for their continued participation in these programs, and to defray
the cost of other health-related programs. This bill also appropriates money from
the new fund for benefits under the Medical Assistance program.
This bill eliminates the requirement that the Commissioner of Insurance and
each employee of OCI have a separate public officer's bond providing $100,000 of
coverage.
local government
Under current law, shared revenue payments in 2003 and county and
municipal aid payments in 2004 are paid entirely from the general fund. Under this
bill, of the total amount of shared revenue payments to be distributed in November
2003, $230,000,000 will be paid from the transportation fund, rather than from the
general fund. Of the total amount of county and municipal aid payments to be
distributed in November 2004, $170,000,000 will be paid from the transportation
fund, rather than from the general fund, and $20,000,000 will be paid from the utility
public benefits fund, rather than from the general fund.
In general the base for determining the amount of county and municipal aid
payments in 2004 is the amount of shared revenue that each county and municipality
received in 2003. After DOR determines the base amount for each county and
municipality, DOR reduces the payments to each county and municipality by
subtracting from the payments an amount based on the county's or municipality's
population, so that the total amount of all such payments is reduced by $40,000,000.
Under this bill, DOR reduces the shared revenue payments to each county and
municipality in 2003 by subtracting from the payments an amount based on the
county's or municipality's population, so that the total of all such payments is
reduced by $10,000,000. In 2004, the base amount for determining county and
municipal aid payments is the amount of shared revenue that each county and
municipality received in 2003, disregarding the $10,000,000 reduction. After DOR
determines the base amount, DOR reduces the county and municipal aid payments
to each county and municipality in 2004 by subtracting from the payments an
amount based on the county's or municipality's population, so that the total of all
such payments is reduced by $50,000,000.
Under the bill, in 2004, after DOR reduces all county and municipal aid
payments by $50,000,000, DOR further reduces all such payments to municipalities
by subtracting from the payments an amount based on the municipality's
population, so that the total amount of all such payments is reduced by $70,000,000.
Under current law, beginning in 2004, counties and municipalities that agree
to consolidate county or municipal services are eligible to receive consolidation
incentive payments equal to 75% of the amount that the counties or municipalities
save as a result of consolidating services. This bill eliminates consolidation incentive
payments.
natural resources
This bill increases most resident and nonresident hunting and fishing license
fees, including small game, deer, Class A and Class B bear, archer, wild turkey,
annual fishing, sports, and conservation patron. The bill also increases the fee for
Great Lakes trout and salmon stamps and resident trapping licenses.
Current law appropriates to DNR, until July 1, 2003, moneys from the
conservation fund for the payment of principal and interest costs incurred in
financing land acquisition and development for state forests. This bill appropriates
the funds until July 1, 2005, and requires that the fund be used before money in the
general fund is used.
Under current law, 50% of the state funding for the removal and disposal of deer
killed by motor vehicles is appropriated from the general fund and 50% is
appropriated from the conservation fund. Under this bill, 50% is appropriated from
the conservation fund and 50% is appropriated from the transportation fund.
Retirement and group insurance
Under current law, the state must offer to all of its employees at least two
insured or uninsured health care coverage plans providing substantially equivalent
hospital and medical benefits, including a health maintenance organization or a
preferred provider plan. This bill provides that, beginning on January 1, 2004, the
state must place each of the plans into one of three tiers established in accordance
with standards adopted by the Group Insurance Board (GIB). The tiers must be
separated according to the employee's share of premium costs.
In addition, unless otherwise provided in collective bargaining agreements and
the state's compensation plan, currently the state must pay 90% of the gross
premium for the standard health insurance plan offered to state employees by the
GIB or 105% of the gross premium of other qualifying health insurance plans offered
by GIB. This bill requires the state to pay not less than 80% of the average premium
cost of plans offered in the tier with the lowest employee premium cost regardless of
the plan selected by the employee, but retains the requirement that these amounts
are subject to applicable collective bargaining agreements and the state's
compensation plan.
Currently, unused sick leave accumulated by a state employee may be used to
pay health insurance premiums under the state health insurance plan once the
employee dies or terminates state employment. Under the program, the employee's
accumulated unused sick leave is converted to credits based on his or her basic pay
rate immediately prior to termination. In order to use the credits, for an employee
who terminates state employment, the employee must either be immediately eligible
for a retirement annuity or have attained 20 years of creditable service under the
Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) and have deferred application for a retirement
annuity.
This bill provides that any state employee who has attained 20 years of
creditable service and terminates state employment retains his or her sick leave
credits even though he or she has not reached the minimum age required to receive
a retirement annuity under the WRS. In addition, the bill provides that the sick
leave credits are based on the employee's highest basic pay rate he or she received
while employed by the state, not the basic rate the employee received immediately
prior to termination.
