The Senate met.
The Senate was called to order by President Risser.
The roll was called and the following Senators answered to their names:
Senators Breske, Carpenter, Coggs, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Grothman, Hansen, Harsdorf, Jauch, Kanavas, Kapanke, Kedzie, Kreitlow, A. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Lehman, Leibham, Miller, Olsen, Plale, Risser, Robson, Roessler, Schultz, Sullivan, Taylor, Vinehout and Wirch - 33.
Absent - None.
Absent with leave - None.
The Senate stood for a moment of silent meditation.
The Senate remained standing and Senator Hansen led the Senate in the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
__________________
Read first time and referred:
Senate Joint Resolution 2
Relating to: equal rights (first consideration).
By
Senators
Erpenbach, Robson, Risser, Carpenter, Miller and Lehman; cosponsored by Representatives Parisi, Young, Black, Hebl, Turner, Berceau, Sheridan, Kessler, Pope-Roberts, Travis, Pocan and Grigsby.
To committee on Judiciary and Corrections.
Read and referred:
Senate Joint Resolution 3
Relating to: the life and military service of Captain Rhett W. Schiller.
By
Senator
Lazich
; cosponsored by Representative Gunderson
.
To committee on Senate Organization.
Senate Joint Resolution 4
Relating to: recognizing February 6 as Ronald Reagan Day in the state of Wisconsin.
By
Senators
Kanavas, Grothman, Darling, A. Lasee, Lazich and Roessler; cosponsored by Representatives J. Ott, Davis, Zipperer, Vos, Newcomer, Honadel, Ott, Ballweg, Bies, F. Lasee, Hines, Hahn, Nerison, Suder, Kerkman, Townsend, M. Williams, Kestell, Jeskewitz, Vukmir, Lothian, Nass, Gundrum and J. Fitzgerald.
To committee on Senate Organization.
Read first time and referred:
Senate Bill 5
Relating to: elimination of accumulated sick leave credit program for legislators, justices and judges, all other state elected officials, and certain appointed executive branch officials.
By
Senators
Kanavas, Darling, Leibham, Kapanke, Grothman, Cowles and Lazich; cosponsored by Representatives Strachota, Kleefisch, Zipperer, Kestell, LeMahieu, Ziegelbauer, Pridemore, Vukmir, Kerkman, Lothian, Hahn, Nygren, Gottlieb, Vos, Bies, Gundrum, J. Ott, J. Fitzgerald and Roth.
To committee on Ethics Reform and Government Operations.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
December 27, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Section
46.03(26) of the statutes requires the Department of Health and Family Services to report annually on information systems projects under development including the implementation schedule, estimate of costs, and methods of determining changes (if applicable).
The Department has three groups of systems now under development: (1) Public Health Information Network (PHIN), (2) the Vital Records Reengineering Project, and (3) the Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) and related subsystems. The required information is included in the attached reports.
Sincerely,
Helene Nelson
Secretary
Referred to committee on Health and Human Services.
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
December 27, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
Enclosed is a copy of the Child Abuse and Neglect Report, 2005 Data, pursuant to s.
48.981. The report includes a statistical analysis of suspected child abuse and neglect reports received and investigated by county child protective services (CPS) agencies and the state Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare in calendar year 2005. The report also contains information on child fatalities due to child abuse or neglect.
Sincerely,
Helene Nelson
Secretary
Department of Health and Family Services
December 28, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
The Department of Health and Family Services is pleased to report to you and the Legislature on the development of a uniform document of gift form that will aid families considering the donation of a loved one's organs and tissues. This work was required by
2005 Wisconsin Act 229.
2005 Wisconsin Act 229, effective November 1, 2006, required that additional information be included in any document of anatomical gift for organ and tissue donation. Act 229 also directed the DHFS to convene a group of interested parties to discuss and provide input about the development of a document for use by all parties including hospitals, organ procurement organizations, tissue banks, coroners and medical examiners involved in the donation process.
In September, DHFS convened a group to discuss the need for a statewide form. The group included representatives from the Wisconsin Hospital Association; University of Wisconsin Organ Procurement Organization; Wisconsin Donor Network Organ Procurement Organization; American Tissue Services Foundation; the Musculoskeletal Foundation; RTI Donor Services; Wisconsin Tissue Bank; the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin; the Wisconsin Coroners and Medical Examiners Association and the Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association. In the course of several meetings, the parties concluded that a uniform document had value and reached consensus on the specifics of the form. This document provides grieving families with the information they need and simplifies the consent process.
Through this effort, Wisconsin has become one of the first states to have a uniform consent form for organ, tissue and eye donation. The model form has been distributed to all organ and tissue recovery organizations, and the Wisconsin Hospital Association has shared it with their members. It has also been posted to the DHFS Forms Library at
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/forms/DPH/dph43O25.pdf. A copy of the document is attached.
Please let me know if you would like additional information.
Sincerely,
Helene Nelson
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
December 29, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
This report is transmitted as required by s.
20.002(11)(f), Wisconsin Statutes, (for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s.
13.172(3), Wisconsin Statutes) and confirms that the Department of Administration has found it necessary to exercise the “temporary reallocation of balances" authority provided by this section in order to meet payment responsibilities and cover resulting negative cash balances during the month of November 2006.
On November 1, 2006, the Medical Assistance Trust Fund cash balance closed at a negative $12.0 million. This negative balance continued through November 30, 2006, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $8.5 million. The Medical Assistance Trust Fund cash balance reached its intra‐month low of a negative $12.0 million on November 1, 2006. Wisconsin Act 211 authorizes the fiscal year 2007 transfer of $25.4 million from the General Fund to the Medical Assistance Trust Fund, which will offset this cash deficiency.
On November 1, 2006, the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund cash balance closed at a negative $2.0 thousand. This negative balance continued through November 30, 2006, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $1.0 thousand. The Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund cash balance reached its intra‐month low of a negative $2.0 thousand on November 1, 2006. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On November 1, 2006, the Worker's Compensation Fund cash balance closed at a negative $1.7 million. This negative balance continued through November 30, 2006, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $2.8 million. The Worker's Compensation Fund cash balance reached its intra‐month low of a negative $2.8 million on November 30, 2006. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
The Medical Assistance Trust Fund, Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund and Worker's Compensation Fund shortfalls were not in excess of the statutory interfund borrowing limitations and did not exceed the balances of the funds available for interfund borrowing.
The distribution of interest earnings to investment pool participants is based on the average daily balance in the pool and each fund's share. Therefore, the monthly calculation by the State Controller's Office will automatically reflect the use of these temporary reallocations of balance authority, and as a result, the funds requiring the use of the authority will effectively bear the interest cost.
Sincerely,
Stephen E. Bablitch
Secretary
Referred to the joint committee on finance.
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
December 29, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Please find enclosed the Service Award Program 2006 Annual Report. The Service Award Board developed the report with support from Department of Administration staff. The report provides an overview of the program and outlines the accomplishments for the program year.
Wisconsin State Statute 16.25(6) requires the Department to submit the report to the Chief Clerk of each house annually describing the activities of the board.
If you have any questions regarding the report, please contact Terri Lenz at the Department of Administration, Division of Enterprise Operations, at (608) 261‐6580.
Sincerely,
Patrick J. Farley
Secretary, Service Award Board
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
