Under current law, a person may purchase a specialized registration plate for
his or her vehicle by paying an additional fee.
This bill establishes a second authorized special group and provides for the
issuance of special registration plates for persons who support endangered
resources. The fees charged to special group members are the same as for the
existing endangered resources special group plates. The words or symbols used on
the second endangered resources special group plate must be different from the
existing one and the new design must cover the entire plate. In addition, the second
endangered resources special group plate may be issued only if DOT purchases the
plates from the state of Minnesota.
The bill also establishes an authorized special group and provides for the
issuance of special distinguishing registration plates for persons who support the
Milwaukee Brewers. Fees are the same as for the endangered resources plates.
However, the $25 annual fee provides funds to retire the debt of the professional
baseball park district where the Milwaukee Brewers' home field is located.
Under current law, DOT's state traffic patrol has specified duties and is
authorized to conduct investigations relating to the use or operation of vehicles. This
bill allows the state traffic patrol to charge a lead law enforcement agency for services
provided by the state traffic patrol in assisting with a traffic accident investigation
or reconstruction.
Under current law, upon request by any person, DOT must furnish an abstract
of the operating record of any person. DOT must charge the following fees for
searches of vehicle operators' records: $5 for any file search, $5 for any computerized
search, and $6 or a monthly rate determined by DOT for any search requested by
telephone. Under this bill, DOT must charge $2 for providing a paper copy of an
abstract. Also under this bill, DOT is prohibited from charging the fee for a
computerized search or for a search requested by telephone to any governmental
unit.
Transportation aids
Under current law, DOT administers a general transportation aids program
that makes aid payments to a county based on a share-of-costs formula, and to a
municipality based on the greater of a share-of-costs formula or an aid rate per mile.
This bill decreases, for 2010 and thereafter, the aid rate per mile for municipalities
and the maximum amount of aid that may be paid to counties and municipalities.
Under current law, DOT provides state aid payments, for each of four classes
of mass transit systems, to local public bodies in urban areas served by mass transit
systems to assist with their costs.
This bill increases in 2010 and 2011 the amount of state aid to each class of mass
transit.
This bill authorizes DOT to award grants to cities, villages, towns, and counties,
or enter into contracts with private providers of intercity bus service, for the purpose
of increasing the availability of intercity bus service. The amount of DOT funding
related to any particular bus route is limited to the lesser of 50 percent of the net
operating loss of the route or the net operating loss of the route that is not covered
by federal funding.
This bill creates the southeast Wisconsin Transit Capital Assistance Program
under which DOT may award grants, subject to certain conditions and restrictions,
for transit capital improvements to qualifying transit authorities located in
southeastern Wisconsin (presently only the southeast regional transit authority if
such an authority is created under authorization provided in this bill — see Other
transportation). The state may issue up to $100,000,000 in general obligation bonds
to provide grants under the program.
This bill authorizes within DOT to award grants to American Indian tribes or
bands for the purpose of assisting in providing transportation services to elderly
persons. The bill appropriates Indian gaming receipts to fund the grants.
Rail and air transportation
This bill increases the authorized general obligation bonding limit for the
acquisition and improvement of rail property from $66,500,000 to $126,500,000.
This bill increases from $82,000,000 to $122,000,000 the authorized general
obligation bonding authority for DOT's rail passenger route development program.
Other transportation
This bill creates, or authorizes the creation of, three regional transit
authorities: a southeast regional transit authority (SE RTA), a Dane County
regional transit authority (DC RTA), and a Fox Cities regional transit authority (FC
RTA). The SE RTA is created if the governing body of Milwaukee County or Kenosha
County, or of any municipality located within that portion of Racine County east of
I 94, adopts a resolution authorizing the county or municipality to become a member
of the SE RTA. If any of these counties or municipalities fails to adopt a resolution
creating the SE RTA, these counties and municipalities, as well as Racine County,
may also join the SE RTA after it has been created. If Milwaukee County or Kenosha
County joins the SE RTA, all municipalities located within Milwaukee County or
Kenosha County, respectively, become members of the SE RTA. Waukesha County,
Ozaukee County, and Washington County may join the SE RTA and any municipality
located within these counties may join the SE RTA upon approval of the SE RTA's
board of directors. The jurisdictional area of the SE RTA is the geographic area
formed by the combined territorial boundaries of counties and municipalities that
are members of the SE RTA.