Under current law, for receipt of a retirement annuity under the WRS, the
participant must have attained age 55, or have attained age 50 if the participant is
a protective occupation participant, and must be separated from covered
employment for a certain period. This bill provides that the participant is not
required to be separated if the participant has attained his or her normal retirement
date or has attained a combination of age and years of creditable service such that
the participant is not subject to an annuity reduction penalty; or the participant has
terminated employment with a participating employer and is employed by a
different participating employer, as determined under any applicable provision
under the Internal Revenue Code.
Currently, under certain conditions, WRS participating employees may
purchase creditable service under the WRS that was previously forfeited. In
addition, a participating employee may purchase creditable service under the WRS
for service performed as an employee of another governmental unit that is not a
participating employer under the WRS.
This bill provides for additional ways to purchase creditable service for forfeited
service and other governmental service. Under the bill, participating employees may
transfer moneys to the employee trust fund to purchase creditable service for
forfeited service and other governmental service from tax sheltered annuity plans,
governmental deferred compensation plans, and deferred compensation plans
offered in the private sector.
State government
State employment
This bill eliminates DER and transfers its powers and duties to DOA.
Currently, DER is charged with administering the state civil service system,
establishing and maintaining the state's classification system, crafting the
compensation plan for most nonrepresented state employees for submission to the
Joint Committee on Employment Relations, establishing procedures for
recruitment, selection, appointment, and promotion for classified positions in the
state civil service, developing and maintaining the career executive service, and
administering the hazardous employment program.
Under current law, the Personnel Commission hears appeals of state employee
position classification decisions, examination scores, appointment decisions, and
disciplinary actions taken against employees by their employer (appeals functions).
In addition, the Personnel Commission investigates complaints by state employees
for discriminatory or retaliatory actions taken by their employers relating to the Fair
Employment Act, public employee safety and health protections, the state's
whistle-blower law, the Family and Medical Leave Act, elder abuse reporting contact
protections, and health care worker reporting protections (complaints functions).
This bill abolishes the Personnel Commission and transfers its appeals functions to
the Employment Relations Commission and its complaints functions to the Division
of Equal Rights in DWD.
With certain exceptions, this bill transfers all attorney positions in executive
branch agencies to DOA effective on October 1, 2003, or on the first day of the third
month beginning after the bill is enacted, whichever is later. Attorney positions in
DOJ, the Office of the State Public Defender, the PSC, the UW System, the State of
Wisconsin Investment Board, the Elections Board, the Ethics Board, DRL, and the
Office of the Governor are exempt, as are all state employees working in an office of
a district attorney and all positions identified as hearing examiners, hearing officers,
or administrative law judges. In addition, the bill retains the chief counsel position
in each of 13 major state agencies.
The bill authorizes DOA to provide legal services to executive branch agencies,
including the Building Commission.
State finance
In 2002, a nonstock corporation organized by the secretary of administration,
called Badger Tobacco Asset Securitization Corporation (BTASC), entered into an
arrangement with the state to issue bonds secured by payments owed the state under
the Attorneys General Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement of November 23, 1998.
To date, approximately $1,591,000,000 in such bonds have been issued.
This bill creates a program, to be administered by DOA, to purchase any of the
outstanding bonds issued by BTASC. Under the bill, funds for the program may not
exceed $1,600,000,000. The principal of and interest on the revenue obligations
issued by the Building Commission are to be secured by principal and interest
payments received from the bonds issued by BTASC and purchased by the state. In
addition, the bill contains a moral obligation pledge in which the legislature
expresses its expectation and aspiration that, if the BTASC bond principal and
interest payments are insufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the revenue
obligations issued by the Building Commission, the legislature will make an
appropriation from the general fund sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on
the obligations. Finally, the bill provides that the remainder of moneys received after
the retirement of the bonds, the making of certain payments, and the provision of
reserves, are to be equally divided between the tobacco control fund and the general
fund.
Under current law, employers participating in WRS are required to make
contributions to fund the retirement benefits provided to WRS participants. Among
the contributions that participating employers must make are contributions to pay
any unfunded prior service liability resulting, generally, from prior creditable service
or benefit improvements retroactively granted to participating employees.
Currently, the payment of unfunded prior service liability is amortized as a level
percent of payroll over a period of 40 years and is scheduled to be fully paid in 2030.
