Venue in judicial review actions and in actions against state
Under current law, subject to certain exceptions, the exclusive means of judicial
review of the validity of a rule is by an action for declaratory judgment as to the
validity of the rule brought in the circuit court for Dane County. This substitute
amendment permits a declaratory judgment action seeking judicial review of the
validity of a rule to be brought in the county where the party asserting the invalidity
of the rule resides or has its principal place of business.
Under current law, any civil action or special proceeding in which the state, a
state board or commission, or a state officer, employee, or agent acting in his or her
official capacity is the sole defendant, is venued in Dane County. Under the
substitute amendment, those actions are venued in the county where the plaintiff
resides unless a different venue is specifically authorized by law. Under the
substitute amendment, if a plaintiff is not a resident of the state or is not a natural
person, the action is venued in the county where the dispute arose.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB8-SSA1, s. 1
1Section
1. 227.10 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB8-SSA1,7,72
227.10
(2m) No agency may implement or enforce any standard, requirement,
3or threshold as a term or condition of any license issued by the agency unless such
4implementation and enforcement is expressly required or permitted by statute or by
5a rule that has been promulgated in accordance with this subchapter. The governor,
6by executive order, may prescribe standards to ensure that rules are promulgated in
7compliance with this subchapter.
SB8-SSA1, s. 2
8Section
2. 227.11 (2) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 227.11 (2) (a) (intro.) and
9amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,8,6
1227.11
(2) (a) (intro.) Each agency may promulgate rules interpreting the
2provisions of any statute enforced or administered by
it the agency, if the agency
3considers it necessary to effectuate the purpose of the statute, but a rule is not valid
4if
it the rule exceeds the bounds of correct interpretation.
All of the following apply
5to the promulgation of a rule interpreting the provisions of a statute enforced or
6administered by an agency:
SB8-SSA1, s. 3
7Section
3. 227.11 (2) (a) 1. to 3. of the statutes are created to read:
SB8-SSA1,8,128
227.11
(2) (a) 1. A statutory or nonstatutory provision containing a statement
9or declaration of legislative intent, purpose, findings, or policy does not confer
10rule-making authority on the agency or augment the agency's rule-making
11authority beyond the rule-making authority that is expressly conferred on the
12agency by the legislature.
SB8-SSA1,8,1613
2. A statutory provision describing the agency's general powers or duties does
14not confer rule-making authority on the agency or augment the agency's
15rule-making authority beyond the rule-making authority that is expressly
16conferred on the agency by the legislature.
SB8-SSA1,8,2117
3. A statutory provision containing a specific standard, requirement, or
18threshold does not confer on the agency the authority to promulgate, enforce, or
19administer a rule that contains a standard, requirement, or threshold that is more
20restrictive than the standard, requirement, or threshold contained in the statutory
21provision.
SB8-SSA1, s. 4
22Section
4. 227.135 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,9,1623
227.135
(2) Until An agency that has prepared a statement of the scope of the
24proposed rule shall present the statement to the governor and to the individual or
25body with policy-making powers over the subject matter of
a the proposed rule
1approves a statement of the scope of the proposed rule, a state employee or official
2may not perform any activity in connection with drafting the proposed rule except
3for an activity necessary to prepare the statement for approval. The agency may not
4send the statement to the legislative reference bureau for publication under sub. (3)
5until the governor issues a written notice of approval of the statement. The
6individual or body with policy-making powers may not approve
a the statement
7until at least 10 days after publication of the statement
in the register as required 8under sub. (3).
If the individual or body with policy-making powers does not
9disapprove the statement within 30 days after the statement is presented to the
10individual or body, or by the 11th day after publication of the statement in the
11register, whichever is later, the statement is considered to be approved No state
12employee or official may perform any activity in connection with the drafting of a
13proposed rule except for an activity necessary to prepare the statement of the scope
14of the proposed rule until the governor and the individual or body with
15policy-making powers over the subject matter of the proposed rule approves the
16statement.
SB8-SSA1, s. 5
17Section
5. 227.135 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,9,2218
227.135
(3) The agency shall send the
If the governor approves a statement of
19the scope of a proposed rule
under sub. (2), the agency shall send the statement to
20the legislative reference bureau for publication in the register. On the same day that
21the agency sends the statement to the legislative reference bureau, the agency shall
22send a copy of the statement to the secretary of administration.