The DC RTA is created if the governing body of Dane County adopts a resolution
authorizing the county to become a member of the DC RTA. Once created, the
members of the DC RTA consist of Dane County and all municipalities located within
the Madison metropolitan planning area (MMPA). Any other municipality located
within Dane County may join the DC RTA upon approval of the DC RTA's board of
directors. The jurisdictional area of the DC RTA is the geographic area consisting
of the MMPA and all municipalities outside the MMPA that join the DC RTA.
The members of the FC RTA consist of Outagamie County, Calumet County, and
Winnebago County and all municipalities located within the urbanized area of the
Fox Cities metropolitan planning area (UFCMPA). Any other municipality located
within Outagamie County, Calumet County, or Winnebago County may join the FC
RTA upon approval of the FC RTA's board of directors. The jurisdictional area of the
FC RTA is the geographic area consisting of the UFCMPA and all municipalities
outside the UFCMPA that join the FC RTA.
An RTA's authority is vested in its board of directors. Directors serve four-year
terms. An RTA's bylaws govern its management, operations, and administration and
must include specified provisions, including the maximum rate of the sales and use
tax, not exceeding the statutory limit, that may be imposed by the RTA.
An RTA may establish or acquire a transportation system, and operate the
transportation system or contract for its operation by another. An RTA may also
contract with a public or private organization to provide transportation services in
lieu of directly providing these services and may purchase and lease transportation
facilities to public or private transit companies. An RTA may acquire property by
condemnation; impose, by the adoption of a resolution by the RTA's board of directors,
a sales and use tax in the RTA's jurisdictional area at a rate of not more than 0.5
percent of the gross receipts or sales price; and issue tax-exempt revenue bonds.
Charges received by an RTA must be used only for the general expenses and
capital expenditures of the RTA, to pay interest, amortization, and retirement
charges on the RTA's revenue bonds, and for other specific purposes of the RTA, and
may not be transferred to any political subdivision. An RTA must provide, or contract
for the provision of, transit service within the RTA's jurisdictional area.
Under current law, the counties of Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee must
create a Regional Transit Authority (KRM RTA). The KRM RTA is responsible for
the coordination of transit and commuter rail programs within these counties but
has no authority to manage or operate any transit system. The KRM RTA may
receive funding by imposing a rental car transaction fee within these counties, but
the fee may be used only to hire staff, conduct studies, and prepare a report to the
legislature and the governor, due by November 15, 2008. This bill terminates the
KRM RTA and modifies the rental car transaction fee so that it provides a funding
source for the SE RTA if the SE RTA is created.
Under current law, DOT may accept payment by credit card of certain fees,
particularly those relating to motor vehicle ownership and operation. This bill
allows DOT to accept payment by credit card, debit card, or any other electronic
payment mechanism for these fees. The bill also allows DOT to charge a convenience
fee, set by DOT, for each payment made by credit card, debit card, or any other
electronic payment mechanism. The convenience fee must approximate the cost to
DOT for providing the service.
Under current law, the state may contract up to $53,400,000 in public debt for
DOT to award grants for harbor improvements. This bill increases this authorized
general obligation bonding limit from $53,400,000 to $72,450,000.
veterans and military affairs
Currently, DVA assists veterans whose need for services is based on
homelessness, incarceration, or other circumstances, including assistance in
receiving medical care, dental care, education, employment, and transitional
housing. This bill expands the types of services that DVA may provide to include
single room occupancy housing.
As a condition for receiving reimbursement for tuition from DVA, current law
requires a veteran to provide DVA with the veteran's name, the educational
institution the veteran is attending, whether the veteran is enrolled full time or part
time, and an estimate of the amount of tuition reimbursement the veteran will later
claim. This bill eliminates that requirement.
Current law requires a veteran to submit an application to DVA for tuition
reimbursement within 60 days after completion of the semester or course. This bill
allows DVA to set the time limit for submitting the application.
This bill eliminates the use of money in the veterans trust funds to assist
indigent veterans to pay the costs of residing at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at
Union Grove, and instead uses money provided to pay for the operation of the
veterans homes for that purpose, but limits the amount that may be used for that
purpose to not more than 1 percent of the moneys received from residents of the
Home, the federal department of veterans affairs, and from Medical Assistance.
The bill also allows up to $100,000 of the amount appropriated for the operation
of the veterans homes to be used for grants to counties and American Indian tribes
and bands for the improvement of services to veterans.