This bill creates two programs, administered by DOA, to issue revenue
obligations to pay the state's unfunded prior service liability under the WRS. Under
the first program, the principal and interest costs on the revenue obligations are to
be paid from excise taxes that are currently imposed on the sale of liquor, fermented
malt beverages, cigarettes, and tobacco products. Funds for the program may not
exceed $750,000,000
Under the second program, DOA may issue appropriation obligations in an
amount up to $750,000,000 to pay the state's unfunded prior service liability. An
appropriation obligation is an undertaking by the state to repay a certain amount of
borrowed money that is payable from moneys annually appropriated by law for debt
service due in that year. The bill provides that an appropriation obligation is not
public debt and that the state is only required to repay in debt service costs in each
fiscal year an amount that is actually appropriated for debt service costs in that fiscal
year. If moneys are not appropriated in any fiscal year for the payment of debt service
costs, the state is not obligated to pay the debt service costs incurred in that fiscal
year. The bill does contain a moral obligation pledge, however, in which the
legislature, recognizing its moral obligation to do so, expresses its expectation and
aspiration that it will make timely appropriations from moneys in the general fund
sufficient to pay the principal and interest costs on any appropriation obligations
that are incurred in any year.
Under current law, the state treasurer performs a number of duties relating to
carrying out the state's cash management functions. This bill transfers these duties
to DOA.
Under current law, the amount of general purpose revenue that may be
appropriated in any fiscal biennium is limited to the amount appropriated in the
prior fiscal biennium, adjusted by the annual percentage change in this state's
aggregate personal income. Currently, however, the limitation does not apply to an
appropriation for principal repayment and interest payments on public debt and
other payments relating to public debt; an appropriation to honor a moral obligation
pledge; an appropriation contained in a bill that is enacted with the approval of at
least two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature; an appropriation
for certain legal expenses and costs; an appropriation for tax relief; an appropriation
to make a transfer from the general fund to the budget stabilization fund; or an
appropriation to the Higher Educational Aids Board, DPI, or the UW System.
This bill provides that the limitation also does not apply to an appropriation for
the 2003-05 fiscal biennium to make aid payments to counties and municipalities.
Under current law, the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) may
invest moneys in the common school fund, the normal school fund, the university
fund and the agricultural college fund (collectively, the trust funds) in certain
specified investments. These include bonds or notes of the United States; bonds
issued by this state or the UW Hospitals and Clinics Authority; and bonds issued by
a town, village, city, county, or school district or certain other special districts in the
state.
This bill authorizes BCPL to delegate to the Investment Board the authority to
invest part or all of the moneys in the trust funds. Under the bill, if BCPL delegates
the authority, the Investment Board may invest the moneys in the trust funds in any
manner authorized for the investment of other funds under the control of the
Investment Board.
The bill also authorizes BCPL, at the governor's request, to invest moneys in
the trust funds in the purchase of land in this state. A condition on the purchase of
this land, however, is that BCPL must determine that the purchase of the land will
reduce the per acre costs incurred by BCPL in managing the public lands and all
other lands managed by BCPL.
Current statutes contain a rule of procedure which provides that no bill directly
or indirectly affecting general purpose revenues may be adopted if the bill would
cause the estimated general fund balance on June 30 of any fiscal year to be an
amount equal to less than a certain percentage of the total general purpose revenue
appropriations for that fiscal year. For fiscal year 2003-04, the amount is 1.6%; for
fiscal year 2004-05, the amount is 1.8%; and for fiscal year 2005-06 and each year
thereafter, the amount is 2%.
This bill requires the secretary of administration, by January 1, 2004, to
estimate the total amount that will be deposited into the Medical Assistance (MA)
trust fund for fiscal year 2003-04. The MA general purpose revenues appropriation
is reduced by that portion of the total amount that the secretary estimates will exceed
$550,000,000. The secretary must perform the same estimate, by January 1, 2005,
for fiscal year 2004-05, and the MA general purpose revenues appropriation is
reduced by that portion of the total amount that the secretary estimates will exceed
$80,000,000. The bill modifies the required general fund balance for fiscal year
2003-04 to be the amount by which the MA general purpose revenues appropriation
is reduced for that fiscal year, or $35,000,000, whichever is greater; modifies the
required general fund balance for fiscal year 2004-05 to be the amount by which the
MA general purpose revenues appropriation is reduced for that fiscal year, or
$40,000,000, whichever is greater; and modifies the required general fund balance
for 2005-06 to be $75,000,000. Lastly, the bill increases the MA trust fund for fiscal
years 2003-04 and 2004-05 by the amount of the reduction to the MA general
purpose revenues appropriation for each of those fiscal years.
Current law requires that moneys in the bond security and redemption fund
may only be invested in direct obligations of the United States. The bill expands the
investment options for moneys in this fund to include securities issued by the United
States, or one of its agencies, and securities fully guaranteed by the United States.
This bill makes a number of transfers from segregated funds to the general
fund, including the following:
1. The bill transfers from the transportation fund to the general fund
$15,000,000 in each fiscal year of the 2003-05 fiscal biennium.
2. The bill transfers from the veterans mortgage loan repayment fund to the
general fund $900,300 in each fiscal year of the 2003-05 fiscal biennium.