SB8-SSA1, s. 6
23Section
6. 227.135 (4) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
SB8-SSA1,9,2524
227.135
(4) If at any time after a statement of the scope of a proposed rule is
25approved under sub. (2) the agency changes the scope of the proposed rule in any
1meaningful or measurable way, including changing the scope of the proposed rule so
2as to include in the scope any activity, business, material, or product that is not
3specifically included in the original scope of the proposed rule, the agency shall
4prepare and obtain approval of a revised statement of the scope of the proposed rule
5in the same manner as the original statement was prepared and approved under
6subs. (1) and (2). No state employee or official may perform any activity in connection
7with the drafting of the proposed rule except for an activity necessary to prepare the
8revised statement of the scope of the proposed rule until the revised statement is so
9approved.
SB8-SSA1, s. 7
10Section
7. 227.137 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,10,11
11227.137 (title)
Economic impact reports analyses of proposed rules.
SB8-SSA1, s. 9
13Section
9. 227.137 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 227.137 (2) and
14amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,11,515
227.137
(2) After an agency publishes a statement of the scope of a proposed
16rule under s. 227.135, and before the agency submits the proposed rule to the
17legislature for review under s. 227.19 (2), a municipality, an association that
18represents a farm, labor, business, or professional group, or 5 or more persons that
19would be directly and uniquely affected by the proposed rule may submit a petition
20to the department of administration asking that the secretary of administration
21direct the agency to prepare an economic impact report for the proposed rule. The 22An agency shall prepare an economic impact
report analysis for a proposed rule 23before submitting the proposed rule to the
legislature for review under s. 227.19 (2)
24if the secretary of administration directs the agency to prepare that report. The
25secretary of administration may direct the agency to prepare an economic impact
1report for the proposed rule before submitting the proposed rule to the legislature for
2review under s. 227.19 (2). The secretary of administration shall direct the agency
3to prepare an economic impact report for the proposed rule before submitting the
4proposed rule to the legislature for review under s. 227.19 (2) if the secretary
5determines that all of the following apply: legislative council staff under s. 227.15.
SB8-SSA1, s. 12
8Section
12. 227.137 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,11,219
227.137
(3) (intro.) An economic impact
report analysis of a proposed rule shall
10contain information on the
economic effect of the proposed rule on specific
11businesses, business sectors,
public utility ratepayers, local governmental units, and
12the state's economy
as a whole. When preparing the
report analysis, the agency shall
13solicit information and advice from
the department of commerce, and from
14governmental units, associations, businesses,
associations representing businesses,
15local governmental units, and individuals that may be affected by the proposed rule.
16The agency shall prepare the economic impact analysis in coordination with local
17governmental units that may be affected by the proposed rule. The agency may
18request information that is reasonably necessary for the preparation of an economic
19impact
report analysis from other
state agencies, governmental units, associations,
20businesses,
associations, local governmental units, and individuals
and from other
21agencies. The economic impact
report analysis shall include all of the following:
SB8-SSA1, s. 13
22Section
13. 227.137 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,12,323
227.137
(3) (a) An analysis and quantification of the
policy problem
, including
24any risks to public health or the environment, that the
proposed rule is intending to
25address
, including comparisons with the approaches used by the federal government
1and by Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota to address that policy problem and,
2if the approach chosen by the agency to address that policy problem is different from
3those approaches, a statement as to why the agency chose a different approach.
SB8-SSA1, s. 14
4Section
14. 227.137 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,12,95
227.137
(3) (b) An analysis and
detailed quantification of the economic impact
6of the
proposed rule, including
the implementation and compliance costs
that are 7reasonably expected to be incurred by
the state, governmental units, associations, 8or passed along to the businesses,
local governmental units, and
affected individuals
9that may be affected by the proposed rule.
SB8-SSA1, s. 15
10Section
15. 227.137 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,12,1411
227.137
(3) (c) An analysis of
the actual and quantifiable benefits of the
12proposed rule, including
how the rule reduces the risks and addresses the problems 13an assessment of how effective the proposed rule will be in addressing the policy
14problem that the rule is intended to address.
SB8-SSA1, s. 16
15Section
16. 227.137 (3) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
SB8-SSA1,12,1716
227.137
(3) (d) An analysis of alternatives to the proposed rule, including the
17alternative of not promulgating the proposed rule.
SB8-SSA1, s. 17
18Section
17. 227.137 (3) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
SB8-SSA1,12,2319
227.137
(3) (e) A determination made in consultation with the businesses, local
20governmental units, and individuals that may be affected by the proposed rule as to
21whether the proposed rule would adversely affect in a material way the economy, a
22sector of the economy, productivity, jobs, or the overall economic competitiveness of
23this state.