The bill extends the sunset date for the grant program to train volunteers to
assist individuals who return to this state after active duty in the national guard or
armed forces from June 30, 2007, to June 30, 2011.
This bill provides funding from the petroleum inspection fund for the general
program operations of the division of emergency management.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB75, s. 1
1Section
1. 5.68 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,87,52
5.68
(1) The Except as provided in sub. (7), the cost of acquisition of ballot boxes
3and voting booths, voting machines or electronic voting systems and regular
4maintenance thereof shall be borne by the municipalities in which the boxes, booths,
5machines or systems are used.
AB75, s. 2
6Section
2. 5.68 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,87,177
5.68
(7) Any municipality that maintained polling hours beginning later than
87 a.m. prior to April 29, 2006, and that incurs additional costs to adjust its polling
9hours to begin at 7 a.m. at any election held after April 29, 2006, may file a claim with
10the board for reimbursement of those costs. The claim shall be accompanied by
11appropriate substantiation of all costs incurred. The board shall audit the claim and,
12if the board finds that the costs have been incurred by the municipality, and the costs
13would not have been incurred but for the requirement to open polling places at 7 a.m.,
14the board
shall may reimburse the municipality for those costs
or any portion of those
15costs. No claim is payable under this subsection unless the claim is filed with the
16board, together with appropriate substantiation, within 60 days following the date
17on which the costs are incurred.
AB75, s. 3
18Section
3. 7.33 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,88,3
17.33
(1) (c) "State agency" has the meaning given under s. 20.001 (1) and
2includes an authority created under subch. II of ch. 114 or ch.
52, 231, 232, 233, 234,
3or 237.
AB75, s. 4
4Section
4. 7.33 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,88,145
7.33
(4) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, each local
6governmental unit, as defined in s. 16.97 (7), may, and each state agency shall, upon
7proper application under sub. (3), permit each of its employees to serve as an election
8official under s. 7.30 without loss of fringe benefits or seniority privileges earned for
9scheduled working hours during the period specified in sub. (3), without loss of pay
10for scheduled working hours during the period specified in sub. (3) except as provided
11in sub. (5), and without any other penalty. For employees who are included in a
12collective bargaining unit for which a representative is recognized or certified under
13subch. V
or VI of ch. 111, this subsection shall apply unless otherwise provided in a
14collective bargaining agreement.
AB75, s. 5
15Section
5. 13.101 (6) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,89,916
13.101
(6) (a) As an emergency measure necessitated by decreased state
17revenues and to prevent the necessity for a state tax on general property, the
18committee may reduce any appropriation made to any board, commission,
19department, or the University of Wisconsin System, or to any other state agency or
20activity, by such amount as it deems feasible, not exceeding 25% of the
21appropriations, except appropriations made by ss. 20.255 (2) (ac), (bc), (bh), (cg), and
22(cr) (vr), 20.395 (1), (2) (cq), (eq) to (ex) and (gq) to (gx), (3), (4) (aq) to (ax), and (6) (af),
23(aq), (ar),
and (au),
and (av), 20.435
(6) (7) (a) and
(7) (da), and 20.437 (2) (a) and (dz)
24or for forestry purposes under s. 20.370 (1), or any other moneys distributed to any
25county, city, village, town, or school district. Appropriations of receipts and of a sum
1sufficient shall for the purposes of this section be regarded as equivalent to the
2amounts expended under such appropriations in the prior fiscal year which ended
3June 30. All functions of said state agencies shall be continued in an efficient
4manner, but because of the uncertainties of the existing situation no public funds
5should be expended or obligations incurred unless there shall be adequate revenues
6to meet the expenditures therefor. For such reason the committee may make
7reductions of such appropriations as in its judgment will secure sound financial
8operations of the administration for said state agencies and at the same time
9interfere least with their services and activities.
AB75, s. 6
10Section
6. 13.106 (1) (b) of the statutes is repealed.
AB75, s. 7
11Section
7. 13.106 (1) (e) of the statutes is repealed.
AB75, s. 8
12Section
8. 13.106 (2) of the statutes is repealed.
AB75, s. 9
13Section
9. 13.111 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,89,1614
13.111
(2) Duties. The joint committee on employment relations shall perform
15the functions assigned to it under
subch. subchs. V
and VI of ch. 111, subch. II of ch.
16230 and ss. 16.53 (1) (d) 1., 20.916, 20.917, 20.923 and 40.05 (1) (b).