3. The bill transfers to the general fund $83,600 from the patients
compensation fund, $75,100 from the local government property insurance fund, and
$59,500 from the state life insurance fund in each fiscal year of the 2003-05 fiscal
biennium.
4. The bill transfers $2,118,500 in fiscal year 2003-04 and $3,118,500 in fiscal
year 2004-05 from the environmental fund to the general fund.
5. The bill transfers $3,158,100 in fiscal year 2003-04 and $158,100 in fiscal
year 2004-05 from the recycling fund to the general fund.
6. The bill transfers from the petroleum inspection fund to the general fund
$1,657,400 in each fiscal year of the 2003-05 fiscal biennium.
7. The bill transfers $2,055,000 from the tobacco control fund to the general
fund on July 1, 2004.
Other state government
Under current law, DATCP administers most consumer protection and trade
practice laws. This bill transfers all of the administrative authority for certain of
these laws, including laws relating to ticket refunds, fraudulent representations,
methods of competition and trade practices, cable television subscriber rights,
product safety, future services plans, landlord and tenant, and time-share
ownership, to DOJ. It also transfers the authority to bring a court action to enforce
these laws to DOJ or to DOJ jointly with the appropriate district attorney. Although
the bill does not affect DATCP's authority to administer other laws, including laws
relating to unfair trade practices in the dairy industry, discrimination in the
purchase of milk, and unfair trade practices in the procurement of vegetable crops
it requires DOJ to furnish legal services to DATCP relating to their enforcement.
Under current law, if a court imposes a fine or forfeiture for a violation of certain
consumer protection laws or the laws regulating weights and measures, the court is
required to impose an additional consumer protection assessment. The assessments,
up to a certain limit, are available for expenditure by DATCP for consumer protection
and consumer information and education. Under the bill, most of these consumer
protection assessments are available for expenditure by DOJ, rather than DATCP.
The bill also requires the imposition of the consumer protection assessment for fines
or forfeitures resulting from the violation of the laws prohibiting the creation of
monopolies and the unfair and discriminatory business practices that hamper
competition.
The bill also changes the name of DATCP to the Department of Agriculture,
Trade, and Rural Resources.
This bill eliminates DEG and transfers its functions to DOA. The bill also
deletes the exemption of the UW System from certain laws affecting
telecommunications procurement procedures.
Under current law, the Land Information Board is abolished effective on
September 1, 2003. This bill changes this expiration date to September 1, 2005. The
bill also changes the date on which certain land recording fees are reduced from
September 1, 2003 to September 1, 2005.
This bill extends the sunset date for the Wisconsin Land Council, which is
attached to DOA, from August 31, 2003 to September 1, 2005.
This bill increases the fee imposed by DOJ for a fingerprint card record check
from $10 to $15. It also requires DOJ to impose a $5 surcharge whenever a person
requesting a criminal background check, other than for criminal justice purposes or
in connection with the sale of a handgun, asks for a paper copy of the results of the
background check.
This bill directs the secretary of administration, by July 1, 2004, to review all
holdings of state-owned real or personal property, except facilities or institutions the
sale or closure of which is not authorized by law, for sale or lease. The bill also
provides for the net proceeds of property sales and leases by the Building
Commission and the net proceeds of certain sales of property by DOA to be deposited
in the budget stabilization fund.
Under current law, the Tax Appeals Commission is the final administrative
authority for the hearing and determination of most tax-related matters arising in
this state. This bill eliminates the Tax Appeals Commission and replaces it with the
Office of the Commissioner of Tax Appeals.
This bill prohibits all state agencies and authorities from entering into a
contract or order for the purchase of materials, supplies, equipment, or contractual
services with any person if the secretary of revenue determines that the person or
an affiliate of the person refuses to collect and remit sales and use taxes on its sales
delivered to this state. Currently, there is no such prohibition.
taxation
Under current law, for local general property tax purposes, DOR identifies and
assesses all manufacturing property located in this state and reports the value of
such assessments to the municipalities in which manufacturing property is located.
Under this bill, for local general property tax purposes, each taxation district
identifies and assesses all manufacturing property located in the the taxation
district.
transportation
Highways
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 $1,753,067,500. 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. However, under current law, the Marquette
interchange reconstruction project, lying at or near the junction of I 94, I 43, and I
794, in Milwaukee County, is not classified as a major highway project.
This bill increases the revenue bond limit from $1,753,067,500 to
$2,916,403,000. The bill also provides that revenue bond proceeds may be expended
for state highway rehabilitation projects, which are generally projects not qualifying
as major highway projects that involve reconditioning, reconstruction, or
resurfacing of highways on the state trunk system and connecting highways.
Additionally, the bill provides that revenue bond proceeds may be expended for the
Marquette interchange reconstruction project.