SB8-SSA1, s. 18
24Section
18. 227.137 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,13,13
1227.137
(4) The On the same day that the agency
shall submit submits the
2economic impact
report analysis to the legislative council staff
, under s. 227.15 (1),
3the agency shall also submit that analysis to the department of administration,
and
4to the petitioner to the governor, and to the chief clerks of each house of the
5legislature, who shall distribute the analysis to the presiding officers of their
6respective houses, to the chairpersons of the appropriate standing committees of
7their respective houses, as designated by those presiding officers, and to the
8cochairpersons of the joint committee for review of administrative rules. If a
9proposed rule is modified after the economic impact analysis is submitted under this
10subsection so that the economic impact of the proposed rule is significantly changed,
11the agency shall prepare a revised economic impact analysis for the proposed rule as
12modified. A revised economic impact analysis shall be prepared and submitted in the
13same manner as an original economic impact analysis is prepared and submitted.
SB8-SSA1, s. 20
15Section
20. 227.138 (title) and (1) of the statutes are repealed.
SB8-SSA1, s. 21
16Section
21. 227.138 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 227.137 (6)
17(intro.) and amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,14,218
227.137
(6) (intro.) If an economic impact
report will be prepared under s.
19227.137 (2) analysis regarding a proposed rule
indicates that a total of $20,000,000
20or more in implementation and compliance costs are reasonably expected to be
21incurred by or passed along to businesses, local governmental units, and individuals
22as a result of the proposed rule, the department
of administration shall review the
23proposed rule and issue a report. The agency
shall
may not submit a proposed rule
24to the legislature for review under s. 227.19 (2) until the agency receives a copy of the
1department's report and the approval of the secretary of administration. The report
2shall include all of the following findings:
SB8-SSA1, s. 22
3Section
22. 227.138 (2) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 227.138 (6) (a) and
4amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,14,75
227.138
(6) (a) That the economic impact
report and the analysis
required
6under s. 227.137 (3) are is supported by related documentation contained
or
7referenced in the economic impact
report analysis.
SB8-SSA1, s. 23
8Section
23. 227.138 (2) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 227.137 (6) (b).
SB8-SSA1, s. 24
9Section
24. 227.138 (2) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 227.137 (6) (c).
SB8-SSA1, s. 25
10Section
25. 227.138 (2) (d) of the statutes is renumbered 227.137 (6) (d).
SB8-SSA1, s. 26
11Section
26. 227.138 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 227.137 (7) and amended
12to read:
SB8-SSA1,14,1913
227.137
(7) Before issuing a report under sub.
(2) (6), the department
of
14administration may return a proposed rule to the agency for further consideration
15and revision with a written explanation of why the proposed rule is
being returned.
16If the agency head disagrees with the department's reasons for returning the
17proposed rule, the agency head shall so notify the department in writing. The
18secretary of administration shall approve the proposed rule when the agency has
19adequately addressed the issues raised during the department's review of the rule.
SB8-SSA1, s. 28
21Section
28. 227.14 (2) (a) 6. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,14,2522
227.14
(2) (a) 6. Any analysis and supporting documentation that the agency
23used in support of the agency's determination of the rule's effect on small businesses
24under s. 227.114 or that was used when the agency prepared an economic impact
25report analysis under s. 227.137 (3).
SB8-SSA1, s. 29
1Section
29. 227.15 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,15,122
227.15
(1) Submittal to legislative council staff. Prior to a public hearing
3on a proposed rule or, if no public hearing is required, prior to notice under s. 227.19,
4an agency shall submit the proposed rule to the legislative council staff for review.
5The proposed rule shall be in the form required under s. 227.14 (1), and shall include
6the material required under s. 227.14 (2)
to (4), (3), and (4) and the economic impact
7analysis required under s. 227.137 (2). An agency may not hold a public hearing on
8a proposed rule or give notice under s. 227.19 until after it has received a written
9report of the legislative council staff review of the proposed rule or until after the
10initial review period of 20 working days under sub. (2) (intro.), whichever comes first.
11An agency may give notice of a public hearing prior to receipt of the legislative council
12staff report. This subsection does not apply to rules promulgated under s. 227.24.
SB8-SSA1, s. 30
13Section
30. 227.15 (1m) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB8-SSA1,15,1414
227.15
(1m) (bm) The economic impact analysis required under s. 227.137 (2).