AB75, s. 10
17Section
10. 13.172 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,89,2318
13.172
(1) In this section, "agency" means an office, department, agency,
19institution of higher education, association, society, or other body in state
20government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, that
21is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the
22courts, and any authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or subch. III of ch. 149 or in
23ch.
52, 231, 233, 234, or 279.
AB75, s. 11
24Section
11. 13.40 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,90,4
113.40
(2) (intro.) Except as provided in
subs. sub. (3)
and (3m), the amount
2appropriated from general purpose revenue for each fiscal biennium, excluding any
3amount under an appropriation specified in sub. (3) (a) to (i), as determined under
4sub. (4), may not exceed the sum of:
AB75, s. 12
5Section
12. 13.40 (3) (k) of the statutes is created to read:
AB75,90,66
13.40
(3) (k) An appropriation under s. 20.505 (1) (bq).
AB75, s. 13
7Section
13. 13.40 (3m) of the statutes is repealed.
AB75, s. 14
8Section
14. 13.48 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,90,239
13.48
(2) (a) There is created a building commission consisting of the governor,
10who shall serve as chairperson, and 3 senators and 3 representatives to the assembly
11appointed as are the members of standing committees in their respective houses.
12The 2 major political parties shall be represented in the membership from each
13house. One legislator from each house shall be a member of the state supported
14programs study and advisory committee created by s. 13.47. One citizen member
15shall be appointed by the governor to serve at the governor's pleasure. The secretary,
16head of the engineering function, and ranking architect of the department of
17administration shall be nonvoting advisory members.
The secretary of
18administration shall designate an employee of the department of administration to
19serve as secretary to the building commission. The building commission shall bear
20a title beginning with the words "State of Wisconsin". The members shall be liable
21only for misconduct. Nonlegislator members of the building commission shall be
22reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses, incurred as members of the building
23commission, from the appropriation under s. 20.505.
AB75, s. 15
24Section
15. 13.48 (10) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,91,12
113.48
(10) (a) No state board, agency, officer, department, commission or body
2corporate may enter into a contract for the construction, reconstruction, remodeling
3of or addition to any building, structure, or facility, in connection with any building
4project which involves a cost in excess of
$150,000
$250,000 without completion of
5final plans and arrangement for supervision of construction and prior approval by
6the building commission. The building commission may not approve a contract for
7the construction, reconstruction, renovation or remodeling of or an addition to a state
8building as defined in s. 44.51 (2) unless it determines that s. 44.57 has been complied
9with or does not apply. This section applies to the department of transportation only
10in respect to buildings, structures and facilities to be used for administrative or
11operating functions, including buildings, land and equipment to be used for the
12motor vehicle emission inspection and maintenance program under s. 110.20.
AB75, s. 16
13Section
16. 13.48 (13) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,91,2514
13.48
(13) (a) Except as provided in par. (b) or (c), every building, structure or
15facility that is constructed for the benefit of or use of the state, any state agency,
16board, commission or department, the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics
17Authority, the Fox River Navigational System Authority,
the Wisconsin Quality
18Home Care Authority, or any local professional baseball park district created under
19subch. III of ch. 229 if the construction is undertaken by the department of
20administration on behalf of the district, shall be in compliance with all applicable
21state laws, rules, codes and regulations but the construction is not subject to the
22ordinances or regulations of the municipality in which the construction takes place
23except zoning, including without limitation because of enumeration ordinances or
24regulations relating to materials used, permits, supervision of construction or
25installation, payment of permit fees, or other restrictions.
AB75, s. 17
1Section
17. 13.48 (14) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,92,62
13.48
(14) (a) In this subsection, "agency" has the meaning given for "state
3agency" in s. 20.001 (1), except that during the
period prior to July 1, 2007, and the
4period beginning on October 27, 2007, and ending on June 30, 2009,
and the period
5beginning on the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], the term does
6not include the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.
AB75, s. 18
7Section
18. 13.48 (19m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB75,92,108
13.48
(19m) Waiver of construction project contract requirements. The
9secretary of the building commission may waive compliance with any requirement
10under s. 16.855 for any project the estimated cost of which is less than $5,000,000.
