AB726: Bill Text

5. Elimination of Medical Examining Board councils; creation of consolidated council.

Under current law, there are three councils created to serve the Medical Examining Board in an advisory capacity regarding certain professions for which licenses are issued by the Medical Examining Board: 1) the Perfusionists Examining Council, which advises the Medical Examining Board regarding the practice of perfusion; 2) the Council on Physician Assistants, which advises the Medical Examining Board and the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents regarding licensing, practice standards, and education and training for physician assistants; and 3) the Council on Anesthesiologist Assistants, which advises the Medical Examining Board on the practice of anesthesiologist assistants.

This bill eliminates these three councils and transfers their duties to a newly created council called the Medical Assistants Council. Under the bill, the Medical Assistants Council includes one licensed anesthesiologist assistant; one anesthesiologist; one licensed perfusionist; one physician who is a cardiothoracic surgeon or a cardiovascular anesthesiologist; one physician assistant; one person who teaches physician assistants; and one public member.

6. Elimination of certain sections of examining boards.

Under current law, the Examining Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, Professional Engineers, Designers, and Professional Land Surveyors is composed of an architect section, a landscape architect section, a professional engineer section, a designer section, and a professional land surveyor section. The membership of that examining board consists of the following:

1. Three architects.

2. Three landscape architects.

3. Three professional engineers.

4. Three designers.

5. Three professional land surveyors.

6. Ten public members.

This bill eliminates the individual sections of the Examining Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, Professional Engineers, Designers, and Professional Land Surveyors and reduces the membership of the examining board to the following:

1. Two architects.

2. Two landscape architects.

3. Two professional engineers.

4. Two designers.

5. Two professional land surveyors.

6. One public member.

Also under current law, the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board is composed of a marriage and family therapist section, a professional counselor section, and a social worker section. The membership of that examining board consists of the following:

1. Three marriage and family therapists.

2. Three professional counselors.

3. Four social workers.

4. Three public members who represent groups promoting the interests of consumers of services provided by marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, and social workers.

The bill eliminates the individual sections of the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board and reduces the membership of the examining board to the following:

1. Three marriage and family therapists (no change).

2. Three professional counselors (no change).

3. Three social workers.

4. One public member.

7. Removal from office.

Under current law, members of examining boards, affiliated credentialing boards, or other boards under DSPS, like most other state officers appointed by the governor for a fixed term, may be removed from office only for cause, subject to certain complaint and other procedural requirements. This bill authorizes the governor to remove any member appointed for a fixed term to an examining board, affiliated credentialing board, or other board under DSPS for, as determined by the governor, excessive absenteeism, neglect of duties, conviction of a crime, or unprofessional conduct. If the governor determines that one of those elements is present, the removal is treated essentially as a removal from office at pleasure.

8. Meeting requirements.

Under current law, each board other than a board that serves as the head of a department and each council must meet annually, and may meet at other times on the call of the chairperson or a majority of its members. This bill deletes the annual meeting requirements that apply to boards and councils in or attached to DSPS, to examining boards, and to affiliated credentialing boards. The bill also deletes various other mandatory meeting requirements that apply to specific bodies that are in or attached to DSPS.

Buildings and safety

Under current law, the Contractor Certification Council recommends rules for promulgation to DSPS concerning certain residential building contractors in Wisconsin and advises DSPS about examinations for the continuing education of such contractors. This bill eliminates the Contractor Certification Council.

The bill also eliminates the Plumbers Council, which is tasked with advising DSPS with respect to DSPS's rules concerning plumbers, utility contractors, plumbing apprentices, pipe layers, and registered learners.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB726,1 Section 1. 15.07 (1) (b) 19m. of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,2 Section 2. 15.07 (1) (b) 23. of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,3 Section 3. 15.07 (1) (cm) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB726,9,12 15.07 (1) (cm) The term of one member of the government accountability board shall expire on each May 1. The terms of the 3 members of the land and water conservation board appointed under s. 15.135 (4) (b) 2. shall expire on January 1. The term of the member of the land and water conservation board appointed under s. 15.135 (4) (b) 2m. shall expire on May 1 of an even-numbered year. The terms of the appraiser members of the real estate appraisers board and the terms of the auctioneer and auction company representative members of the auctioneer board shall expire on May 1 in an even-numbered year. The terms of the members of the cemetery board shall expire on July 1 in an even-numbered year. The term of the student member of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System who is at least 24 years old shall expire on May 1 of every even-numbered year.

AB726,4 Section 4. 15.07 (1) (cm) of the statutes, as affected by 2015 Wisconsin Acts 118 and .... (this act), is repealed and recreated to read:

AB726,10,12 15.07 (1) (cm) The terms of the 3 members of the land and water conservation board appointed under s. 15.135 (4) (b) 2. shall expire on January 1. The term of the member of the land and water conservation board appointed under s. 15.135 (4) (b) 2m. shall expire on May 1 of an even-numbered year. The terms of the appraiser members of the real estate appraisers board shall expire on May 1 in an even-numbered year. The term of the student member of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System who is at least 24 years old shall expire on May 1 of every even-numbered year.

AB726,5 Section 5. 15.07 (1) (cs) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB726,10,16 15.07 (1) (cs) No member of the auctioneer board, cemetery board, or real estate appraisers board may be an officer, director, or employee of a private organization that promotes or furthers any profession or occupation regulated by that board.

AB726,6 Section 6. 15.07 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB726,10,22 15.07 (3) (b) Except as provided in par. pars. (bm) and (c), each board not covered under par. (a) shall meet annually, and may meet at other times on the call of the chairperson or a majority of its members. The auctioneer board, the cemetery board, and the real estate appraisers board shall also meet on the call of the secretary of safety and professional services or his or her designee within the department.

AB726,7 Section 7. 15.07 (3) (bm) 3. of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,8 Section 8. 15.07 (3) (bm) 6. of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,9 Section 9. 15.07 (3) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB726,11,6 15.07 (3) (c) Paragraph (b) does not apply to a board in or attached to the department of safety and professional services. A board in or attached to the department of safety and professional services shall meet on the call of the chairperson or a majority of its members. The real estate appraisers board shall also meet on the call of the secretary of safety and professional services or his or her designee within the department.

AB726,10 Section 10. 15.07 (5) (c) of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,11 Section 11. 15.07 (5) (z) of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,12 Section 12. 15.08 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB726,11,20 15.08 (1m) (b) The public members of the chiropractic examining board, the dentistry examining board, the hearing and speech examining board, the medical examining board, the physical medical therapy examining board, perfusionists examining the medical assistants council, the respiratory care practitioners examining council and council on physician assistants, the board of nursing, the nursing home administrator examining board, the veterinary examining board, the optometry examining board, the pharmacy examining board, the marriage and family therapy, professional counseling, and social work examining board, and the psychology examining board, and the radiography examining board shall not be engaged in any profession or occupation concerned with the delivery of physical or mental health care.

AB726,13 Section 13. 15.08 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB726,11,23 15.08 (3) (a) Every examining board shall meet annually and may meet at other times on the call of the chairperson or of a majority of its members.

AB726,14 Section 14. 15.08 (3) (c) of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,15 Section 15. 15.085 (1m) of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,16 Section 16. 15.085 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 15.085 (3) and amended to read:

AB726,12,5 15.085 (3) Frequency of meetings. Every affiliated credentialing board shall meet annually and may meet at other times on the call of the chairperson or of a majority of its members.

AB726,17 Section 17. 15.085 (3) (b) of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,18 Section 18. 15.09 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 15.09 (3) (a) and amended to read:

AB726,12,12 15.09 (3) (a) Unless otherwise provided by law and except as provided in par. (b), every council shall meet at least annually and shall also meet on the call of the head of the department or independent agency in which it is created, and may meet at other times on the call of the chairperson or a majority of its members. A

AB726,12,16 (c) Unless otherwise provided by law, a council shall meet at such locations as may be determined by it unless the constitutional officer or secretary heading the department or the chief executive officer of the independent agency in which it is created determines a specific meeting place.

AB726,19 Section 19. 15.09 (3) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

AB726,12,22 15.09 (3) (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to a council in or attached to the department of safety and professional services. Unless otherwise provided by law, a council in or attached to the department of safety and professional services shall meet on the call of the secretary of safety and professional services or on the call of the chairperson or a majority of its members.

AB726,20 Section 20. 15.405 (2) (intro.) and (a) of the statutes are consolidated, renumbered 15.405 (2) and amended to read:

AB726,13,16 15.405 (2) Examining board of architects, landscape architects, professional engineers, designers, and professional land surveyors. There is created an examining board of architects, landscape architects, professional engineers, designers, and professional land surveyors in the department of safety and professional services. Any professional member appointed to the examining board shall be registered or licensed to practice architecture, landscape architecture, professional engineering, the design of engineering systems, or professional land surveying under ch. 443. The examining board shall consist of the following members appointed for 4-year terms: 3 2 architects, 3 2 landscape architects, 3 2 professional engineers, 3 2 designers, 3 2 professional land surveyors, and 10 one public members. (a) In operation, the examining board shall be divided into an architect section, a landscape architect section, a professional engineer section, a designer section, and a professional land surveyor section. Each section shall consist of the 3 members of the named profession appointed to the examining board and 2 public members appointed to the section. The examining board shall elect its own officers and shall meet at least twice annually member.

AB726,21 Section 21. 15.405 (2) (b) of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,22 Section 22. 15.405 (2) (c) of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,23 Section 23. 15.405 (2m) of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,24 Section 24. 15.405 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,25 Section 25. 15.405 (3m) of the statutes is repealed.

AB726,26 Section 26. 15.405 (6m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB726,13,24 15.405 (6m) (a) Three Two hearing instrument specialists licensed under subch. I of ch. 459.

AB726,27 Section 27. 15.405 (6m) (dm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB726,14,2 15.405 (6m) (dm) Two interpreters licensed under s. 459.42, at least one of whom holds a renewable license under s. 459.42 (1).

AB726,28 Section 28. 15.405 (6m) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB726,14,5 15.405 (6m) (e) Two Three public members. One Two of the public members shall be a hearing aid user deaf or hard of hearing individuals.

AB726,29 Section 29. 15.405 (7c) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB726,14,8 15.405 (7c) (a) 1. Four Three social worker members who are certified or licensed under ch. 457.

AB726,30 Section 30. 15.405 (7c) (a) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB726,14,12 15.405 (7c) (a) 4. Three One public members who represent groups that promote the interests of consumers of services provided by persons who are certified or licensed under ch. 457 member.

AB726,31 Section 31. 15.405 (7c) (am) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB726,14,15 15.405 (7c) (am) (intro.) The 4 members appointed under par. (a) 1. shall consist of the following:

AB726,32 Section 32. 15.405 (7c) (am) 4. of the statutes is repealed.