SB8-SSA1, s. 31
15Section
31. 227.17 (3) (em) of the statutes is created to read:
SB8-SSA1,15,1916
227.17
(3) (em) The economic impact analysis required under s. 227.137 (2) and
17any report prepared by the department of administration under s. 227.137 (6), or a
18summary of that analysis and report and a description of how a copy of the full
19analysis and report may be obtained from the agency at no charge.
SB8-SSA1,16,2
21227.185 Approval by governor. After a proposed rule is in final draft form,
22the agency shall submit the proposed rule to the governor for approval. The governor,
23in his or her discretion, may approve or reject the proposed rule. If the governor
24approves a proposed rule, the governor shall provide the agency with a written notice
1of that approval. No proposed rule may be submitted to the legislature for review
2under s. 227.19 (2) unless the governor has approved the proposed rule in writing.
SB8-SSA1, s. 33
3Section
33. 227.19 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,16,194
227.19
(2) Notification of legislature. An agency shall submit a notice to the
5chief clerk of each house of the legislature when a proposed rule is in final draft form.
6The notice shall be submitted in triplicate and shall be accompanied by a report in
7the form specified under sub. (3). A notice received under this subsection on or after
8September 1 of an even-numbered year the last day of the legislature's final
9general-business floorperiod in the biennial session as established in the joint
10resolution required under s. 13.02 (3) shall be considered received on the first day of
11the next regular session of the legislature
, unless the presiding officers of both
12houses direct referral of the notice and report under this subsection before that day.
13The presiding officer of each house of the legislature shall, within 10 working days
14following the day on which the notice and report are received, direct the appropriate
15chief clerk to refer
them the notice and report to one standing committee. The agency
16shall submit to the legislative reference bureau for publication in the register a
17statement that a proposed rule has been submitted to the chief clerk of each house
18of the legislature. Each chief clerk shall enter a similar statement in the journal of
19his or her house.
SB8-SSA1, s. 34
20Section
34. 227.19 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,17,321
227.19
(3) Form of report. (intro.) The report required under sub. (2) shall be
22in writing and shall include the proposed rule in the form specified in s. 227.14 (1),
23the material specified in s. 227.14 (2)
to, (3), and (4), a copy of any economic impact
24report analysis prepared by the agency under s. 227.137
(2), a copy of any report
25prepared by the department of administration under s.
227.138 227.137 (6), a copy
1of any energy impact report received from the public service commission under s.
2227.117 (2), and a copy of any recommendations of the legislative council staff. The
3report shall also include all of the following:
SB8-SSA1, s. 35
4Section
35. 227.19 (4) (b) 1. (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,17,105
227.19
(4) (b) 1. (intro.) Except as provided under
subd. subds. 1m. and 5., the
6committee review period for each committee extends for 30 days after referral
of the
7proposed rule to the committee under sub. (2). If the chairperson or the
8cochairpersons of a committee take either of the following actions within the 30-day
9period, the committee review period for that committee is continued for 30 days from
10the date on which the first 30-day review period would have expired:
SB8-SSA1, s. 36
11Section
36. 227.19 (4) (b) 1m. of the statutes is created to read:
SB8-SSA1,17,1712
227.19
(4) (b) 1m. Except as provided under subd. 5., if a notice and report
13received under sub. (2) after the last day of the legislature's final general-business
14floorperiod as specified in sub. (2) is referred for committee review before the first day
15of the next regular session of the legislature, the committee review period for each
16committee to which the proposed rule is referred extends to the day specified under
17s. 13.02 (1) for the next legislature to convene.
SB8-SSA1, s. 37
18Section
37. 227.19 (4) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,18,219
227.19
(4) (b) 2. If a committee, by a majority vote of a quorum of the committee,
20requests modifications in a proposed rule, and the agency, in writing, agrees to
21consider making modifications, the review period for both committees
to which the
22proposed rule is referred is extended either to the 10th working day following receipt
23by
the those committees of the modified proposed rule or a written statement to
the
24committee those committees that the agency will not make
the modifications or to
25the expiration of the review period under subd. 1.
or, if applicable, subd. 1m.,
1whichever is later. There is no limit either on the number of modification agreements
2that may be entered into or on the time within which modifications may be made.
SB8-SSA1, s. 38
3Section
38. 227.19 (4) (b) 2m. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,18,144
227.19
(4) (b) 2m. If a committee requests in writing that the public service
5commission determine the rule's impact on the cost or reliability of electricity
6generation, transmission, or distribution or of fuels used in generating electricity, the
7commission shall prepare an energy impact report in the manner provided under s.