AB75, s. 19
11Section
19. 13.48 (29) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,92,1612
13.48
(29) Small projects. Except as otherwise required under s. 16.855
13(10m), the building commission may prescribe simplified policies and procedures to
14be used in lieu of the procedures provided in s. 16.855 for any project
that does not
15require prior approval of the building commission under sub. (10) (a) having an
16estimated cost that does not exceed $500,000.
AB75, s. 20
17Section
20. 13.62 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,92,2218
13.62
(2) "Agency" means any board, commission, department, office, society,
19institution of higher education, council, or committee in the state government, or any
20authority created in subch. II of ch. 114 or subch. III of ch. 149 or in ch.
52, 231, 232,
21233, 234, 237, or 279, except that the term does not include a council or committee
22of the legislature.
AB75, s. 21
23Section
21. 13.94 (1) (dg) of the statutes is repealed.
AB75, s. 22
24Section
22. 13.94 (1) (ms) of the statutes is created to read:
AB75,93,4
113.94
(1) (ms) No later than July 1, 2014, prepare a financial and performance
2evaluation audit of the economic development tax benefit program under ss. 560.701
3to 560.706. The legislative audit bureau shall file a copy of the report of the audit
4under this paragraph with the distributees specified in par. (b).
AB75, s. 23
5Section
23. 13.94 (4) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,93,226
13.94
(4) (a) 1. Every state department, board, examining board, affiliated
7credentialing board, commission, independent agency, council or office in the
8executive branch of state government; all bodies created by the legislature in the
9legislative or judicial branch of state government; any public body corporate and
10politic created by the legislature including specifically
the Wisconsin Quality Home
11Care Authority, the Fox River Navigational System Authority, the Lower Fox River
12Remediation Authority, and the Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, a professional
13baseball park district, a local professional football stadium district, a local cultural
14arts district and a long-term care district under s. 46.2895; every Wisconsin works
15agency under subch. III of ch. 49; every provider of medical assistance under subch.
16IV of ch. 49; technical college district boards
; development zones designated under
17s. 560.71; every county department under s. 51.42 or 51.437; every nonprofit
18corporation or cooperative or unincorporated cooperative association to which
19moneys are specifically appropriated by state law; and every corporation, institution,
20association or other organization which receives more than 50% of its annual budget
21from appropriations made by state law, including subgrantee or subcontractor
22recipients of such funds.
AB75, s. 24
23Section
24. 13.95 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,94,11
2413.95 Legislative fiscal bureau. (intro.) There is created a bureau to be
25known as the "Legislative Fiscal Bureau" headed by a director. The fiscal bureau
1shall be strictly nonpartisan and shall at all times observe the confidential nature
2of the research requests received by it; however, with the prior approval of the
3requester in each instance, the bureau may duplicate the results of its research for
4distribution. Subject to s. 230.35 (4) (a) and (f), the director or the director's
5designated employees shall at all times, with or without notice, have access to all
6state agencies, the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, the
7Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan Authority,
8the Lower Fox River Remediation Authority,
the Wisconsin Quality Home Care
9Authority, and the Fox River Navigational System Authority, and to any books,
10records, or other documents maintained by such agencies or authorities and relating
11to their expenditures, revenues, operations, and structure.
AB75, s. 25
12Section
25. 15.01 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,94,2113
15.01
(2) "Commission" means a 3-member governing body in charge of a
14department or independent agency or of a division or other subunit within a
15department, except for the Wisconsin waterways commission which shall consist of
165 members and the
parole earned release review commission which shall consist of
178 members. A Wisconsin group created for participation in a continuing interstate
18body, or the interstate body itself, shall be known as a "commission", but is not a
19commission for purposes of s. 15.06. The
parole
earned release review commission
20created under s. 15.145 (1) shall be known as a "commission", but is not a commission
21for purposes of s. 15.06.
AB75, s. 26
22Section
26. 15.05 (3r) of the statutes is created to read:
AB75,94,2423
15.05
(3r) Chief legal advisor. The secretary of each department specified in
24s. 230.08 (2) (eg) may appoint in the unclassified service a chief legal advisor.
AB75, s. 27
25Section
27. 15.06 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB75,95,4
115.06
(6) Quorum. A majority of the membership of a commission constitutes
2a quorum to do business, except that vacancies shall not prevent a commission from
3doing business. This subsection does not apply to the
parole earned release review
4commission.
AB75, s. 28
5Section
28. 15.07 (1) (b) 10. of the statutes is repealed.
AB75, s. 29
6Section
29. 15.07 (1) (cm) of the statutes is amended to read: