May 4, 2005
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of management of the State's vehicle fleet, as requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The Department of Administration (DOA) has primary responsibility for fleet management, including establishing policies for the acquisition, use, maintenance, and sale of fleet vehicles.
S199
As of December 31, 2004, the State owned 6,669 fleet vehicles, a reduction of 13.8 percent since 2001. Agencies either own these vehicles or lease them from DOA; five agencies-DOA, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Department of Corrections-are assigned nearly three-quarters of the fleet. Sedans and station wagons are the most commonly owned vehicles, followed by pick-up trucks and passenger and cargo vans. A vehicle reduction initiative announced by the Governor in June 2004 generated gross revenue of approximately $3.5 million through March 2005, but it is unclear how much of this revenue will be available for deficit reduction because of sales costs and outstanding debt on vehicles sold.
We found that several state agencies are not appropriately enforcing the minimum driving standards for individuals who use fleet vehicles, in part because of DOA's limited guidance. We also found that Wisconsin's standard reimbursement rate for employees who use privately owned vehicles to conduct state business, $0.325 per mile, is within the range paid by other midwestern states.
We make several recommendations to improve fleet management, including better monitoring of vehicle leases and rentals, improving the procurement process, fully implementing fleet-management software, and improving the process for responding to complaints about inappropriate vehicle use. In addition, we include a recommendation for DOA to better monitor mileage reimbursements by employees who make personal use of fleet vehicles. DOA will likely pay a forfeiture of approximately $35,000 to the Internal Revenue Service for past underpayment of these mileage reimbursements, and steps should be taken to avoid additional forfeiture payments in the future.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DOA staff, as well as by staff in the other agencies and campuses we contacted. DOA's response follows the appendices.
Sincerely,
JANICE MUELLER
State Auditor
Pursuant to Senate Rule
17 (5), Senator Roessler removed as a coauthor of
Senate Bill 87.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Secretary of State
To the Honorable, the Senate:
Bill Number Act Number
Publication Date
Senate Bill 3 Act
4
May
13
, 2005
Senate Bill 83 Act
6
May
16
, 2005
Senate Bill 79 Act
7
May
16
, 2005
Senate Bill 27 Act
9
May
16
, 2005
Sincerely,
DOUGLAS LA FOLLETTE
Secretary of State
__________________
Vander Loop, Bill,
of Kaukauna, as a member of the Judicial Commission, to serve for the term ending August 1, 2006.
Read.
The question was: Confirmation?
The ayes and noes were required and the vote was: ayes, 33; noes, 0; absent or not voting, 0; as follows:
Ayes - Senators Breske, Brown, Carpenter, Coggs, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Grothman, Hansen, Harsdorf, Jauch, Kanavas, Kapanke, Kedzie, A. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Leibham, Miller, Olsen, Plale, Reynolds, Risser, Robson, Roessler, Schultz, Stepp, Taylor, Wirch and Zien - 33.
Noes - None.
Absent or not voting - None.
Confirmed.
__________________
Relating to deer hunting as it relates to the management of chronic wasting disease.
Submitted by Department of Natural Resources.
Report received from Agency, May 4, 2005.
Referred to committee on Natural Resources and Transportation, May 5, 2005
.
__________________
Senate Joint Resolution 23
Relating to: the life of Kenneth J. Clasen.
Read.
Adopted.
Senate Joint Resolution 24
Relating to: the life and public service of Ruth Chickering Clusen.
Read.
Adopted.
Senator Cowles, with unanimous consent, asked to be added as a coauthor of Senate Joint Resolution 24.
Senate Bill 109
Relating to: expanding the cancer drug repository program to include prescription drugs and supplies for chronic disease and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
Read a second time.
Senate amendment 1 to Senate Bill 109 offered by Senator Roessler.
The question was: Adoption of Senate amendment 1 to Senate Bill 109?
Adopted.
Ordered to a third reading.
Senator Kedzie, with unanimous consent, asked that the bill be considered for final action at this time.
Senate
Bill 109
Read a third time and passed.
Senators Taylor, Hansen, Robson, Reynolds, Harsdorf and Erpenbach, with unanimous consent, asked to be made coauthors of Senate Bill 109.
Relating to: donation of newborn umbilical cord blood.
Read a second time.
The question was: Adoption of Senate amendment 1 to Senate Bill 127?
Adopted.
Senate amendment 2 to Senate Bill 127 offered by Senator Erpenbach.
Senator Erpenbach, with unanimous consent, asked that Senate amendment 2 to Senate Bill 127 be withdrawn and returned to author.
Senate amendment 3 to Senate Bill 127 offered by Senators Leibham, Lassa and Robson.
Senator Leibham, with unanimous consent, asked that Senate amendment 3 to Senate Bill 127 be withdrawn and returned to author.
Ordered to a third reading.
Senator Schultz, with unanimous consent, asked that the bill be considered for final action at this time.
Read a third time.
Senator Schultz, with unanimous consent, requested that the rules be suspended to return to the amendable stage.
Senator Leibham, with unanimous consent, requested that the motion to withdraw and return Senate amendment 3 to the author be withdrawn.
The question was: Adoption of Senate amendment 3 to Senate Bill 127?
Adopted.
Ordered to a third reading.
Senator Schultz, with unanimous consent, asked that the bill be considered for final action at this time.
Senate
Bill 127
Read a third time.
The ayes and noes were demanded and the vote was: ayes, 33; noes, 0; absent or not voting, 0; as follows:
Ayes - Senators Breske, Brown, Carpenter, Coggs, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Grothman, Hansen, Harsdorf, Jauch, Kanavas, Kapanke, Kedzie, A. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Leibham, Miller, Olsen, Plale, Reynolds, Risser, Robson, Roessler, Schultz, Stepp, Taylor, Wirch and Zien - 33.
Noes - None.
Absent or not voting - None.
Passed.
Senate Bill 157
Relating to: the full and equal enjoyment of a public place of accommodation or amusement by a person with a disability who is accompanied by a service animal.
Read a second time.
Ordered to a third reading.
Senator Schultz, with unanimous consent, asked that the bill be considered for final action at this time.
Senate
Bill 157