8227.117 (1). The commission shall submit a copy of the report to the committee and
9to the agency that proposed the rule within 30 days after the written request is
10submitted to the commission. The review period for both committees
to which the
11proposed rule is referred is extended to the 10th working day following receipt by
the 12those committees of the report, to the expiration of the review period under subd. 1.
13or, if applicable, subd. 1m., or to the expiration of the review period under subd. 2.,
14whichever is later.
SB8-SSA1, s. 39
15Section
39. 227.19 (4) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,18,2516
227.19
(4) (b) 3. An agency may, on its own initiative, submit a germane
17modification to a proposed rule to a committee during its review period. If a germane
18modification is submitted within the final 10 days of a committee review period
19under subd. 1., the review period for both committees to which the proposed rule is
20referred is extended for 10 working days. If a germane modification is submitted to
21a committee after the committee in the other house has concluded its jurisdiction
22over the proposed rule, the jurisdiction of the committee of the other house is revived
23for 10 working days. In this subdivision, an agency's proposal to delete part of a
24proposed rule under committee review shall be treated as a germane modification of
25the proposed rule.
SB8-SSA1, s. 40
1Section
40. 227.19 (4) (b) 3m. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,19,82
227.19
(4) (b) 3m. An agency may, during the committee review period,
3reconsider its action by recalling the proposed rule from the chief clerk of each house
4of the legislature. If the agency decides to continue the rule-making process with
5regard to the proposed rule,
it the agency shall resubmit the proposed rule, either in
6its recalled form or with one or more germane modifications, to the chief clerk in each
7house of the legislature as provided in sub. (2) and the committee review period
8under subd. 1.
or, if applicable, subd. 1m. shall begin again.
SB8-SSA1, s. 41
9Section
41. 227.19 (4) (b) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,19,1810
227.19
(4) (b) 5. If a committee in one house votes to object to a proposed rule
11or to a part of the proposed rule under par. (d), the chairperson or cochairpersons of
12the committee shall immediately notify the chairperson or cochairpersons of the
13committee
in the other house to which the proposed rule was referred
in the other
14house. Upon receipt of the notice, the review period for the committee in the other
15house immediately ceases and no further action on the proposed rule
or part of the
16proposed rule objected to may be taken under this paragraph
by that committee, but
17the committee may proceed under par. (d) to object to the proposed rule
or part of the
18proposed rule.
SB8-SSA1, s. 42
19Section
42. 227.19 (4) (b) 6. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,20,520
227.19
(4) (b) 6. If a committee has not concluded its jurisdiction over a
21proposed rule
or a part of a proposed rule before the day specified under s. 13.02 (1)
22for the next legislature to convene, that jurisdiction immediately ceases and, within
2310 working days after that date, the presiding officer of the appropriate house shall
24refer the proposed rule
or part of the proposed rule to the appropriate standing
25committee
of the next legislature as provided under sub. (2).
The If a committee
1review period
that was is interrupted by the loss of jurisdiction under this
2subdivision
continues, a new committee review period as provided in subd. 1. shall
3begin for the committee to which the proposed rule
or part of the proposed rule is
4referred under this subdivision beginning on the date of referral under this
5subdivision.
SB8-SSA1, s. 43
6Section
43. 227.19 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,20,137
227.19
(4) (c)
Agency not to promulgate rule during Waiver of committee review. 8An agency may not promulgate a proposed rule during the committee review period
9unless both committees waive jurisdiction over the proposed rule prior to the
10expiration of the review period. A committee may waive its jurisdiction
over a
11proposed rule prior to the expiration of the committee review period by adopting, by
12a majority vote of a quorum of the committee, a motion waiving the committee's
13jurisdiction.
SB8-SSA1, s. 44
14Section
44. 227.19 (4) (d) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB8-SSA1,20,1815
227.19
(4) (d)
Committee action. (intro.) A committee, by a majority vote of a
16quorum of the committee during the
applicable review period under par. (b), may
17object to a proposed rule
or to a part of a proposed rule for one or more of the following
18reasons:
SB8-SSA1, s. 45
19Section
45. 227.19 (4) (e) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
SB8-SSA1,20,2520
227.19
(4) (e)
Conclusion of committee jurisdiction. Subject to par. (b) 3., a
21committee's jurisdiction over a proposed rule is concluded when the committee
22objects to, approves, or waives its jurisdiction over the proposed rule or when the
23committee review period ends, whichever occurs first. When a committee's
24jurisdiction over a proposed rule is concluded, the committee shall report the
25proposed rule and any objection as provided in sub. (5) (a).
SB8-SSA1, s. 46
1Section
46. 227.19 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: